The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-10-11
POLLUTED WATER
MAY Be CAUSE
ARMY SURGEONS WAKING DIS
CLOSURES WITH REGARD
TO PELLAGRA.
FROM THE INTfSTINES
The Disease Springs. Primarily From
Dysenteric State, often Brought
About From UnWholesome
Water Supply.

| Washington, Oct 3.-Imp0rtant dis
coveries as to the result of an inves-
litigation of pellagra, the new disease
which has become prevalent In many
states Of the south, andwhich has
lbeendiscoyered to exist to an alarm
ling degree at the general hospital tog
1.-THE insane at Peoria and other pubiiS
institutions in Illinois, are to be made
lpublic in Washington within the next
few days.
Prominent army surgeons who have
made close study of the cases at Pc
loria practically have reached the con
! clusion that, while corn and its prod
ucts figure largely in causing the
dread disease. there is nothing to indi
cate that spoiled corn or corn which
| has fermented enters into the trouble
1t practically has been determined
| that patients afflicted with pellagra
| have first undergone the infliction in
! the intestines. that the disease
springs from dysenterc state which
often Is brought about by polluted
water supply.
In Connection with this phase OF the
| disease 1t Is reliably reported that
lsome startling allegations are soon I'd
be made concerning the water supply
OF the general hospital for the insane
| at Peoria. 1t Is understood that Army
Surgeons Joseph f. Siler and Henry
| j. Nichols, who recently spent several
weeks there making a study of the
strange disease, have some informa
tion which will lead to general over
hauling of the system of water distri
button at the institution, providing
there is disposition there to head OF
the ravages of pelagra.
IN Il word they have discovered tha
practically all the pellagra patients a
Peoria are inflicted with dysenterl
| previous to taking the malady an,
that there is plenty OF evidence tha
the first affliction was caused by un
safe water, which probably still is Z
menace at the institution.
Investigations have narrowed dowr
| to a point where corn still is recog
| lized as one OF the food products
largely to blame for the existence ol
the disease, although it is now beliey
ed that great many vegetable goods
| OF an extremely nature are doing
their share Of the damage. The army
surgeons will advance theory. which
they appear to have bolstered up bS
| the best kind of evidence, gathered
at Peoria that pellagra is caused
mainly by the action of these starches
on the damaged Innings of the ntes
tines of the victims Just what the
nature of this action is and how II
causes the skin eruptions and terrible
mouth and throat sores have not YET
been determined
Their reports to the heads of the
hospital was that the corn meal man
ufactured by scrapulously clean meth
DDS and that the unground cerea
apparently was sound and new. The
lspoiled or fermented corn theory
(which has prevailed in many countries
Of Europe where pellagra exists, ae
Icordingly was discarded as far as re
orie was concerned.
The tracing of the conditions Of tn
lpatients previous to the time they be
came afflicted with pellagra, howes
Ter, have not resulted so favorably i
almost every instance, il is reported
1.-THE patient has been suffering wit
lysentery or similar form Of inte'
final arrangement.