The Use of Vitamin B12b in Psychiatric Practice

The recorded history of the use of vitamins in the treatment of mental illness goes back more than 2000 years, to a period long before lime juice was made required fare in the British Navy in 1795. The British rediscovered the forgotten Roman fact that ascorbic acid containing fruits would prevent, as well as cure, scurvy. Prior to this discovery, British sea captains, in their instruction manuals, were advised to provide recreation and music of a stimulating nature, as well as uplifting conversations, to treat the depressions which occurred with scurvy. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned from this ancient attempt at curing mental illnesses through environmental manipulations, when in reality a chemical defect existed. Well known is the work of Goldberger during the 1930's which resulted in the virtual disappearance of the widespread psychosis associated with pellagra. Cleckley, Sydenstricker and Geeslin (1939) reported