author
Alfred F. Hess
1875–1933
A pioneering American physician, he helped show how nutrition shapes childhood health and became especially known for work on scurvy and rickets. His research turned vitamin deficiency from a medical mystery into something doctors could prevent.
1 Audiobook
Scurvy, Past and Present
by Alfred F. Hess
About the author
Born in New York City on October 9, 1875, Alfred Fabian Hess was an American physician and medical researcher whose career focused on infant and child health. He is best remembered for investigating the nutritional causes of scurvy and rickets at a time when both diseases were still widely misunderstood.
Hess combined careful clinical observation with practical experiments, helping demonstrate how diet could prevent deficiency diseases. He also described the Hess test, used to assess capillary fragility, and wrote Scurvy, Past and Present, a work that reflected his deep interest in the history and science of nutrition.
He died on December 5, 1933, but his work helped lay the groundwork for modern pediatric nutrition. What makes his story especially compelling is how directly his research improved everyday life for children, turning laboratory insight into real prevention.