The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-10-23
TO STUDY PELI.AGRA.
4 Conference of Doctors Will be Held
IN Columbia During Fair Week
to Study New Disease.

Columbia, Oct. 2O-At the meet
;ng Of the State board Of health held
in Columbia last week the members
= considered the advisability of hold
ing a conference on pellagara during
fair week. The decision was left
with DR.. C. F. Williams, secretary.
Although the time is short. DR..
Williams has decided to invite all
members Of the medical profession,
as we'll as others who may be inter-
ested in what will hereafter be known
as the pellagra problem, to meet IN
Columbia, Thursday, Oct. 29th:
The program will include clinic
to be held at the State hospital for
the insane at p. M, on that date.
Following this papers On pellagra
j. will be read and a general discussion
held. Physicians in other States
have been especially invited. Among
= these may be mentioned Surgeon c..
'H. Lavinder. of the U. S. Public
Health and Marine Hospital service;
DR.. John McCampbell, Of the Nor
canton, n. c.. Hospital for the In
sane: DR.. I. NJ. Taylor, of the Broad
oaks Sanitarium. Morganton, u. c.;
DR.. E. J. Wood. Wilmington. n. c.;
/. N. E. Moore. Augusta, Ga; DR..
H. Harris. secretary Georgia State
ard of Health, Atlanta; DR.. G. H.
Ercy, superintendent Bryce Hospi-
for the Insane, Tuscaloosa, Ala;
'Isadore Dyer. dean Medical De-
bment Of Tulane University. New
cans. These gentlemen have al
" shown especial interest in work
q out the pellagra problem, by writ
ing papers on the subject.
In recent pamphlet issued by the
United States Public Health and Ma
{ rine hospital service Surgeon c. H.
Lavinder says that within recent
years there has appeared IN our
Southern States a disease, which he
thinks may be possibly true pellagra
and he further remarks that there IS
reason for believing that perhaps this
disease may be quite prevalent but
unrecognned. "Since it is Of a SER
ious nature.' he adds, "and epide-
mic in character, knowledge concern
ing it is becoming of much 'lnport-
anee to the American physician and
more especially to the practitioner in
the Southern States.'
Cases have been reported from
Georgia, Alabama, Texas, South Car
olina and North Carolina. Examina-
= ton of these report, says DR.. Lawn
der, seems to show definitely that
probably for several years past there
have appeared in the South United
States sporadic casces Of an Gmrecog-
nizsble nature, resembling pellagra
and that Within the last year or two
the disease has increased rapidly IN
the number of cases and in the extent
of territory involved, though IN some
respect the disease seems to differ
from the pellagra of the old world, 1t
bears a close resemblance to 1t. The
cases are mostly acute and the NOR
|ltality is high.
eff" says DR.. Lavinder, "the
cause of pellagra is accepted as a
diet of spoiled maize, the American
maize crop must within recent years
have undergone a decided change in
some respect,'' for maize has always
been very extensively used as food
in the Southern United States and
pellagra has not appeared il former
years. -.
! He properly remarks THAT this con-
I tinues to edvance. There can be no
doubt that such staple article OF
food as Indian corn is in this country
must not be allowed even to limited
kextent to degenerate into source OF
Ierious disease.
"We take it,'' says a writer ir the
ew York Medical Journal. "that
hat ought to be found out first IL
lure Of the change which nay have
ken place in the grain, which is gen.
ii thought to be affected by some
fungus. The department. Of agrlcul-
lture, which perhaps has already CIV
en- attention to the matter, may GER
tadnly be counted on to conduct what
ever Investigations may be requ'r-
3D."
The subject of pellagra was pre-
sented before the Alabama Medical