[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE VITAMIN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Dietary 
Supplement Caucus, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the 
discovery of the vitamin and, as such, I would like to recognize 
Polish-American scientist, Casimir Funk.
  Mr. Funk is credited with coining the term ``vitamin'' to describe a 
group of bioactive substances that are vital to human health. The term 
``vitamine'' was first introduced in his landmark paper, The Etiology 
of Deficiency Diseases, published in the British Journal of State 
Medicine in July 1912, in which he identified the dietetic factors 
whose lack caused ``deficiency disorders,'' including beriberi, 
rickets, scurvy, and other diseases caused by vitamin deficiency.
  He developed the term from the Latin ``vita'' (life) and ``amine'' 
for chemical compounds containing nitrogen. In 1936, Funk published 
Vitamin and Mineral Therapy, where he called vitamin deficiencies 
insidious because they occur without warning and can cause irreparable 
damage. The accomplishments of Casimir Funk have advanced the 
understanding of nutrition and contributed to the innovation of dietary 
supplements, which more than 150 million American consume each year.
  Because of his work, we know that vitamins are essential for good 
health through every stage of human life cycle and that our bodies 
require vitamins to grow, to function, to stay healthy and to prevent 
the onset of disease.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to honor the 100th 
anniversary of the discovery of the vitamin, as well as recognize the 
achievements of Casimir Funk, the ``father of vitamin therapy,'' and 
his exceptional contribution to the scientific community and health 
arena.

                          ____________________