The announcement that ultra-violet irradiation of foods produces "vitamin D" in them caused irradiation of all manners of foods. "Sunshine pills" were marketed in England; irradiation of cows with ultra-violet lamps in winter was advocated; quartz tubes for use in the ears, nose, throat, rectum, vagina and to introduce into the stomach, in cases of indigestion, were used. It was proposed to fit up restaurants with ultra-violet lamps. Irradiated cigars, cigarettes, laxatives, and toilet paper were placed on the market. Vitaminized face powder and vitaminized cleansing creams are advertised.

The whole lesson is learned from the wrong end. Hygienists have long advised: "Eat the sunshine," that is sunkissed foods. Nature irradiates her foods during growth, as the sun's rays stream down upon orchard and garden. The essential work in food production she does well. To irradiate white flour or other denatured foods and expect this to render them wholesome is absurd. Irradiated white flour is still lacking in calcium, iron, sodium, etc.

Drummond showed that ultra-violet irradiation of milk has its drawbacks in that "milk which has been exposed to the radiations of a mercury-vapor lamp for as short a time as five minutes, not only becomes unpalatable in that it acquires an unpleasant tallowy odor, but actually suffers chemical changes which are highly undesirable from the standpoint of nutrition. One of these is the destruction of vitamin A by oxidation." He says children fed on such milk are likely to show retarded growth and diminished resistance, which appears to be due to a deficiency of vitamin A.

Nature irradiates her products of garden and orchard. Throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall the rays of the sun beat down upon the growing plant giving it the needed assistance in producing vitamins. Why accept substitutes?