For a limited time only, milk powder is the answer to the problem of supplying proteins to cure kwashiorkor in Central America. But what is really needed is a product that has many proteins, is cheap, tastes good, and does not offend the eating habits of the people. The Guatemala health department set out to make such a good. In the laboratories the young scientists tried out many protein-filled mixtures. They finally settled on one they called INCAP 8. It was made entirely of vegetables common to Central America. They fed it first to animals, with good results. They then ate it themselves and finally gave it to a badly diseased child at the hospital. For three weeks the boy ate nothing but INCAP 8. His swollen stomach went down; his eyes brightened; he became lively once more; the dying boy became healthy.

Return to the Reading