T. G. H. Drake

Irradiated evaporated milk in the prevention of rickets

Summary o 1. The antirachitic effect of irradiated evaporated milk was observed on 103 rapidly growing infants, aged one to six months at the initial examination. The infants, who were largely of British descent, were observed during the five winter months. The entire milk requirements of these infants were supplied by irradiated evaporated milk, and no other source of vitamin D was administered. “Moderate” or “marked rickets” as shown by the x-ray examination did not develop in a single infant. Seventeen per cent of the infants showed x-ray evidence of “mild rickets”, a degree of rickets that is not sufficient to cause any great concern from a clinical standpoint. 2. Fifty-two infants of similar ages whose entire milk requirements were covered by ordinary evaporated milk were observed over the same period. Of these, 10 per cent developed x-ray evidence of “moderate” or “marked rickets”, and 29 per cent developed x-ray evidence of “mild rickets”. 3. Fifty-two infants of similar ages whose entire milk requirements were furnished by ordinary pasteurized milk were also observed over the same period. Of these, 23 per cent developed x-ray evidence of “moderate” or “marked rickets”, and 25 per cent developed x-ray evidence of “mild rickets”. 4. In the infants receiving irradiated evaporated milk in whom x-ray evidence of “mild rickets” was found, there was always evidence of healing as shown by lime salt deposition. On the other hand, in the infants receiving ordinary evaporated milk and ordinary pasteurized milk, in many of the infants with mild rickets there was no evidence of healing.

The comparative value of spinach and tomatoes in the child's diet*

Summary 1. Cooked spinach and canned tomatoes are approximately of equal value as a source of iron for the prevention and cure of nutritional anemia in spite of the fact that the total iron content of cooked spinach is more than three times greater than that of canned tomatoes. 2. Spinach, although it contains 0.19 per cent calcium, an amount 20 times greater than that found in tomatoes, actually tends to produce a negative calcium balance. On the other hand, the retention of the calcium in cooked tomatoes is excellent. 3. The vitamin A content of cooked spinach is approximately 4 times as great as that of canned tomatoes. 4. The vitamin B1 content of cooked spinach is approximately onehalf that of cooked tomatoes. 5. The vitamin C content of cooked spinach is less than one-quarter that of canned tomatoes. 6. The vitamin D content of cooked spinach and canned tomatoes is negligible, it requiring several hundred servings of either to furnish the amount of vitamin D in one teaspoonful of cod liver oil. 7. A very appreciable loss of many of the food elements of spinach may occur in the discarded cooking water, even when the cooking is carried out under ideal home conditions. If these conditions are not observed the loss may be greatly accentuated. On the other hand, there is no water discarded in the preparation of tomatoes for consumption.