V I T A M I N S duster4 operatin in a lemon grove.D E F E N S E
I
N all wars since history began disease has been the cause of more casualties, both military and civilian, than t h e weapons of the enemy. During t h e last World War it began to be recognized that some of these diseases, such as scurvy, were caused by a definite deficiency of some essential ingre dient in the diet w h i l e others probably spread because of lowered resistance of the population due t o this and other dietary lacks. Because of their relationship t o life, these essentials were termed vitamins. Since practically n o t h i n g was known about them at the t i m e , little could be done toward correcting these deficiencies. Since t h e n science has made tremendous strides i n t h e chemistry of vitamins. T h e structure of most of those isolated h a s been determined and m e t h o d s for synthesizing many of t h e m developed. The nations o f the world have not been slow to recognize t h e importance of the vitamins. In h e r rearmament program Germany i n c l u d e d factories for their pro duction along w i t h t h o s e for manufacturing guns, explosives and other munitions o f war. O n e i m p o r t a n t i n g r e d i e n t i n t h e emergency ration of t h e German parachute troops has b e e n tablets of synthetic Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C). Our own Government has also recognized t h e importance of this
vitamin and has included a product con t a i n i n g s y n t h e t i c . A s c o r b i c A c i d in t h e ration of those now training for defense of our nation both on land and sea. T h e U n i t e d States and t h e British Empire h a v e a l s o i n c l u d e d t h e m a i n t e n a n c e of civilian health and morale in their defense plans. Enriched flours a n d breads, to w h i c h a number of the vitamins together with certain minerals have b e e n added, h a v e received official sanction. T h i s development has been hampered by a n insufficient sup ply of one. of the vitamin ingredients — Riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ). Chas. Pfizer & Co., I n c . have been glad to assist i n the Defense Program. We have been one o f the largest producers of Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) for several years. T h e r e has been a continual increase in our pro duction of this synthetic vitamin and plans are now i n the process of consummation which w i l l still further enlarge our pro ductive facilities. After a research program of several years, the production of Riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ) was started by our Company i n 1940. At the present time wc are b e n d i n g every effort toward a great increase in t h e size of our productive facilities in order to assist in s u p p l y i n g t h e large q u a n t i t i e s of t h i s essential vitamin which are needed.
/PFIZER\ lOLALity/
M A N U F A C T U R I N G
C H E M I S T S
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E S T A B L I S H E D
1 8 4 9
duster4 operatin grove. C H A S P F I Z E R in a & lemon CO I N C 81 MAIDEN LANE, NEW YORK
V O L U M E
2 0,
NO.
4 » »
FEBRUARY
2 5,
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4 4 4 W. G R A N D AVE., C H I C A G O , I L L .
1942
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