Sir A. E. Wright (6) compared the symptoms of scurvy with those induced by large doses of mineral acids, and from their similarity drew the deduction that the syndrome was the result of acid intoxication. He suggested that a diet of cereals or of meat or of the two classes of foods used in conjunction produces scurvy because they both contain an excess of mineral elements which in metabolism are converted into acids. He presented data on the chemical composition of a number of food-stuffs which seemed to afford strong evidence that his theory was correct. The following table gives the composition of a list of foods, with their relative yields of acid and base radicals which were worked out by Wright in support of his view. The values represent the oxalic acid equivalent of 100 grams.

Acid Food-Stuffs

Oats ........... 1.69 gm.

Barley ......... 1.19

Beef .......... 0.27

Wheat ......... 025

Egg ........... 0.20

Rice ........... 0.10

Maize .......... 0.07

Neutral Foodstuffs. Sugar Fats Alkaline Food-Stuffs

Carrot .......... 0.61 gm.

Turnip ......... 0.32

Potato ......... 027

Onion .......... 0.25

Cow's milk ....... 0.17

Ox blood........ 0.13

Peas .......... 0.13

Lemon juice ...... 0.12

Orange juice....... 0.12

Beans .......... 0.07

Sheep blood ...... 0.07

It should perhaps be mentioned that the presence of organic acids in certain of the vegetable foods in the alkaline list, is of no significance in this connection because these are destroyed by oxidation in the tissues.

It will be observed that those foods which were reputed to prevent or cure scurvy all fall in the alkaline group. Wright believed that it was not essential for the diet to contain fresh vegetable foods but that to protect against scurvy it should supply the necessary amount of alkaline radicals to make the diet as a whole somewhat basic. He explained the protection of the Samoyeds of Arctic Russia against scurvy as a result of their consumption of liberal quantities of reindeer blood.