It remains to record the more significant experimental data which show the distribution of the anti-scorbutic substance, and its tendency to be destroyed by heating, drying or aging, and its synthesis during the germination of seeds.

Chick and Delf (27) studied the anti-scorbutic values of dried peas and lentils and found them to have no demonstrable value. On soaking the seeds for 24 hours in water and germinating for 48 hours at room temperature, the anti-scorbutic value became pronounced. While these sprouted seeds were found to be inferior to orange or lemon juice, or to cabbage or swedes, they were equal in efficiency to green beans or potatoes, and superior to carrots or beet roots. The anti-scorbutic power is greatly reduced by boiling. For this reason they recommend that when any green food is being depended upon to protect against scurvy it should be cooked as short a time as possible.

Delf (25) showed that a very small amount of raw cabbage is sufficient to protect guinea pigs from the symptoms of scurvy when added daily to a diet of grains and autoclaved milk. Her histological evidence showed, however, that an apparently healthy animal may be in a condition of incipient scurvy as regards the structure of its growing bones.