The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-10
PELLAeRA.
n


|, Pellagra is increasing In the south. 1t
has not been definitely decided whether
the disease Is caused by unsound corn or
not. The following statement, will provo
Interesting, whether 1t Is, based on scienti-
fc fact or not: -
Peilagra, the disease that has excited
alarm in southern states, Is to become i'm
%lmediately the subject OF official inquiry.
The work will be performed In the hygienic
llabratoryi in Washington, This action has
been ordered by the treasury department
at the instance o fthe health authorities I'm
various's states, who fear the disease may
become a scourge, and who wish to know
low to treat IL. .,
Though it has been know long that pei
llayra is caused by a mold blightin corn, 1t
has rema' ned for an American physician
To learn the exact nature OF the blight and
to devise a remedy for the disease. DR.. G.
C. Carroll of Meadville, Pa, has discovered
that the germs and parasites IN the mold
are closely related to those found In tuoer-
culosis. They may be destroyed by electr1-
cal treatment and nature will then work q
cure
DR.. Carroll planted three acres OF corn
on May Is in $50 rows. When the corp RI
pened he found so stalks with a moldy
blight in the form Of q black bulb, q sight
common to farmers everywhere. Under
the microscope thousands Of germs and
'%serpentine parasites were found In one Oh
of the bulbs. -,
The head has hooks OF tentacles," DR..
, Carroll writes to the New York Work,
"that enable 1t to seize and hold tenacious
ly the mucous surface or lining OF the
| stomach and intestinal tract OF the human
or lower animal that feeds on,cOrn infect
ed with the mold. This black bulb goes
through stages of growth and decay until
it d~isintegrates and is scattered In q black
powder BY the wind. Thus healthy ears
OF corn are infected.
"The germs and parasites closely resem-
bic those found in germ infected milk from
diaries know to have tuberculosis cattle,
The close resemblance Of these corn mold
germs to those in the sputa OF consump-
tives leads me to suspect pellagra to be
closely related to tuberculosis.
"a simple and easy way to curtail OF
wipe out pellagra would be for the farmer
to 20 through the corn field shortly after
it is in tassel, before the ears Of corn are
formed and gather all the black mole
bulbs or balls on them. Then In harvest
time the gathered crop would probably be
free from pellagra pests and suitable fol
healthy, nutritious food. .I
"Pellagra, or peilagritis, being a disease
of germs or parasital origin, it is only
necessary to destroy the germ OF parasite
To this end germicide that may be safely
administered directly to the organs invol
we'd should be employed. For that pur
pose l use an acid germicide APPLIED to the
Intestinal tract, driven into the diseased
parts by an alternating current o.
electricity. ,
I This germicide thus applied kills in
stantly all forms Of ~pathogenic bacteria o.
parasites that may be present in the blood
stream traversing the system, clogginf
the emuuctories, such as lungs, liver, kid
neys, alvine tract and the %grandular sys
tenn generally. The violet electrical ra!
will stimulate the diseased emunctories b!
the polarization Of cells that by disease ar
depolarized and cause them, howeve
weakened or impairpd by disease, to per
form their true functions and carry OIL tn
dead bacteria"