The Cold War

The American Medical Association continues its unjustified effort to downgrade vitamin C [March 24]. The effectiveness of vitamin C against the common cold is not nil, as stated by the A.M.A. Instead, every one of the twelve controlled studies that have been carried out in which subjects were exposed to cold viruses by contact with other people and in which some subjects regularly received the vitamin C, an average of 1,000 mg. per day, and others received an inactive tablet, gave the result that the vitamin-C subjects had less illness than the controls. The average amount of decreased illness for the vitamin-C subjects was 37%. There is no doubt that vitamin C, taken regularly or taken in large amounts at the first sign of a cold, leads to significant protection against colds for most people.

The A.M.A. spokesmen ignored three of the important studies and misrepresented the others. They also mentioned the possibility of serious adverse side effects but referred to them as hypothetical. The danger of forming kidney stones has been greatly exaggerated. Vitamin C is a much safer substance than ordinary cold medicines; moreover, it can stop a cold, whereas ordinary cold medicines cannot.

Linus Pauling

Linus Pauling Institute of Science & Medicine, Menlo Park, Calif.

Scott Derailed

I might agree with the Hon. Hugh Scott that railway nationalization would not work in the U.S. [March 17], but reject his comment about the present state of the nationalized British railways. As an American who has spent two years in England, I find the rail service here without equal anywhere with the possible exception of Japan.

Paul Muller Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Heroine Levi

You do injustice to Kochava Levi, heroine of the Savoy Hotel attack, by reporting that she "slipped free herself when she was allowed to accompany one of the wounded from the hotel" [March 17]. She saved the life of the wounded man by dragging him out of the hotel, but then she went back to stay with the other hostages until the end. She said later that she could not save only herself when others were still in danger.

Ann Baranes Tel Aviv

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