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SPECIAL ARTICLE
The Adminis olion o Lo ge Doses o
Asco blc Acid in he P e en ion qnd
T eo menl o ihe Common Cold
Po l ll
Edme Regnie , M.D.
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Beginning a abou he age o se en
and ollowing a onsillec omy I began
o be plagued wi h o i is media o
which I su e ed om 50 o 60 bou s
o e he nex 20 yea s. These ecu -
en in ec ions we e ea ed by a se ies
o di e en me hods including Cubeb
ciga e e smoke blown in o he ea by
my mo he , he local applica ion o
hea , sul adiazine in nasal sp ays and
he ea lie and la e o ms o injec ed
penicillin which was use ul as soon as
I su e ed om a so e h oa i aken
a he i s signs o in ec ion, bu only
o he seconda y bac e ial componen
o my double in ec ion 'hich began
wi h a i us which appea ed o pass he
sen ence which was execu ed by he
bac e ia. I s umbled upon he emplop
men o asco bic acid because o he
ad e isemen s o he bio la onoids
and i amin C as 'bene icial in he p e-
en ion and ea men o he common
cold. I was appa en ha he mix u e
diminished he symp oms o he com-
mon cold o me and o my wi e, bu
no enough o us o con inue wi h i s
employmen . Would la ge doses pe -
haps be mo e e ec i e?
The doses we e inc eased as each
inc emen p o ed i sel as gi ing be e
esul s un il I eached a maximum aud
sa is ac o y e iec . I did no pe mi
mysel o be dissuaded by he gloomy
conclusions o o he s, whose wo k I
con inued o ecognize had shown only
ha i amin C had no been help ul
agains colds a lze dosage used ìn hei
s udíes, and no he unmeasu ed gen-
e ali y ha his d ug had been p o en
u e ly useless agains colds.
I was hen able o supp ess colds, a
will, in i e subjec s. The e is no doub
ha we eally su e ed om colds du' -
ing hese supp essed e sions o he
disease, because we con inued o be
ala e-bu jus awa e-o wha e e
symp oms had been cha ac e is ic o
ou o me ly unmodi ied colds. Al-
hough unning o he nose would be
p ac ically non-exis en , on a e occa-
sions a single d op migh appea a he
na es; howe e , no ,a âce o "i chi-
ness" had accompanied i in i s oll
down he u bina, es. The hickened
s age o nasal discha ge was ne e
eached. Sneezing and coughing ile e
qui e unusual. A h oa did no p o*
ceed o "so eness" bu , in some cases,
he e was a sligh sensa ion o i s p es-
ence. Hoa seness /as uncommon.
Headache was inconsequen ial. Ma-
laise, i a all ecognizable was usually
so mino as o be undese ing o he
Dame. Seconda y bac e ial in asions
did no occu .
I lea ned ha he ea men had o
be ini ia ed ea ly enough and needed
o be con inued a a high le el o some
ime and hen wi hd aw,n o diminished
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REGNIER_ASCORBIC ACID
only g adually, I was no ed ha he
in ec ion so ea ed al hough supp ess-
ed appea ed o las longe . When no
ea ed he du a ion was usually om
li e o se en days, bu when. ea ed all
e idence o he i al in ec ion was no
gone u,n il eigh o ele en d,ays had
passed. I was as hough he supp es-
sion o he in lamma o y esponse was
a he expense o some delay in he
de elopmen o a comple ed im nuni y
o he causa i e i uses, I seemed also
ha despi e he clelay o imnedia e im-
muni y he de elopmen o he usual
se e al wceks' o esis ance was in no
way e ded,
The e we e wo objec ions o he
eâ nìed , I was expensi e in ha he
cos o , he cll:ugs was no e han $25.00
o each cold; and he e we e wo a i-
ables, he bio la onoids and he as-
co bic acid. Was i possible ha he
i amin C alone was esponsible o
he ob íous e ec s, o l as he e a
syne gis ic ad ion o he so-called i a-
nin P? The ex s sugges ed ha he
la e subs ance demons a ed li le
pha :m icologicnl nc i i y, al hough a
clclìciency was hough o oause an in-
c c¿ se in he penleabili y o capilla y
w¿ lls. I elicl no seem o n e ha he
Il¿ onc , ac o in lemon juice (ci in)
nncl in l{u,nga :ie n ed peppe nnd con-
sis ing o n mix e o la ones, edo-
dic yol and hespe iclin could be o any
g ea impo ance.
Ne c helcss, I ini in cd a double-
blincl s ucly using asco bic acicl alone,
nsco bic acid plus biolla onoids, la-
onoicls only ancl, ou hly, n lac ose
plncebo wi h he wo " i amlns" p es-
cn ei he alonc o oge he in 200 mg
quan i ics, I w¿ s sho ly ob ious ha
l c c was no ncccl o con inus clouble-
blincl echniques. The con inuecl $ ud-
ies we¡:e clone by he single blind
.n o hod, As no ed'in he in oduc o y
¡:en a ks, a cold is ,a enuous en i y. Ï s
eo mon equi ed a high deg ee o
.in o mali y wi h much use o he ele-
phone o encou âge he subjec s o
949
con inue o discipline hemsel es as
ega ds he use o he asco bic acid.
A en ion was in ensi e and supe ision
essen ial. A no ime was any subjec
eques ed o ake a dosage o asco bic
acid which had no been exceeded by
membe s o my amily and by me wi h-
ou ill e iec s.
I limi ed mysel o 22 subjec s, a
numbe I could ca e ully supe ise.
Almos all we e o p o essional s a u e.
The majo i y we e adul s whose ages
anged om 30 o 50, wi h he ex-
emes being i e child en younge han
12 (whose hea men s. we e supe ised
by adul s) and he oldes subjec was
73 yea s o age.
My obse a ions sugges ed ha i
migh be'bes o spa e child en colds
comple ely whe e possible by quick
con ol o he uppe espi a o y in ec-
ions o he adul s o he amily and
o dina ily o pe mi he cold o un i s
unmodi ied cou se i a child did ca ch
one, e en hough he child en a e he
mos likely pa ien s o de elop secon-
da y bac e ial in ec ions, n any case,
e en o adul s, he supp ession o
colds by asco bic acid-a leas as i
s ands n p esen -is no a o m o
ea men ideally suì ed o he capaci-
ies o e e y las pa ien . The pa ien
mus pe sis, in aking his medicine as
o de ed and o he p esc ibed ime.
Su ely I am awa e o he possible
dange o in e e ing wi h he de elop-
men o na u ally occu ing an ibodies
o immune esponses. Al hough he e
has no been a single se ious conse-
quence o he supp ession o colds by
asco bic acid in mo e han 400 such
ials, I s ill hesi a e o s a e ha p o-
longa ion o he ac i i y o he i us
may no gi e he o ganisms ime and
oppo uni y o modi y hei na u e so
ha an a ack on ano he o gan o
s)¡s em migh occu . In ac ual p ac ice
he e has been wha p obably amoun s
o a small inc eased incidence o an-
sien muscle in ol emen , o so eness
o ' he back o s i ness o he neck,
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bo h o which, o cou se, may occu
wi h un ea ed in ec ions wi h i¡uses
o he uppe paÍ o he espi a o Y
ac .
The22 subjec s men ioned ha e been
s udied sys ema ically and unde con-
di ions which we e as con olled as is
possible in a clinical in es iga ion o
an a ec ion such as he common cold.
Some ac ed as wha a e commonly
e med heh own con ols in ha hey
we e some imes pe mi ed o su ie
om un ea ed colds and a o he imes
we e ea ed by one o he o he o he
ou ial "d ugs" used successi ely in
new colds. Equally aluable o com-
pa a i e pu poses we e le clinical
cou ses o se e al indi iduals each
ea ed di e en ly a one and he same
ime du ing he cou se o a speci ic
uppe espi a o y in ec ion which a -
ec ed se e al o all o he membe s o
one household.
None o he subjec s was s udicd o
less han h ee yea s, and o almos all,
he du a iou o obse a ion was ou o
i. e yea s. In he pas all had expe i-
enced om one o ou colds each yea
wi h he usual numbe being h ee.
While i was aken o g an ed , ha he
memo y o he incidence o pas Ín-
ec ions may ha æ been exagge a ed,
he minimal expec ed numbe o colds
o he g oup o e all was es ima ed o
be app oxima ely 225. Bu du ing he
i e-yea pe íod o obse a ion he e
we e ao ually only 160 uppe aspi a-
o y ac in ec ions. The alidí y o
he ea men employed canno be
based on he educ ion o expec ed
colds, bu i his is ue i woulã ce .
ainly sugges ha he p og am had
some so o alue as a p ophylac ic
measu e ôo.
O he 160 "cold inciden s" le e
we e 23 which could no be included
in he esul s, because o he pa icu-
la cold he subjec s did no co ec ly
ollow he pa icula ea men p e-
sc ibed o hem. Some o hese oc-
cu ¡ed a he beginning o he s udy
REVTEW OF ALLERGY, VOLUME 22, OCTOÊER, 1968
when he discipline in ol ed in he
aking o he d ug acco ding o sched-
ule was being es ablished and some a
he end when some o he subjec s we e
able o ecognize he ac ha hey we e
beiug ea ed wi h a placebo and e-
used o p oceed wi h a useless ype o
he apy.
The Me hod o T ea men
Wi hin he û s 24 hou¡s o a ypical
in ec ion which he pa ien ecognizes
as his usual ea þ symp oms o a cold,
and he soone he bs e , he beginning
dose o asco bic acid o 600 o 625 mg
is aken e e y h ee hou s, Asco bic
acid is a ailable ìn a ious able
s eng hs and he pa ien may ake, o
example, h ee o he 2O0 mg able s
o wo and one-hal o he 250 mg ab-
le s. The medica ion will wo k equally
well when a single 200 mg able is
aken e e y hou o when wo able s
a e adminis e ed e e y . wo hou s, bu
his mo e equen inges ion only
makes o unnecessa iþ complica ed
ea men schedules. On he o he
hand, expe ience has augh me ha
ou o he able s aken e e y ou
hou s a e no as sa is ac o y, o he
eason ha du ing he ea lie and mo e
iolen s ages o he in eo ion, he pa-
ien o en becomes awa e somewhe e
nea he end o a h ee-hou pe iod
ha symp oms a e ecu ¡ing o a e i n-
minen . I is ac ually some iu es'pleas-
an o look o wa d o he nex dose o
be aken. The need o a h ee-hou
sshedule o doses pa allels labo a o y
obse a ions and da a ha he le els o
asco bic acid in . he plasma ha e e-
umed. o no mal a e¡ he inges ion o
qui e la ge guan i ies in his ime (8.
N. Todhun e¡, R. C. Robbins and J. A.
Mcln osh. J Nu i ion 23:309 1,942).
I he amoun o asco bic acid aken a
bed ime is inc eased o 250 mg, he e
is no need o awaken he paiien a
nigh o he "missed" dose p o ided
ha he i s dose o he nex day Ís
also aised o 750 mg. Expe ience has
,.i¡¡¡iq!%il
REGNIER_ASCORBIC ACID
shown l¡a a sus ained elease caosule
o o e nigh e ec is hus no neêded.
bu i s e en ual a ailabili y would seem
o ha e an ob ious applica ion in he
ea men schedule.
I was also lea ned ha when he
h ee-hou in e al was exceeded ancl
la gc incli idual d oses we e hus neecl-
ed, , he e was he disad an age ha
hey caused py osis (hea bu nj. This
w- u.easily elie ed by a small qua i i y
o bica bona e o soda in wa e .
W en asco bic acid is used a he
closages clesc ibed and o only sho
pe iocls o ime, gas oin es inal dis-
u b¡inces a e he only side e iec s com-
monly no icccl. A e se e nl clays o
hcsc high dosage le els, he e máy be
¿u cxcess o al¡clclminal gas, which mos
pa icn s inlìni cly p e e o he symp-
on s o hc cold. which , hey a e awaie
woulcl clis css hem we e hey no
nking hei sco bic acid. I should be
no ecl h¿ o he common me hods o
ea ing cold symp o ns a e no ee o
sidc cllcc s, especially hose o a sym-
pa homimc ic y¡:e.
A u lie pn ien has aken he la ge
oscs p csc ibccl o he ini ial s ages
oll hc colcl ¡ somc h ee o ou days,
i is ¡ ossi' lc o him o clin inish he
qu n i o i sco bic ncicl, Thc h ee-
hou schccl ¡lc is s ill aclhe ed o, bu
he close o ho i amil is educed o
375 o 400 mg, I hc educ ion o
he close hns becn p cma ulc, ypical
colcl symp oms wilI e lsse hemsel es
wi l in pc iclcl o 12 ] ou s o less.
Shoulcl his occu , i is necessa y o e-
u n , o he ini inl size closes âs soon as
possiblc; ancl despi c hcn he symp-
oms may no be c-abo ecl o : as long
as 12 o l l hou s (labo a oly cla a,
Toclhun c , e nl,, op. ci .).
Should he e bo llo ecu ence o he
ypical syn p oms when he close l:as
been educecl ancl main ained ,a he
lowe lc cl o wo o h ee days, hen
a u he ecluo ion in he quan i y o
asco bic acicl aken may be a emp ed
'wl h he new closes aken a he h ee-
951
I ou in e als 'bu consis ing o only
?90 q 250 mg. A e se e ã days oi
his dosage le el he in e al may be
inc eased o ou and six hou s be ween
he able s o 200-250 mg dosage, and
i he e is no e idence õ an ecu -
ence o he ypical symp oms he use
o he asco bic acid may cease by he
en h o wel h day o , ea men .
' is in e es ing and should be e-
membe ed ha as he asco bic acid
doses a e educed he c may occu -
only a ely-one o wo a ypical symp-
oms which may no be ecognized as
accompanimen s o a i al in ec ion.
The e may be pain ul , winges o he
muscles in unusual loca ions o "odd"
headaches. These call o immedia e
inc ease in he dosage o he asco bic
acid as well as o a p olonga ion o he
ea men pe iod. I hese complica-
ions-i so hey may be e med-a e
ecognized o wha , hey a e, hen he
pa ien lea ns by p ac ice o wa ch his
own p og ess mo e ca e ully and o e-
duce he doses o he i amin less
quickly, in which case, wi h subsequen
espi a o y ac i al in ec ions, such
con plica ions will appea less and less
o en. The e a e no p ac ical objec-
ions o he con inua ion o he high
ini ial doses en i ely h oughou he
pe iod o ea men . I el ha i is only
judicious o employ as li le o he d ug
as may be necessa y. was also in e -
es ed in he de e mina ion o wha he
Iowes e ec i e dose migh be.
On one occasion I kep a cold ac i e
o app oxima ely 27 days, al e na ely
supp essing i and pe mi' ing i o ecu
by al e ing he amoun s o asco bic acid
I ook, I was in e es ing, ha each ime
I a emp ed o e-su'pp ess he in ec ion
i became mo e di icu o me o do
so. And inally I was o ced o eso
o pencillin o p e en he old "spin-
o " o a i al in ec ion in o a bac e ial
in asion a ec ing my eâß.
To opea , I ha e lea ned ha i is
ad isable (and s ill sa e) , o en on he
side o p esc ibing ' oo la ge a dose o
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982
asco bic acid in he la e s ages o a
i al in ec ion a he han oo small a
one. I seems o me ha i one akes
i upon himsel o exe cise a pha ma-
cological au ho i y which may ac ually
ex end he du 'a ion o an i¡ ec ion be-
yond he limi s which would na u ally
occu i he in ec ion we e pe mi ed o
un i s na u al cou se, ben modi ied as
ha in ec ion may now bg one mus
also assume ull esponsibili y o see-
ing o i ' ha he ailmen is ho oughly
es ained un il i is inally anquished
by he no mally de eloped immunologi-
cal esponse.
Resul s
In he ea men o 137 obse ed
colds he p esc ibed doses we e p ope -
ly, aken. In 34 o hese he ea men
consis ed o comme cial duo-CVP, and
he cold was sa is ac o ily supp essed
in 31 ins ances. In ano he 50 colds
he ea men consis ed o asco bic acid
alone ei he as supplied by he U. S.
Vi amin and Pha maceu ical Co po a-
ion, New Yo k, o la e , o o he
b ands pu chased looally and a ¡an-
dom. O hese 50, he colds we e nice-
ly supp essed in 45. O he eigb ail-
u es in hese wo "success ul" ials,
six can be accoun ed o and will be
ecalled in he Discussion below.
The e was no o e clinical di ie ence
be ween he colds supp essed by be
asco bic acid employed alone and lose
whe e i was combined wi h la onoids.
I nade no di ie ence wha b and o
i amin C was aken as long as i was
esh. Among 29 medica ions wi h bio-
la onoids alone, he cold was in no
way isibly modi ied om wha would
ha e been o dina ily expec ed in 28 o
he ins ances,
Tn 22 o .24 ins ances in which he
lac ose- illed capsules alone we e aken
he colds we e seemingly un empe ed
and o dina y.
All medica ions we e issued in he
o ange duo-CVP capsules, excep ha
du ing he la e s udies whi e able s
REVIEW OF ALLERGY, VOLUME 22, OCTOBER, 1968
o asco bic acid we e some imes used.
No only we e he capsules iden ical,
no ma e wha hey con ained, bu he
schedules we e iden ical as desc ibed
he ein; and any d ugs which had no
been aken we e e u ned o me be o e
he nex cold appea ed and needed io
be ea ed.
In his small g oup o subjec s he e
was no one ho ailed o ob ain suc-
cess ul esul s as ega ds his symp o-
ma ic esponse i his in ake o asco bic
acid was bo h su icien and well- imed.
Judgmen as o he success ul supp es-
sion o he symp oms o a cold mus ,
a some poin , be subjec i e and oan-
no be a quan i a i e and he e o e
neasu able alue, bu as a as he
subjec s hemsel es we e conce ned
he e was no ques ion on, his poin be-
cause he supp ession o he symp oms
was so g a i ying.
In con adis inc ion o he s udies o
o he s, no a emp was made o iden i y
he speci c i us o i¡uses esponsible
o any in ec ion, Clinically, he colds
showed a conside able, hough cha ac-
e is ic a ie y and we e, as no ed p e-
iously, sp ead h ough a pe iod o l e
yea s o mo e. The majo i y o he
subjec s esided in Massachuse s, bu
some li ed in Pennsylan ia and se e al
in Hawaii. I seems easonable 'o as-
sume ha , he e was in his sample a
ai ep esen a ion o he many i uses
known o cause "colds." I should be
no ed ha when ea ed he clinical
cou ses o he pa ien s, no ma e whe e
hey esided, we e e y simila indeed,
allowing o mino di e ences o no
impo ance. I do no wish o imply ha
asco bic acid should be hough o as
a gene al an i- i al agen . I only as-
se e a e ha i may be employed o
supp ess he symp oms o a cold qui e
e ec i ely. Now ha we know how
widely o ganisms which do no syn-
hesize i a y in hei needs o i , only
addi ional s udies can ell us how a
i s use ulness can be ex ended,
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REGNIËR_ASCORBIC ACID
Some Theo e ical Conside a ions on
he Role o Asco bic Acid
I ha e du i ully lis ed he ex book
desc ip ions o he unc ions o asco bic
acid and ha e added o hose some o
he mo e node n concep s o i s ac ions
and he n in ions in i s equi emen s
in human beings. I saw no poin in
exp essing my pe sonal opinions un il
he body o his communica ion had
een w i en. I do ha e some ideas o
my own which a e based on wha I
ha e obse ed and ha e de eloped
along he lines o logic, S udies may
p o e he ]l o be ue, a leas in pa ,
bu I nus disclai n any ce ainiy i
only because o e conlìdence in simila
specula ions made in he pas and la e
shown o be inaccu a e ac ed only as
obs acles o he use o highe doses o ,
he i amin han had cus oma ily been
adminis e ecl
Two possibili ies sugges hemsel es,
and i m'ay be ha nei he is jus i iable.
I we limi ou specula ions o one
aspec , he me hocl o ac ion; i is ob-
ious hn asco bic acid supp esses he
symp oms o he i al in ec ion which
is known ns he common colcl. The
mos ob ious causos o hese discon -
o s a e hose associn e l wi h in lan -
n a ion, As an exan ple, , he e is he
hoa sencss which l'esul s ¡:om an exu-
d,a io o plns na nncl cells in o he
oc¿ l co ds ancl lìe su ounding mu-
cous mem nnes. I i is ue ha
asco bic acicl dec eases hc pe meabil-
i y o copill'n y essels, hen he e
woulcl be lcss hnn he no mal Ín lam-
n o y csponse when i is aken. I
may nlso be ue ha dcspi e in i o
s uclics o he ccln a y, asco bic acid
may ende incli idual issue cell mem-
b nnes less ¡:e mcablc o he i uses, in
whicl c¿ se he e uigh be wha migh
læ qmed a double-bn eled ac ion.
l-- e e . he e would be a lessened cell
pene a ion, and he e o e ewe epli-
c¿ ions o hc i uses, as well as he
dec easccl pe n eabili y o he capilla y
walls which is i sel nno he aspec o
953
cell-wall e ec . The us o hese, di-
minished espi a o y cell pene abili y,
m gh explain he p ophylac ic success
o ,asco bic acid adminis a ion, and he
second, dec eased pe meabili y o
c3nilla y walls, i s iymp om-supp es-
s e acnon.
I hese supposi ions ha e any ali-
di y, hey make o easonable explana-
ions o some o he ailu es and pa ial
ailu es in his me hod o ea men o
colds. Too small a quan i y o asco bic
acid would no do wha was in ended
o , wha amoun s o he same hing, i
he asco bic acid has been oxidized o
has o he wise de e io a ed, he doses
aken a e no wha hey appea o be.
I is oo much o demand o he i amin
o expec i o be e ec i e when he
humidi y o he ambien ai is so low
(Luba , J. New Yo k J Med 62:816
1962) ha we ha e damaged muco ü¡
memb anes, o when he e is a secÕn-
da y in lamma ion caused by exposu e
o umes o high le els o smog, o i
he e is a swelling occasioned by an
alle gic esponse. Conside a ion mus
always be gi en o he possibili y ha
all o he asco bic acid adminis e ed is
no abso bed when he e is an abno -
uali y o he con en s o he in es inal
ac as he e migh be i a ood such
as yoghu has been inges ed in any
la ge quan i y ecen ly. And we would
ha e no igh o expec asco bic acid
o be e lec i e in he p esence o a
mixed i al-bac e ial in ec ion o when
he in ec ion is chie ly o only bac e ial
in ype.
I is a ai ques ion o ask why as-
co bic acid adminis a ion is no e iec-
i e when begun only du ing he hi d
o ou h days o la e in he i¡al in-
ec ion. The answe is ha i may be
possible o diminish he ex en o addi-
ional exuda ion, bu many cell changes
and much edema ha e al eady occu ed
and a e no e e sible, and he e has
been an oppo uni y o a maximum
eplica ion o he i uses.
I migh also be asked whe he he e
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is no some hing o a isk in elec ing o
limi he ampli ude o he na u al in-
lamma o y esponse and pe haps su e
a diminu ion o he immuni y which
migh o he wise ha e been acqui ed.
I mus be emembe ed ha he i uses
in ques ion a e o , in he o dina y
sense o he wo d, le hal; and he con-
sequences o hei p esence a e mo e
o en annoying a he han disabling
excep in special cases and epidemics
whe e i ulen o ganisms a e wide-
sp ead. In such ci cums ances a e we
no wÍse in doing wha we can o hinde
he e ol emen o he in lamma o y e-
ac ion which se es as a base o mo e
se ious e ec s and seconda y in ec ions
e en i his has been accomplished a
he cos o a enpo a y delay o some
immuni y. In any case, such immuni y
o lack o i can be shown o apply
only o he one i us unde conside a-
ion aud o i s se e al ela ed i uses,
and no o any o he o he s wi h which
he pa ien can subsequen ly become
in ec ed.
Discussion
As he ¡eade will ha e no ed, i was
no possible o w i e he usual ype o
exposi ion pape on he use o asco bic
acid in, he ea men o he symp oms
o colds, because a e e y s ep along
he oad some discussion was neces-
sa y. Wha ollows is also discussion
bu in e s o he wo k o o he in-
es iga o s and o some o my own
obse a ions which ha e no been
ouched upon, and which I hink need
emphasis.
I I am co ec in he in e p e a ion
o my s udies and a daily dose o i e
g ams o asco bis acid, a leas a Ïe
beginning is needed o supp ess he
symp oms o he common cold sa is-
ac o ily, and i he schedule desc ibed
mus be sc upulously ollowed, hen i
is no a a l as onishing ha he esul s
he e epo ed di ie om hose o o he
in es iga o s. These we e s udies con-
ce ned wi h he employmen o one
REVIEW OF ALLERGY, VOLUME 22, OCTOBER¡ 1968
g[am o less daily and one in es iga ion
in which h ee g ams we e used and
disco e ed o be ine eô i e, om which
da a i was pe haps oo gene ally con-
cluded ha i amin C was wi hou any
use ul e ec upon colds.
I mus insis ha he exac quan i y
o he d ug adminis e ed is c i ical, as
is he schedule c i ical; smalle doses o
asco bic acid o longe in e als be-
ween doses may ac ually p olong he
o e all du a ion o symp oms o he
cold i sel . In o he wo ds, i he e-
qui ed amoun o he i amìn is no
going o be aken, i is much be e no
o ake any asco bic acid a all.
Men ion has been made o he
py osis and p oduc ion o in es inal gas
which may be,associa ed wi h high as-
co bic le el in ake. The ex s sugges
ha all excess amoun s o i amin C
a e a he casually exc e ed in he
u ine, bu hey a ely deal wi h any
such dosage quan i ies as a e equi ed
o he alle ia ion o supp ession o he
symp oms o colds. Because I was no
able o nd many e e ences o åe use
o doses as la ge as hose I ound
necessa y, I needed o do some s udy-
ing o he gas oin es inal e ec s o
asco bic acid o mysel .
I ha e pe sonally aken i e g ams
o mo e o asco bic acid daily o se -
e al pe iods o as much as six mon hs.
Ano he membe o my amily ook he
same quan i ies bu o no qui e as
long a ime. The e seems o be no
doub ha he no mal in es inal lo a
nay be con e ed in o,a p edominan ly
anae obic ype which p oduces an ex-
cess o in es inal ac gases ha a e
bo h annoying and pe sis en (Lo aine
G_a[, BM Space Sys ems Labo a o y,
Washing on, D. C., pe sonal communì-
ca ion).
I has been known ha asco¡bic acid
aken in a daily ange o h ee o ou
g ams may al e se um elec oly es as
well as lead o a dec ease in, he mo i i y
o he in es inal ac (Danho , I. 8.,
Uni e si y o Texas, pe sonal com-
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REGNIER-ASCORBIC ACID
munica ion). This e ec o he i amin
may well ûccoun o he la ulence
which, while only occasional, occu s
oo o en o 'be hough o ai coinci_
den al._ was especially p ominen in
wo subjec s who pe se eied in akins
la ge doses o nsco l¡Íc acid o mucñ
mo e han he ecommended limi o
12 days. Excess gas is ne e mo e han
ansien i one s icks only o he
ecommended no-mo e- han-12-day
cou ses.
The dange s in in e p e a ion o he
p ophylac ic use o any d ug a e well
k own, because he e is no me hod o
being ce ' ain ha he disease in ques-
ion would necessa ily ha e a iic ed
he subjec . I is, howe e , known ha
he so-called i nmuni y o i al in ec-
ions o he uppe espi a o y ac is
sho Ji ed ancì, in ac , ha. some only
con e immuní y ngains hemsel es
and pe haps o closely ela ed i uses
which ha e no changed an igenically.
F om obse n ions made o e â span
o a numbe o yea s i appea s o me
ha whcn one is cxposed o an ob ious
sou ce o Ín ec ion, as when a pa ien
sncczes in ons's ace, a dose o 600-
750 mg n i . min C will p e en a
¡:ossible colcl, especially when a second
dosc <l he same mngni udc is aken
h ec houls l¿ e , Sboulcl his simple
p opl ylac ic p og âm be ollowed
ai l ully, colds will occu less e-
quen ly nncl hc c is o e no need o
go on cl hc ealmen schedule which
has been ou linc l. As no ecl, i is di -
licul . il no impossible, o alida e
s is ic lly 0 p og ¿un o p ophylaxis
unlcss l c popula ion s udiecl as en ed
ncl ¿ s con ols is inin ensely lalge. I
is wi h somc hesi a ion, , hen, ha I
nlcn icln hc ex¡:e ic ce o h ce l u ses
who hu c akcn he d ug uncle my
supc ision ¿ì ô o c o 250 mg o as-
co bic ncid daily o ou consecu i e
se¿ sons. In an cn i oünen wl e e up-
pe cspi a o y ac in ec io s a e con -
n on. cspecially ha o a gene al hospi-
al ( . B. Thom¿s Hospi al, Peabody,
Massachuse s.), each has been com-
ple ely ee o colds while mos o he
nu Ées wo king in he same milieu ha o
been a ic ed on one o mo e occa-
$ong, 1ec¡ssi a ing absence om du y.
Each o he h ee was o me þ subjeó
o equen colds. Be o e going . o - he
hea e whe e one may be-exposed o
many people su e ing om colds, a
p ophylac ic dose may,be aken be o e
lea ing home and ano he 750 mg dose
upon e u ning wi h a g a i ying ab-
sence o he usual possible in ec iõns.
As e idence o he ha mlessness o
such a p og am, i should be men ioned
ha one o he h ee nu ses has aken
j amin C daily o 12 yea s, du ing
he û s eigh on he own ini ia i e and
o he emaining ou unde my supe -
ision. Du ing he o me pe iod he
dose was usually 100-200 mg daily.
P oo ha she had no de eloped an
immuni y om any isible subclinical
in ec ions was demons a ed when, a
my eques , she ceased aking he as-
co bic acid o one season du ing which
she was a lic ed wi h wo colds. O
hese, one was ea ed success ully by
he supp ession me hod as ou lined,
and he o he was pe mí ed o un i s
cou se, which p o ed o be ypical. O
cou se, a "se ies'n o one pa ien does
no es ablish a hypo hesis, bu his pa-
ien 's his o y is men ioned because o
he long use o he i amin wi h no
o'b ious ba m.
When he physician-pa ien inds
himsel he unwilling hos o one o
mo e symp oms which n ay o mây no
be e idence o an uppe espi a o y
ac in asion by a i us such as an
unexplained gas oen e i is an o he¡-
wise inexplicable headache o an e -
a ic muscle ache, i may be wise o
begin asco bic acid he apy. I a dis-
ease no es ainable by he i amin
de elops, his "insu ance" has a leas
been inexpensi e and sa e. A¡d i he
symp oms d ? supp essed hen one may
o may no choose o p esume ha he
me hod o ia men was success ul.
955
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Since he can ne e exac ly epea he
ci cums ances and hus make a scien-
i ic and con olled expe imen o he
p ocedu e. Bu he maY elec 9 con-
iinue wi h he asco bic acid he apy
oo.
I mus be emembe ed ha i amin
C is easily oxidized and he e o e may
lose i s po enc¡ A bo le o able s
ob ained om he hospi al pha macy
may ha e been oPened mon hs be o e
being dispensed. I is he e o e wise o
pu chase he smalles quan i y o ab-
ie s, usuaþ 100, i a PaPe -sealed
bo le om a d ug ou le o la ge pha -
macy which sells a la ge olume o his
and simila¡ p oduc s. Fo he ea men
o each new cold i is bes o begin wi h
able s om a new bo le.
Men ion has been made o he special
suscep ibili y o some women o colds
a ce ain imæ in he mens ual cycle.
The e seems o be a compensa o y in-
e al o abou h ee days, p e-mens-
ual, when he e is a na u al cold-
supp essi e s a e du ing which i is no
necessa y o use asco bic acid should a
cold occu .
9s6
Summa y
ìVha is usually e e ed o as he
common cold has been e iewed in
gene al e ms, and he signs, symp oms
REVTEW OF ALLERGY, VOLUME 22, OCTOBER, 1968
and he clinical cou se o i al in ec-
ions ha e been desc ibed.
The epidemiology o i al in ec ions
has been su eyed. The p edisposi ion
o human beings o i al in ec ions has
been commen ed upon. The mapi ude
o he p oblem o he common cold has
been gi en conside a ion.
The adi ional ea men o he in-
ec ions in ques ion has been examined
and c i icized.
The p oblem o scu Y has been can-
assed and he mauy oles o asco bic
acid explo ed. The equi emen s o
human beings o asco bic acid ha e
been discussed. My pe sonal expe i-
ences wi h he use o asco bic acid in
he ea men o i al and he p e en-
ion o subsequen bac e ial in ec ions
ha e been delinea ed.
The me hod o ea men and p o-
phylaxis o he common cold has been
ou lined and he esul s o bo h p o-
phylaxis and ea men a e analyzed.
Theo e ical conside a ions o he
me hod o ea men and o some Pos-
sible d¡awbacls ha e been lis ed. A
discussion o he oles o asco bic acid
in he p ophylaxis and ea men o he
common cold ends his e iew o he
subjec .
I B oad S ee
Salem, Massachuse s
la"
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