A closely-related but less fundamental question is that of _the ability
of man to store vitamines_--whether the tissues can hoard an excess of
these factors, or whether, in this respect, we are carrying on a
precarious hand-to-mouth existence in regard to cellular nutrition. It
is of course clear that at all times the various organs and tissues must
contain a certain amount of the vitamines. This has been shown for the
water-soluble or "antineuritic vitamine" by the fact that even the
organs of birds which have died of polyneuritis contain an appreciable
quantity of the specific vitamine, although an insufficiency of this
very factor has led to their death. That such is the case is
demonstrated for the antiscorbutic vitamine by the fact that muscle
tissue contains sufficient antiscorbutic to protect individuals
subsisting largely on a diet of which raw meat constitutes the sole
antiscorbutic agent (Stefánsson). It is very probable that some organs
contain more of the vitamines than others; this has been proved for the
"antineuritic" factor, and seems to hold good for the antiscorbutic--the
liver being particularly rich. No quantitative study has been carried
out from this point of view regarding the antiscorbutic vitamine, and it
would be well worth our while to ascertain the relative antiscorbutic
potency of the various organs of the body. Some time ago we undertook
experiments to determine whether the guinea-pig is capable of storing
this vitamine. One series of guinea-pigs was fed daily 6 c.c. of orange
juice for a period of two weeks, whereas another series, of about the
same weight, was given, in addition to the basal ration, only 3 c.c.
per capita (the minimal protective dose). After this preliminary period
both series were placed on a diet containing practically no
antiscorbutic. Both groups came down with scurvy after about the same
interval, leading to the conclusion that there could have been little if
any storing of the excess vitamine by those which received twice the
"minimal protective dose." The experiments of Harden and Zilva, who fed
a concentrated lemon juice, showed that this potent agent also was
unable to provide against a subsequent period of antiscorbutic
deficiency. It should be realized that the results of these tests on
guinea-pigs cannot be applied to man without tests on other species.
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