Dear alan218-ga
Thank you for a challenging research question.
Scientists discovered vitamins while examining deficiency diseases
which occur when your diet lacks a particular vitamin. They identified
which foods could cure these diseases, and then isolated the chemicals
in the foods that were the sources of the cure.
The history of their discovery is complex with many scientists
involved. However, there appears to general agreement on the origin of
the word vitamin and the originator of the classification of vitamins
by letters of the alphabet.
Casimir Funk coined the word Vitamines. This was later changed (much
to his disagreement) to Vitamins.
"In 1912 “Funk suggested vitamin deficiencies that caused beriberi,
rickets and scurvy were diseases could be prevented with “vital
amines,” or “vitamines.” He published his research under the title
“The Vitamines.” Funk’s term later proved to be misleading. Subsequent
research showed that not all “additional food factors” are amines, and
the term was shortened to “vitamins.” "
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/331/21250/245416.html?d=dmtContent
As vitamins were discovered they were named alphabetically. This was
suggested by scientist Elmer V McCollum. It was simply a way of
classifying the substances.
"The different vitamins were distinguished by letters of the alphabet
as McCollum had proposed as early as 1916 when he discovered that
there was not just one vitamin but several with different
characteristics and effects."
Beside vitamines, a number of other names were used. In 1929 a
committee of British and American scientist was established and a
decision was made to use vitamins and letters of the alphabet.
http://www.etn.lu.se/ethscand/text/1998/1998_62-76.PDF
(I had difficulty down loading this, so use the google cache under
this search term)
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22different+vitamins+were+distinguished+by+letters+of+the+alphabet+as+McCollum++%22
McCollum’s biography:
"US biochemist and nutritionist who originated the letter system of
naming vitamins. He also researched into the role of minerals in the
diet. His choice of the albino rat as a laboratory animal was to make
it one of the most used animals for research.
McCollum was born in Fort Scott, Kansas, and studied at Kansas and
Yale universities. He worked at the University of Wisconsin 1907-17.
From 1917 he was professor at the School of Hygiene and Public Health
at Johns Hopkins University.
McCollum discovered in the early 1910s that growth retardation results
from a diet deficient in certain fats and that such deficiencies can
be compensated for by providing a specific extract from either butter
or eggs. He called this essential component 'fat-soluble A', because
it dissolves in lipids. He then showed that there is another essential
dietary component, which he called 'water-soluble B'. Later he found
that they are not single compounds but complexes.
At Johns Hopkins, McCollum collaborated in the discovery of vitamin
D."
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Biographies/MainBiographies/M/McCollum/1.html
More information on McCollum may be accessed using the search terms
below.
May I also recommend “Essays on Paths of Discovery in the Biomedical
Sciences” This is an excellent account of Funks discoveries and his
arguments over the name of vitamins. There is also a discussion of
McCollums work.
http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/digital/2001/swazey_reeds_1978/chap_03.htm
I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder
Search strategy
vitamins "letters of the alphabet"
://www.google.com/search?q=vitamins+%22letters+of+the+alphabet%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=0&sa=N
vitamins discovered letters
://www.google.com/search?q=vitamins+discovered+letters&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=0&sa=N
elmer mccollum vitamins
://www.google.com/search?q=elmer+mccollum+vitamins&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 |
