Licence: In copyright
Credit: On the etiology of rickets / by Edward Mellanby. Source: Wellcome Collection.
![Reprinted f> om the British Medtcal Journal, November 4tli, 1922. ON THE ETIOLOGY OF RICKETS. Being an Opening Paper in a Joint Discussion in the Section of Diseases of Children (with Physiology) at the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association, Glasgow, July, 1922. By EDWARD MELLANBY, M.A., M.D.Cantab., Honorary Physician, Royal Infirmary, Sheffield. It is a good thing that those of us who are actively engaged in investigating the factors involved in the development and cure of rickets should leave our work periodically in order to discuss the subject from the broadest standpoint, and to hear the criticism of both clinical and laboratory colleagues. It is more specially important that this should happen at the present time, because many results of research have been published during the past year, and, both from the point of view of the investigator, of the practising medical man, and of the public health worker, it is desirable that the new facts should be appraised, and their relative value decided upon. Fortunately, the medical profession are fully alive to the importance of the problem, largely, no doubt, as the result of the investigation initiated by the Medical Research Council. The controversy that has developed from these researches has probably been useful in attracting attention to, and intensifying the general interest in rickets. Whatever disagreement there may be among investigators as to the etiology of the disease, we all recognize that the complete eradication of rickets would do away with much bone deformity, improve the physique, lower the infant mortality, and, most important of all, improve the teeth of the people of this country beyond recognition. But while we are agreed as to the magnitude of the problem, our views as to the most important factors in the etiology of the disease are very diverse. If, indeed, we were asked to formulate plans for eradicating rickets from this country, our recommendations would be so different as to suggest chaos. Some would strongly recommend housing schemes as a panacea ; some massage and electricity applied to children from birth; some more sunlight and ultra-violet rays ; while there are others who think that proper feeding of children would settle the problem. While we are still suffering from the disability of ignorance, the narrowing down of the field by recent investigations suggests that our present discussion will be fruitful; for important strides have been made on the hygienic side of the problem [41)0/22]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30623480_0001.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
