Comparative Value of Viosterol and Cod Liver Oil as Prophylactic Antirachitic Agents. A Clinical Study.

Recently, but especially in the last year, the use of cod liver oil as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent in the treatment of rickets has been almost entirely supplanted by viosterol (irradiated ergosterol). We decided to study the comparative value of the two and in this report present our clinical observations of 100 infants given cod liver oil and 123 given viosterol in the prophylactic treatment of rickets. This study was started in the winter of 1928-1929 and is still being carried on. Our results were compared with the results reported in the literature of control groups of patients not receiving any antirachitic agent. THE PRODUCT Several good grade Norwegian cod liver oils were used. The average potency of the cod liver oils used was from 2,800 to 3,700 Oslo rat units or from 280 to 340 Steenbock rat units of vitamin D per ounce. Widely used brands of viosterol