CAROTINEMIA IN AN ADULT

Carotinemia as a clinical entity was established by the work of Hess and Meyers¹ in 1923. They observed a peculiar symptomless discoloration of the cheeks, alae nasi and forehead, and occasionally a generalized tinting of the skin in children fed on a high carrot diet. They were able to produce the pigmentation by the administration of carotin, and they saw it disappear when the pigment was withheld and the pigment-bearing vegetables were eliminated from the diet. It was also discovered that spinach, oranges and egg yolk contain a large amount of carotin.

DeBuys² reported two interesting cases of carotinemia in new-born children, observed and studied in 1911 and 1913, and diagnosed in 1923 after the publication of the paper by Hess and Meyers. A high vegetable diet had been advised for the mother, who took the advice too literally and practically lived on green vegetables. Each child when