RICKETS
Rickets, like scurvy, is being discussed by scientists both in America and abroad. The disease is widespread, particularly in its subacute form, and its effect upon the health of the child is so serious that no amount of effort to prevent its development should be considered too great.
Calcium Retention in Rickets.—The disease is characterized by a failure of the bones to lay down lime salts, this failure causes a softness and flexibility in the structure of the bones which permits them to bend into deformities. Then, too, it is a well established fact that any interference with the calcium metabolism in the body, will inevitably bring about disaster. (See Mineral Metabolism, page [185].)
Factors Inducing Rickets.—According to Dr. Eddy, “It is impossible at present to determine whether rickets is a true avitaminose or a consequence of deficiency in a series of factors.”
Treatment.—For breast-fed babies it is necessary to adjust the diet of the mother to include more of the vitamine bearing foods, since milk contains vitamines only in proportion to the amount eaten in food. For artificially fed children, the giving of cod liver oil has recently been adopted as the surest and safest method of curing and preventing the development of the disease. Like treatment is used with breast-fed infants if the need arises.
The value of cod liver oil in this respect has only been recently recognized. Mellanby of England claims that the oil owes its curative and preventive properties to the presence of the “A” vitamine. But scientists in this country have not fully accepted this view. Eddy states, “It may be that the power of the oil is due to its ‘A’ vitamine content, in which it is known to be rich, or it may be due to a new vitamine, but the fact that the oil is a preventive in this respect gives the pediatrist another agent to insure normal growth.”
Sunshine as a Factor.—It has been found that the disease rickets is more prevalent in winter than in summer; this is believed to be due to the fact that sunshine during the summer months exerts a distinctly beneficial influence over the disease. Dr. Hess’s report of the good results which he has found to be derived from the use of the ultra violet rays as a substitute for sunshine in winter, would seem to confirm this view.