Vitamin A

“Vitamin A was discovered by McCollum and Davis in 1915. They found that certain laboratory animals which were deprived of certain foods, such as butter and other animal fats, developed an eye disease and eye infection which eventually led to blindness. They found that an animal which had definitely developed the eye disease might, in cases where the disease had not progressed too far, be cured by restoring the proper food. These food investigations showed that the protective element which they were studying existed in certain fruits, yellow colored vegetables, and the green leaves of vegetables. They found that not only would eye diseases develop where this substance was lacking in the diet, but also that certain other parts of the body become diseased, and the character of the disease in these cases was found to be in the nature of an infection. This work proved that food plays a major part in protecting certain parts of the animal body against the more common infections. The animals on the deficiency diets suffered invasion of certain organs and tissues by low grade micro-organisms. The structures in which it was shown that low grade infections had occurred were the eyes, the tonsils and other lymphatic structures, and the accessory sinuses connected with the nasal cavity (antrums, ethmoid cells, frontal sinuses, mastoids, sphenoids, etc.). In the animals that were killed and examined after such an experimental diet deficiency, abscesses could be demonstrated in the tonsils and sinuses, and in some animals there were also collections of pus in the ear and mastoid cells. The anti-ophthalmic vitamin came eventually to be called Vitamin A. (The names Vitamin A and B were suggested by McCollum and Kennedy in 1916). At the present time Vitamin A is considered one of the main elements of protection, in a basic manner, against all infections. It undoubtedly has a very decided effect in protecting against the infections which cause ordinary colds, and which localize in the nasal cavity, the throat, and the respiratory tract.” Dr. Quigley, “Notes on Vitamins and Diets.”

“The body has the power of storing Vitamin A to a considerable extent for future needs. An abundant supply of it in early life undoubtedly safeguards the body against later infection as well as provides for present needs. This does not mean, however, that the need of Vitamin A is confined to the young. An amount sufficient to support normal growth and health may still be insufficient for the added demands of reproduction and lactation and for resisting the infections more common in early adult life. Long-time feeding experiments conducted on rats have shown increasing benefits throughout succeeding generations in the continued use of liberal amounts of Vitamin A.” U. S. Dept. of Agriculture Circular No. 84.

Vitamin A 

Functions:

1. Promotes tissue formation.
2. Increases blood platelets.
3. Promotes growth and feeling of well-being.
4. Promotes appetite and digestion.
5. Prevents infections, notably of eyes, tonsils, sinuses, air passages, lungs and gastro-intestinal tract. 

Results of Deficiency:

1. Loss of appetite.
2. Retardation of growth and development.
3. Physical weakness.
4. Susceptibility to disease of the eyes (night blindness, corneal ulcers), ears (otitis media), kidneys (renal calculi).
5. Diseases involving the air passages, lungs, skin, bladder, stomach and colon.
6. Influences reproduction by failure of ovulation.
7. Secondary anemia.
8. Excessive growth of lymphoid tissue.
9. Dullness or perversion of special senses.

Results of Absence:

1. Xerophthalmia (eye inflammation and ulcers).
2. Cessation of growth.
3. Failure of appetite and digestion.
4. Formation of pus in ears, sinuses and glands at base of tongue. Pyorrhea.
5. Prevents conception by failure of ovulation.
6. Causes phosphatic renal calculi.

Most Reliable Sources:

Whole milk, butter, cheese, egg yolk, some animal organs (mainly in liver oil), green leafy vegetables, yellow corn, yellow sweet potatoes, carrots and other yellow and green vegetables.

Some special effects we have noted from the use of the Vitamin “A” concentrate used in “Catalyn” is the remarkable ability it has of relieving epithelial irritabilities. For instance, stubborn cases of gastro-intestinal irritation (and even ulceration) that failed to respond to other treatments have disappeared as if by magic in a few days after the use of “Catalyn” (or Vitamin “A” concentrate alone) was begun.

Another situation of acute Vitamin “A” deficiency is found in those cases of cystitis where no other offending organism is detected than colon bacillus. A number of such cases on record were all immediately relieved in a few hours’ time by the use of this material. There are apparently more people (particularly women) suffering from this condition than we suspect. Cystitis of this kind recurs periodically without any visible reason, at more or less extended intervals, sometimes years apart.

A third situation in which “A” is of particular value is in dropsy caused by liver pathology. Here it appears to aid the remaining parenchyma to perform its work. This effect is reasonable, when we recall that the liver is the chief location of Vitamin “A” in the animal, fish liver oils being the main commercial source.

Colds, chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, and psoriasis are more consequences of epithelial irritability that have recently been reported as responsive to our new “A” concentrate now available in tablet form, each containing five times the amount of this vitamin in each “Catalyn” tablet, and sold in the same size bottles (36, 120, and 500), and at the same schedule of prices and discounts.