Vitamin C of vitamin C, since without this vitamin, collagen made by the body is too unstable to perform its function. Scurvy leads to the formation of brown spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from all mucous membranes. The spots are most abundant on the thighs and legs, and a person with the ailment looks pale, feels depressed, and is partially immobilized. In advanced scurvy there are open, suppurating wounds and loss of teeth and, eventually, death. The human body can store only a certain amount of vitamin C, and so the body stores are depleted if fresh supplies are
House System at the California Institute of Technology the name Ricketts to the disease rickets and the fact that scurvy is another vitamin deficiency disease. Members of Ricketts Hovse were known as "Rowdies" until about 1960; alumni of that period still draw the distinction between "Rowdies" and "Skurves". Ricketts House is traditionally one of the most diverse houses on the campus. Ricketts traditions include fire related activities and the brakedrum. Prior to early 2003, the Ricketts courtyard housed a large concrete firepot, in which massive fires were often enjoyed during cool Pasadena evenings. The courtyard originally featured a large Italian marble well head (historically attributed to and named