Life Stress and Illness

314 Am J Psychiatry 132:3, March 1975 plexities. For instance, vitamin B deficiency in animals leads to a reduction in brain size, RNA synthesis, DNA synthesis, and nucleic acid synthesis. However, the specific role of vitamin B in the mental development of man has yet to be clearly elucidated. The problems encountered in this type of research in underdeveloped areas involve the complex interaction among malnutnition, untreated infectious diseases, and psychological factors due to disturbed family relationships. The clinical papers presented in this book often address themselves to the attempt to tease apart these various factors. This endeavor appears to be without success: detailed descriptions of nutritional interventions in field studies are often lacking. Allusions are also made to the very real technical problems in supplemental nutrition programs. For instance, the government of Chile attempted a milk distribution program that would assure every child at least one pint of milk daily. Follow-up of this program over several years revealed that 25 percent of the distnibuted milk actually reached the hands of those for whom it was intended. This book is ofintenest to workers in the field ofnutnition and mental development. No one could doubt, either before or after reading this book, that adequate early nutrition is important for brain development. Although the book is of very limited interest to the average psychiatrist, it is certainly thought provoking.