Vi amin C P ophylaxis a he shipya d o S alsund [in Ge man]
By K. Renke and S. Wegne
Deu sche Gesundhei swesen 1954;9(22; Jun 3):702-706
PubMed
h p://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go /pubmed/13200153
English ansla ion o his pape was a anged by Ha i Hemilä in 2016
ha i.hemila@helsinki. i
h ps://www.m .helsinki. i/home/hemila
This epo was ansla ed as backg ound ma e ial o
esea ch on i amin C and he common cold
by Ha i Hemilä and Elizabe h Chalke , eg.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4
h ps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go /pmc/a icles/pmc8078152
h ps://hdl.handle.ne /10138/225864
The scanned Ge man ex is a he end o his ansla ion.
Mo e in e es ing pa s o he ex a e indica ed by yellow
Volkswe S alsund:
h ps://de.wikipedia.o g/wiki/No dic_Ya ds_S alsund
h ps://en.wikipedia.o g/wiki/Volkswe
Page 702 RENKER/WEGNER, VITAMIN C PROPHYLAXIS ISSUE 22
F om he Spe anski company polyclinic o Volkswe S alsund
(chie physician: D Ka lheinz Renke )
Vi amin C P ophylaxis a Volkswe S alsund
By K. RENKER and S. WEGNER
G aupne al eady epo ed ha he eeling o exhaus ion and
eebleness is a disease o ci iliza ion.
He li e a ely says: “The man who is ied o he eadmill o
his p o ession and in addi ion has o go ou a lo in he
e enings, so he ypical ci y slicke , knows his mos o all.
He is no su p ised i his ene gy dec eases a he end o a
day. A e all, he ook on oo much and he wo kload all a
once had o ha e an e ec on he body.”
The e o e, he compensa es o his wo k, e.g. h ough spo s
o gymnas ics. He swims o plays ennis. O cou se, his
should no be unde es ima ed, bu he long- e m e ec
ails o se in and he becomes esigned and eluc an h ough
p og essi e wo k du ing he cou se o he yea , i i a ed and
exhaus ed and he aca ion, o which he longingly looks
o wa d o o weeks, is his sole sal a ion. Now, e e yone
ies some hing di e en o igh his loss o ene gy. We also
ha e o hank G aupne ’s no es o ou ollowing s a emen s.
Is i no s ange ha p ecisely when we eel like going o a
walk, especially in Ma ch o Ap il when he sun is shining,
a igue o low ene gy s op us – o en o weeks. We would
like o go ou side, because he sun and he i s signs o g een
a e lu ing us, bu we p e e he couch. Those a e he known
symp oms o sp ing e e .
Volume 9 RENKER/WEGNER, VITAMIN C PROPHYLAXIS Page 703
G aupne li e a ily says: “The e ec s o sp ing on ou heal h
a e mani old and a e s ill no ully cla i ied oday. Mo ali y
inc eases in he mon hs Ma ch and Ap il as olk wisdom has
long ecognised in a p o e b. Tha he e a e many mo e
ic ims o cold, lu and ca a hs in sp ing han in au umn is
al eady no comp ehensible. Child en g ow slowe in he
sp ing mon hs. In addi ion, he e is sp ing e e , du ing
which he shins hu al eady a e sho walks, he
ex emi ies ache, he appe i e is lacking despi e hunge and
some imes e en gum bleeds occu .”
These gum bleeds indica e he p ima y cause o sp ing e e .
We can obse e hem o a g ea ex en in scu y, he old
seamen’s disease. I is known ha scu y is a i amin
de iciency diso de . Scu y can be healed wi h
adminis a ions o i amin C. I is a e all no su p ising ha
his de iciency especially occu s in he sp ing. We consume
i amin C h ough esh ege ables and ui and hese a e
lacking in win e and sp ing. Ou o ganism does no like an
ad e se i amin C balance las ing se e al mon hs. The small
i amin depo s ha e long been used up. The e ec s mani es
in o m o sp ing e e .
The p ima y cause is i amin C de iciency, e en i o he
causes a e o cou se in ol ed. No ma e o wha ex en we
s u ou sel es wi h ege ables and ui in he summe
mon hs, ou o ganism does no s o e i amin C.
G aupne al eady [was] p omp ed o d aw conclusions om
hese obse a ions and he made hese obse a ions in he
yea 1939. We mus al eady p e en a i amin C de iciency
in he win e h ough he skil ul composi ion o ou nu i ion
and in pa icula do e e y hing possible om Feb ua y
onwa ds. We e e o o anges, ose hip jam, black cu an s,
in he “small ki chen” also o he p epa a ion o dandelion,
in he sp ing s inging ne les, wa e c ess, so el o ya ow.
These wild ege ables can be e y as y and hei
consump ion does no mean ha one goes back o a
idiculous na u e s a e in he sense o bea ded, ba e oo ed
p ophe s. One should ea hem a he as ege able o side
salad o mea dishes. The e a e nume ous possibili ies o a
i amin C ich nu i ion. The e a e many pa allels be ween
sp ing e e and exhaus ion o o e wo ked p o essionals.
O cou se, lack o sleep and exe cise, ho monal imbalances,
hidden diseases o o he i amin de iciencies can also o en
be in ol ed. Bu o en enough, he lack o i amin C is he
culp i .
The nu i ion o ou people is o en s ill insu icien . Du ing
hei sho lunch b eak, hey un o he dining hall o he
company, he can een o he ca e e ia and ea dishes ha a e
no always wholesome. Ve y o en – especially also in ou
can een – hese a e ehea ed dishes o o he non-wholesome
ood.
Wha does non-wholesome mean? Food is no wholesome i
al hough i con ains enough nu ien s – so a s,
ca bohyd a es and p o ein – i does no con ain enough
i amins.
Ou social s uc u e is inc easingly unde going a change.
The can een ood u ns mo e and mo e in o he main sou ce
o meals o a majo i y o p o essionals. The company
ki chens a e a decisi e ac o o he main enance o he
heal h and pe o mance capaci y o ou employees.
We eached he poin oday ha we can also demand ha
ood in he can een con ains he su icien amoun s o
ege ables and esh ui . Bu we will no manage wi hou
i amin C in able o m due o he exis ing ad e se i amin
C balance. This is especially he case because i amin C is
e y sensi i e and he e o e easily des oyed. O cou se, we
mus cons an ly s i e o ea i amin C ich ood.
P o . D D Scheune poin s ou hese impo an ac s in his
a icle “Abou he i amin C equi emen ” in he jou nal
“E näh ung und Ve p legung” [Nu i ion and Food] in he
yea 1949, issue 1.
In his a icle, Scheune discusses he daily i amin C
equi emen . He comes o he conclusion ha he e is no
daily equi emen ha applies o all cases bu ha he
op imum supply is much highe han p e iously p esumed.
He says: “The only impo an hing in he human nu i ion
is o ensu e op imum nu i ional condi ions. A p e e ably
high i amin C supply should he e o e be sough . A
equi emen o 50 mg is oo low. Only a supply o 100 o
150 mg will p e en all ob ious de iciencies.
125 mg asco bic acid a e he e o e sugges ed as a e age
daily dose o an op imum supply o heal hy adul s.”
Tes s wi h i amin C adminis a ions we e ca ied ou
epea edly bu ha e mos ly no led o conclusi e esul s. Fo
example, he e a e no gene ally applicable esul s ega ding
he i amin C p ophylaxis ca ied ou in schoolchild en in
Ge many.
Scheune epo s o B i ish es s on schoolchild en in he
yea s 1941-1942 wi h adminis a ions o 50 mg i amin C
ha did no lead o any conclusion.
Scheune epo s: “Amongs se e al o eign a icles, a
Du ch s udy om Oskam on 392 employees o a clo hing
ac o y should be especially poin ed ou , in which he e ec
o p ophylac ic adminis a ions o quinine and i amin C
(alone and combined wi h 90 mg daily each) on he
esis ance agains colds has been s udied om Janua y o
Ap il 1942. Fo his, he es subjec s we e in pa s sa u a ed
be o ehand, which means hey ecei ed a signi ican excess
amoun o i amin C. The s udy indica ed ha an
adminis a ion o 90 mg i amin C had a p onounced
posi i e e ec .
Page 704 RENKER/WEGNER, VITAMIN C PROPHYLAXIS ISSUE 22
The mos a ou able e ec was achie ed wi h he
combined adminis a ion o i amin C and quinine. The
esul s o hese es s clea ly spoke in a ou o high
i amin C adminis a ions and hese a e ac ually he i s
well ounded es s o his kind e en hough he du a ion
appea s a bi sho and he numbe o es pe sons a he
low.”
Scheune also e e s o a whole se ies o o he s udies.
Fu he cla i ica ion was p o ided by a la ge-scale s udy,
which was ca ied ou on app oxima ely 4,000 pe sons o a
mode n ac o y pa icipa ed om 1.11.1942 – 30.6.1943 a
he eques o Scheune , by Wagne and Liebe . Scheune
epo s ha he es pe sons, who ecei ed di e en
addi ional dosages o i amin C, wo ked oge he in g oups
o 240-380 pe sons in halls o a ac o y and ecei ed
cons an medical ca e. The disease incidence and he
numbe o missed days we e eco ded. They we e
documen ed on index ca ds managed o each pe son,
egis e ed by he s a is ics o ice o he plan and p ocessed
in acco dance wi h Holle i h’s me hod. Those g oups a e
ele an o Scheune ’s conside a ions in which he e ec s
o an addi ional supply o 20-50, 100-300 mg i amin C
we e compa ed o a con ol g oup no ecei ing an
addi ional supply. 78 o 100 pe sons in he con ol g oup
became ill du ing he eigh -mon h ial pe iod. E en mo e
cases o illness occu ed in he g oups ecei ing 20-50 mg
i amin C (79.2-141.9).
Howe e , a clea and signi ican educ ion o he sickness
a e could be obse ed in he g oups ecei ing highe
i amin C doses o 100-300 mg. The op imum e ec was
al eady achie ed unde he 100 mg dose wi h 32 cases o
illness, because he 300 mg g oup indica ed an equal numbe
o diseases, namely 33.6. The same pic u e esul ed i he
diseases we e di ided. I , o example, colds (diseases o he
uppe espi a o y ac , angina episodes, lu, heuma ic
diso de s) we e ega ded sepa a ely, hen he g oups wi h
20-50 mg i amin C again ea u ed an e en highe sickness
a e han he compa ison g oup, while adminis a ions o
100-300 mg i amin C led o a e y signi ican dec ease o
he sickness a e.
These esul s we e also con i med by obse a ions on o he
es g oups ha also ecei ed o he i amins as well as
quinine and o he agen s in addi ion o i amin C.
I is unnecessa y o go in o he de ails o his s udy.
Scheune also omi ed he c i ical assessmen o he
s a is ical su ey. Howe e , he poin s ou ha he wo
g oups wi h high i amin C dosages also showed he leas
numbe o wo kdays missed in he calcula ion o he sick
days.
A success ul coope a ion had been de eloping be ween he
Spe anski company polyclinic o he Volkswe and P o .
D D Scheune since 22.12.1952. We would like o decla e
a his poin ha we a e e y g a e ul o P o . Scheune o
he suppo o hese es s ha a e based on his expe iences.
The good esul s ha we we e able o achie e in his ield a
he Volkswe S alsund would no ha e been possible
wi hou his consul a ion and cons an help.
We also would like o poin ou ha he posi i e esul s
could only be achie ed because he en i e collec i e o he
occupa ional heal h se ices o he Volkswe campaigned
o he implemen a ion o he i amin C p ophylaxis, and no
only his collec i e bu he la ge collec i e ha de eloped
beyond ha in he en i e Volkswe o mee ing he
equi emen s o he asks o he p ophylaxis.
Acco dingly, we ca ied ou a la ge-scale s udy o i amin
C p ophylaxis a Volkswe S alsund ha s a ed on
12.1.1953 and is cu en ly s ill ongoing. The ime pe iod
om 12.1.1953 – 31.10.1953 was speci ied o he
e alua ion o he i amin C p ophylaxis. 1,200 employees
om he depa men s elec ode welding, in e io
cons uc ion and shipbuilding pa icipa ed in he i amin C
p ophylaxis.
The 1,200 colleagues belonged o he depa men s wi h he
mos di icul wo k condi ions a Volkswe .
O cou se, con ol g oups we e also es ablished in all h ee
depa men s as in Scheune ’s s udy. Apa om hese, none
o he o he depa men s o Volkswe we e in ol ed.
Howe e , i has o be men ioned he e ha he con ol g oups
could no always be clea ly main ained because he
colleagues in he con ol g oup asked o i amin C o
hemsel es because hey did no wan o be le ou . I is a
ac howe e ha a la ge pa o he colleagues no ecei ing
i amin C had he same wo k condi ions.
While he in e media e assessmen al eady p o ided
ex ao dina ily illumina ing ma e ial, he inal assessmen
e ealed a su p ising esul .
Fi s o he in e media e e alua ion. The in e media e
e alua ion comp ised a ime pe iod om 1.1.1953 –
30.4.1953, i.e. 10 days p io o he pe o mance o he
i amin C p ophylaxis un il he end o he lu epidemic.
In all u u e epo s, lu pa ien s include all pa ien s
diagnosed wi h eb ile diseases, in luenza, uppe espi a o y
in ec ions, e c.
1,119 employees we e egis e ed as sick du ing he
in e media e epo ing pe iod. 490 [sic!] = 43% o hem
we e lu pa ien s.
Sick pe sons who did no ecei e i amin C
To al sicknesses
The eo lu
633
345 = 55%
Sick pe sons who had ecei ed i amin C
To al sicknesses
The eo lu
486
136 = 28%
The du a ion o he lu was 10 days in he pa ien s wi hou
i amin C and 9 days in hose wi h i amin C.
I was cha ac e is ic ha 112 o 162 pa ien s we e sick wi h
he lu in he con ol g oup which ecei ed no i amin C.
Tha is 68 pe cen .
Volume 9 RENKER/WEGNER, VITAMIN C PROPHYLAXIS Page 705
O he 108 pe sons became ill a he pay oll o ice, 87 o
hem had he lu, which is 87%. Al hough, he wo k
condi ions a e signi ican ly be e he e han in he g oup
ecei ing i amin C. In he in e io cons uc ion only 52 o
216 pa ien s had he lu, i.e. 24% and 53 o 162 pa ien s
su e ed om he lu amongs he elec ode welde s. Tha is
32%. Now o he inal epo .
3,751 employees egis e ed as sick and we e unable o wo k
du ing he epo ing pe iod wi h all ypes o diagnoses. The
epo ing pe iod was om Janua y o Oc obe 1953.
The sick epo s we e no assessed in ela ion o he en i e
wo k o ce as ha was no in e es ing in he con ex o his
opic.
To al numbe o
sicknesses
The eo he lu
3,751
825 = 22%
Wi hou i amin C
2,077 = 56%
864 = 41%
Wi h i amin C
1,674 = 44%
240 = 14%
The ques ion p esen s i sel i his esul p esen s a ealis ic
ela ionship as we had a lu epidemic in Ap il 1953.
The e o e, an in e media e e alua ion om Ap il 1953 was
compa ed o he ollowing esul s:
(compa ison o depa men s whe e colleagues ecei ing
i amin C always had poo e wo k condi ions)
“Employees” (wi hou i amin C, wo k condi ions: Ba acks
bu signi ican ly be e wo k condi ions han in he in e io
cons uc ion depa men .)
To al numbe
o sicknesses
The eo he lu
574
213 = 37%
In e media e assessmen
in May 1953
108
87 = 87%
Final assessmen om
Ap il un il he end o
Oc obe 1953
466
109 = 21%
In e io cons uc ion depa men (wi h i amin C, wo k
condi ions: ou doo wo kspace as well as wo k inside he
hall, e y un a ou able wo k condi ions.)
To al numbe
o sicknesses
The eo he lu
543
79 = 14%
In e media e assessmen
a e lu epidemic
(Janua y - Ap il)
216
52 = 24%
Final assessmen (Ap il
– Oc obe )
327
27 = 8%
O a di e en example:
Con ol g oup (wi hou i amin C, wo k condi ions: good)
To al numbe
o sicknesses
The eo he lu
415
165 = 40%
In e media e assessmen
a e lu epidemic
(Janua y - Ap il)
162
112 = 68%
Final assessmen (Ap il
– Oc obe )
253
53 = 20%
In con as elec ode welding wo kshop
(wi h i amin C, wo k condi ions: e y di icul , ou doo
wo kspace, hall, poo en ila ion and ai supply, swea ing
al e na ing wi h d a s)
To al numbe
o sicknesses
The eo he
lu
597
96 = 17%
In e media e assessmen
(Janua y - Ap il)
162
53 = 32%
Final assessmen (Ap il
– Oc obe )
435
38 = 8%
In compa ison o gende s he e was no no able di e ence
be ween male and emale. The pa ien s became sick
p opo ionally o he a io o women employed a he
shipya d, whe eby he numbe o sick women was also
highe in hose depa men s ha employed mo e women
(cle ical wo ke s).
These numbe s hus e lec a g ea success. I he whole
ma e is educed o a common denomina o wi h wo
igu es, hen i can be said: O hose ea ed wi h i amin C,
only 14% o he pe sons epo ing sick su e ed om he lu
du ing he en i e epo ing pe iod, while 41% o all pe sons
epo ing sick in he g oup wo king wi hou i amin C
su e ed om lu-like symp oms. Tha is an eno mous
di e ence o 27%.
I all pe sons a he shipya d would ha e been ea ed wi h
i amin C, hen 560 ewe wo ke s would ha e become sick.
Wi h an a e age du a ion o 10 days o lu-like diseases,
his would ansla e in o 5,600 wo king days o 44,800
wo king hou s o DM 89,600 wi hou aking he alues in o
accoun ha he colleague would ha e gene a ed du ing ha
ime and wi hou conside a ion o he psychological
ques ion o he wo y abou he pe son. Acco dingly, he ne
p o i om he p ophylaxis is a mul iple o he amoun
s a ed. How we p oceeded o secu e his success.
On 12.1.1953, Scheune ga e a p esen a ion a ended by
hund eds o wo ke s in he shipbuilding hall o Volkswe
wi h demons a ions and an accessible speech abou he
i amin C p ophylaxis. This in oduc ion was al eady
p eceded by in ensi e wo k ca ied ou by he company
polyclinic. Flye s we e dis ibu ed, company doc o s ga e
p esen a ions in sho mee ings in all depa men s. The
signi icance o i amin C was cons an ly poin ed ou in he
shipya d bulle in and ia he company adio. On 12.1.1953,
Scheune held a mee ing wi h he o emen in whose
depa men s he i amin C p ophylaxis was mean o s a .
The o emen con inuously ecei ed i amin C able s
h ough he company polyclinic. The company doc o s
con olled he implemen a ion o he i amin C p ophylaxis.
All company doc o s and company den is s showed g ea
e o . Each day, when he colleague handed his con ol
coupon o his o emen, he ecei ed wo able s i amin C, so
a o al o 100 mg. Reminde s o he i amin C p ophylaxis
we e necessa y du ing all o he mon hs.
Page 706 Issue 22
Howe e , i occu ed du ing he cou se o he i amin C
p ophylaxis ha he wo ke s we e c i icising he o emen in
he depa men s i hey did no dis ibu e he i amin C
able s egula ly and posi i e opinions we e oiced abou he
i amin C p ophylaxis e e ywhe e in he delega e mee ings
o he BKV.
Now wha a e he conclusions om his i amin C
p ophylaxis a Volkswe ?
The g ea success o he i amin C p ophylaxis a
Volkswe was only possible because we we e able o base
i on he good p elimina y es s and we e able o assess he
es s ca ied ou in he pas and hei expe iences.
Especially he la ge amoun o expe ience ha Scheune
had ega ding his issue was a ailable o us. Please allow us
o emphasise some p inciples o he i amin C p ophylaxis.
1. We conside a i amin C p ophylaxis wi h daily
adminis a ions o 100 mg o be he igh one.
2. We a e o he opinion ha i is necessa y o ind a able
o m o he implemen a ion o he i amin C p ophylaxis
ha is e en mo e con enien ha he one cus oma y a he
momen . We a e hinking o a suga -coa ed able .
3. The implemen a ion o he i amin C p ophylaxis is only
hen secu ed i i is connec ed wi h ongoing medical
educa ional wo k.
4. We hink i is necessa y ha he i amin C p ophylaxis is
no only implemen ed in he mon hs No embe o Ma ch bu
is also egula ly con inued du ing he summe mon hs,
because i amin C does no p o ide p o ec ion immedia ely
bu only when i is aken egula ly. A i amin p ophylaxis
ha is implemen ed om No embe un il Ma ch would
al eady be some hing, bu a con inuous p ophylaxis would
be bes in ou opinion.
5. The o ganisa ion o he dis ibu ion and adminis a ion o
he i amin C mus be a anged e y ca e ully. We e e o
ou explana ions ega ding he dis ibu ion o he able s
h ough he o emen.
6. We conside he gene alisa ion o he i amin C
p ophylaxis o be absolu ely necessa y. Qui e a ew colleges
a Volkswe ha e become so used he i amin C ha hey
would expe ience he omission o he i amin C p ophylaxis
as unpleasan .
7. We hink i is necessa y o add ess he ques ions o he
i amin en ichmen o he can een ood (especially i amin
C ich nu i ion and possibly also i amin B1).
8. We hink ha he e a e o he scien i ic possibili ies –
especially unde applica ion o Pawlow’s eachings – o
inc ease he alue o ou s udies a Volkswe . We will
he e o e con inue ou wo k in his ield.
We hope ha ou wo k a he Volkswe , which was
possible h ough he scien i ic wo ks o he iend o ou
company heal h se ice, Scheune , will con ibu e o
p o iding i amin C wi h i s due place in ou i amin and
nu i ional science bu especially in ou can een ki chens.
Please allow us o no e ha especially he Ge man
Democ a ic Republic, he S a e o Wo ke s and Fa me s
pe mi ed us he in elligence o concei e gene ous plans in
heal hca e. The wo ke s and a me s a e he ones ha make
i possible o us wi h hei diligence, and h ough hei
ini ia i e o ealize ambi ious plans o main aining he
heal h o he people.
Add ess o he au ho s: Spe anski company polyclinic o
Volkswe S alsund
[un ela ed ex ]
