Vitamins are more Funky than Casimir thought.

Introduction In 2012 we celebrate the centenary of Dr Casimir Funk’s discovery of the 'vitamine'. Funk was the first to suggest the existence of a family of organic substances that are essential for life, which the world now takes for granted. He was thus the godfather of the vitamin movement. Funk conceived the concept of “vital amines”; essential nutrients with a specific action, requiring only minute amount with the power to cure a specific disease. As Casimir 1 phrased it: “We will speak of beriberi and scurvy vitamine, which means a substance preventing that special disease”.