Vitamin E

This monograph is a well presented discussion of vitamin E, its chemistry and physiology and its possible clinical and veterinary uses. The chemistry of vitamin E has been well worked out and synthetic tocopherol now is commercially available. Chemical tests for tocopherol in biologic materials have not yet progressed to the point at which the vitamin can be determined without recourse to animal assays. The physiologic action of vitamin E and the consequences of vitamin E deficiency have been studied by many investigators with conflicting results. Professor Drummond has pointed out that, while the organic chemists have made short work of the problems handed over to them by the biochemists in connection with the elucidation of the composition of the tocopherols, the physiologists at present are confronted with a formidable list of contradictory reports. There is not yet unanimity of opinion on the fundamental question whether the vitamins of the