CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES AS OBSERVED IN THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES

Abstract

From 1939 to 1941 the Institute for Medical Research 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States, carried out a nutritional survey of the Federated Malay States. 2 After a few intoductory remarks on the population examined and the methods used in the survey,in this paper I intend to give a short description of the clinical manifestations of vitamin deficiencies encountered. Measures introduced to improve observed deficiencies will also be discussed. The survey was undertaken in order to get a true picture of the state of nutrition of the rural population of Malaya. It was primarily intended to examine 4,000 individuals of each race between the ages of 5 and 18 years. The inhabitants of the Federated Malay States are polyglot, the main races being Malay, Chinese and Indian. During 1939 and 1940, 4,000 Malay and 6,000 Indian children and young adults were examined. 3 As no birth