Woringer and Salas reported 4 cases of whooping cough complicated by scurvy occurring among a series of infants treated in their clinic. No scurvy appeared among the other children, although all were on exactly the same dietary regimen.
They suggest that vitamin C is an essential part of the body’s defense… and that excessive demands made in the presence of such an infection may so deplete the vitamin stores of the tissues as to lead to the clinical condition of scurvy [severe vitamin c deficiency].
Gander and Niederberger and Hochwald report the use of ascorbic acid in the treatment of pneumonias. Pneumonia cases showed consistently a deficit in vitamin C.
The pulse and temperature subsided by crisis when the avitaminosis [deficiency] was completely relieved, as shown by beginning urinary excretion of the ascorbic acid. When small doses of ascorbic acid were given, the saturation point for the vitamin was reached slowly, and no clinical improvement was shown until this point was reached.
Ascorbic acid has a definite effect in shortening the period of paroxysms from a matter of weeks to a matter of days.
A method has been described for the treatment of whooping cough by ascorbic acid (vitaminC).
Ascorbic acid definitely shortens the paroxysmal stage of the disease, particularly if relatively large doses are used early in the disease.