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V – P Vitamin C and Diabetic Gangrene; A Ten Year Scoop on Medical Science
Published in Vitamin News, December 1947.
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Drs. Wirtschafter and Widmann in the March 1 issue (1947) of the Journal of the AMA tell how they have discovered a new treatment for diabetic gangrene, and with its help they have saved five veterans from imminent amputation of their feet, at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Los Angeles.
Their treatment is practically identical with that recommended TEN YEARS AGO by the VITAMIN PRODUCTS CO. as described in the case below. They used injections of vitamin C and histidine. We recommended Cataplex C and Catalyn. (Catalyn and Cataplex C both contain vitamins in combination with their naturally associated amino acids including histidine.) (Most natural vitamins are linked with proteins.)
Here is our case report, as received from the surgeon who had decided to try the vitamin treatment because the patient refused to consent to amputation:
Dr. – – H., St. Paul, Minn.
February 6, 1987
Dr. Royal Lee
Vitamin Products Company
2023 West Wisconsin Ave.,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
My dear Dr. Lee:
Thank you very much for the fresh supply of a dozen bottles of Catalyn tablets which came Monday to be used for clinical investigation in charity cases.
I also want to recount briefly to you a rather dramatic experience I had in the case of a diabetic woman, age 72 with a history of diabetes of 4 years’ duration, insulin dosage 80 units daily for the past two years, who came to my office in September with an ulcer between the toes, treated in the hospital with vaso-dilators and intermittent negative pressure with no improvement. Blood sugar under 30 units of insulin a day was 130 mg.; without insulin 200 mg. An X-ray of the blood vessels showed no calcareous deposits.
A stay in the hospital of one month brought about no amelioration of symptoms and no reduction of pain in the foot. In fact the ulcerating spot began to develop a gangrenous scab on it, which increased in size to 3 x 5 cm. and pain was quite constant. Then resort was had to the expedient of soaking the arms to the elbow twice daily in water 115 degrees in temperature for 20 minutes duration. This brought about some amelioration in symptoms, considerable improvement in color of the foot, and some modification of the pain. The improvement, however, did not last; the spot of gangrene began to spread, pain became quite severe, so that by the first of January all our resources were exhausted, and because of pain and debility amputation of the affected toe was advised, and this was refused by the patient.
January 6th the treatment was begun with tablets of Catalyn, three times daily. January 15th one tablet each of Vitamin B and C were added daily. January 25th the foot was less painful, although there were periods of lancinating pain from time to time, and for the first time in three months the spot of gangrene showed some shrinkage in area and the contiguous tissues to the scab showed a healthy pink color. At this time an attempt was made to continue three Catalyn tablets a day and increase the Vitamins B and C to two each a day, making a total of seven tablets a day. January 27th patient complained of nausea and all vitamins were discontinued for 24 hours. Then a gradual return was made to two tablets of Catalyn a day and two tablets of Vitamin B and two of Vitamin C.
On this regime the patient continued to do well, and when seen February 3rd her general condition had improved. There was an increased interest in food, she had a better control of the bladder sphincter which had been incompetent, the extra systoles in the heart were almost eliminated, and the gangrenous scab had partially separated from its base and was trimmed away except at either end where it was still slightly adherent. When the scab was removed, healthy looking granulation tissue was evident.
I am quite convinced in my own mind that it was the action of the Vitamins and nothing else that brought about this improvement.
Very truly yours,
(signed) Dr. – – – H. (M.D.)
Such is medical progress. The synthetic vitamin C has received little recognition for the treatment of capillary diseases because it alone failed to have any beneficial effect. As stated by Abt & Farmer in The Vitamins (Published by the A.M.A. in 1989), that although scurvy was characterized by capillary breakdown, ascorbic acid was useless in capillary disease other than scurvy. In the same book the statement is made, “The claim by Szent-Gyrorgi that a new factor called ‘Vitamin P’ is responsible for the anti-hemorrhagic effect attributed to Vitamin C has been shown to be erroneous. The postulated ‘Vitamin P’ apparently does not exist” (page 886).
However, later search DID prove its existence. At the Scientific Assembly of the A.M.A., San Francisco, July 1-5, 1946, Drs. Griffith et al showed how the new form of Vitamin P, (Rutin), from buckwheat cured capillary fragility specifically, according to the Gothlin Test. Followed by an article in Collier’s of March 15, 1947 entitled “Block That Stroke,” intimating that no one need suffer a cerebral hemorrhage now that this new vitamin was available.
Well, take a look at this case report of May 27, 1987, ALSO TEN YEARS AHEAD.
CASE NO. 11767
5-27-37
Diagnosis-Purpura Hemorrhagica with Blood Findings Similar to Secondary Anemia.
Female, age 55.
Case of 15 years standing, of gradually increasing intensity to cause complete physical breakdown. Usual routine followed; taken to hospital where five blood transfusions were given. Patient did not respond.
TREATMENT:
“V-P Catalyn” and “V-P” Vitamin C complex given at the rate of one tablet of each per hour.
After the third day patient showed signs of returning vitality.
Fourth day dosage reduced to four tablets of “Catalyn” and four tablets of Vitamin C complex per day. Eighth day patient was able to sit up in bed.
Same dosage continued.
Twelfth day patient up in convalescent’s chair.
Dosage continued at four “Catalyn” and four Vitamin C complex tablets per day.
At the end of third week patient resumed light household duties.
Dosage continued at four “Catalyn” and four Vitamin C complex tablets per day.
Treatment was begun eighteen months ago.
Patient now is active and in very good health.
Signed, Patient
Signed, Physician
It seems that publicity is pretty well controlled as to vitamin deficiency consequences, timed as to release so as to coincide with commercial availability. As to Rutin our investigations so far indicate it has severe limitations, again because it is processed and purified so as to eliminate its associated factors. Recall how even drugs like digitalis are rendered dangerous and unduly toxic by attempts to isolate the active principle and how tincture of the green leaf was found best? Well, we believe that the Best Vitamin P is the green buckwheat juice, entire, vacuum dried into a powder, and tableted. It was once listed in botanical tests as very good in treating Erysipelas, a capillary disease associated with various infective agents, (none being specific causes). But it was not capable of poisoning normal healthy animals, so it was thrown out of the materia medica as an old woman’s dream. (As were all the other vitamins, in their natural forms like cod liver oil.) (We note that gelatin capsules of cod liver oil were mentioned in Stille’s Materia Medica in 1868, and were listed in Merck’s Index in 1896.)
In the last issue of Vitamin News the effect of the sulfa drugs in promoting depletion of the tissues of their Vitamin C was pointed out. Now, the outstanding after effect of the sulfa drugs is to cause hemorrhages in the tissues. SO ASCORBIC ACID IS NOT THE ANSWER AGAIN, MAYBE!! And refer back to where we argued that Vitamin C complex should be called “the physiological competitor of sulfanilamide and the sulfa drugs” (p. 140) (October, 1941).
How does Vitamin C act to destroy infection?
“Vitamin C acts like Popeye’s spinach when the vitamin gets into the blood. The white blood cells take a “bite” of the C then grab and literally squeeze the life out of disease germs by engulfing them, which is a natural process known as phagocytosis.” (Associated Press item of May 14, 1947, describing the discovery of Dr. Nungester of the University of Michigan, as announced at the meeting of the Society of American Bacteriologists, at Philadelphia, May 13.)
Well, we scooped that discovery a little, too. See Vitamin News, page 8, September 1933. In our discussion of the role of the various vitamins in combating infection, we listed as the function of C “to promote phagocytosis.”
Now, maybe you would like to know what we think the next big “discovery” will be, in the vitamin field.
It may be the “discovery” of the necessity for vitamin E to prevent heart disease. (I mean the natural E with its phospholipid synergists, chiefly lipositol.)
When Vitamin E is removed from cattle feed (like the degermination of our flour and other cereal foods) the cattle begin to drop dead in the pasture without previous signs of disease, (just as our leading businessmen for years have been getting front page notices for the same reaction), according to tests reported in Science, October 4, 1946, (copy attached).
WHY? Simply because muscular dystrophy and paralysis are end results of Vitamin E deficiency. And in the sedentary man what muscle does the hardest work??
The iron curtain has for some time been screening off from the public any mention of Vitamin E as an essential nutrient for the human family. The Federal Trade Commission as far back as 1938 stopped Sears Roebuck & Co. from advertising that the average diet might not be adequate in its vitamin E content and from “implying that any substantial proportion of persons are exposed in this country to a Vitamin E deficiency.” (Drug Trade News, Sept. 26, 1938.)
Apparently the time is not yet ripe for an unveiling of the necessity for a campaign to “Block That Heart Attack.” But it almost is, is my guess.
The FTC was in no position of involuntary ignorance in this matter, for I assume they have access to the Congressional Library. In The New York Physician for November 1935 an editorial ably sets forth some basic facts. Among them: “For some unexplainable reason, the fallacy continues to be reiterated that Vitamin E is widespread and sufficiently abundant in food. Hardly is this consistent with the editorial comment appearing in the Oct. 26, 1935 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association; that in the case of all the vitamins the tendency for harm is to be sought in their under rather than in their over-supply. Obviously, the physicians of the country see through the damages that afflict processed foods. Natural foods may be rich in vitamins, E included, but processed foods are more than likely to be vitamin poor.
“Take the case of milk. Human breast milk is vitamin-E poor, presumably because the food of the mother is vitamin-E poor. Cow’s milk is vitamin-E poor; clearly because the food of dairy herds is vitamin-E poor. Canned milks are vitamin-E free; because they are evaporated in copper-lined and other metallic vessels and begin with a vitamin-E poor milk to start with.”
“Take the case of eggs. It has been shown that vitamin E poor feeds make for a low vitamin E content of the yolk; and this makes for infertility and non-hatchable eggs. The average hatchability of eggs over the country is about 66 per cent. Does this look like abundantly and sufficiently widespread vitamin E?”
“Take the case of lettuce. It is reputed to be a very rich source of vitamin E–providing it be the fresh, garden variety. Etiolated lettuce contains barely a trace of vitamin E. Thirty heads of etiolated lettuce were required to do the work of 3 minims of a pure, fresh wheat germ oil. Is this widespreadness?”
“Examples can be multiplied, and each new example brings out still more forcibly the danger from “too little rather than from too much” vitamin availability in foods as obtained by the public–not as grown in the agricultural college laboratory farm.” (From The New York Physician, Vol. 5, No. 4, pages 48-9, Nov. 1935)
With heart disease the commonest cause of death in this country and plenty of synthetic as well as natural vitamin E available, certainly the discovery soon will be officially made that it all can be prevented by taking “ethically” prescribed food supplements, as advertised and recommended in the proper medical journals.