Vitamin preparations are widely distributed and are applied to so various conditions such as fatigue or unidentified clinical state at present. In fact an indication of vitamins seems to be somewhat ill-defined. It is of value, therefore, to reconsider the effect and clinical application of vitamins from various points of view such as clinical, physiological, biochemical and pharmacological basis.
Vitamin deficiencies encountered in the present Japan are latent beriberi, intrinsic vitamin deficiency, deficiency due to iatrogenic disease, ariboflavinosis and rickets among which the first one has been the most important problem.
In the field of pharmaceutic production of Japan, vitamins have been ranked exceedingly on the top of its turnout for the recent years. And, in particular, thiamine and its derivatives are the main products in various vitamin preparations. It is, therefore, reasonable to discuss here the problem of latent beriberi in Japan and of the clinical use of thiamine and its derivatives from various points of view.
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