MYSTERY MAKES SALE OF VITAMINES POSSIBLE CHARGES FOOD DIRECTOR

"I have no desire or intention of criticising the scientific work which has resulted in the discovery of those wonderful unknown substances called vitamines" said Mr. H. G. Lythgoe, director of the Division of Food and Drugs of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in a recent interview for the CRIMSON on the subject of what he called the "Vitamine Bunk". But I do wish to point at certain abuses which have been made by commercial houses, and the relation of these abuses to our Food and Drug laws and our false advertising law.

"The study of vitamines is of primary importance to the dietitian, to the infant specialist, and to the physician dealing with certain diseases, but its interest to the public is due to the mysterious nature of the substances. The belief in the supernatural is even now highly prevalent and other things being even, appeals to that belief usually bring results. The peculiar, mysterious properties of the vitamines has popularized them and they have been swallowed hook, line, bob, and sinker by the public.

"It is worthy of note", Mr. Lythgoe continued, "that the same procedure ensued relative to electricity, radium, and the Einstein Theory. Twenty years ago electric belts, electric inner soles for shoes, and electric batteries were quite commonly used for the mitigation of real and imaginary diseases, while twenty years after, we accomplished better results with electric coffee pots, electric washing machines, etc. The vitamines are so constituted that they can and are being sold at high prices to the credulous, to mitigate most imaginary evils.

The Proprietary Medicine Man

"No person takes more care in his advertising than the proprietary medicine man. He knows the laws, their limitations, the efficiency of enforcement, and knows that outside of food and drug advertisements there is little or no systematic policing of false advertisements. The vitamine bunk shows practically 100 percent efficiency in complying with the advertising laws, but I believe that the continued sale of these products is doomed to failure for purely psychological reasons. A property medicine to be successful, must possess two prime attributes, first, it must have a disagreeable taste or odor and, second, it must show immediate physiological results. The common yeast vitamine tablets and similar patent medicines must of necessity fail in these attributes, unless drugs are added, because they are tasteless and because we all have an abundance of vitamines in our daily diets".