The San Francisco call., 1909-11-28
PELLAGRA IS IN
ALAMEDA COUNTY
Three Cases of the Newly Seq
regated Disease Discovered
in Infirmary Hospital
DIR. Rupert Blue of Federal Serv=
ice Confirms DiagOsis Made
by Superintendent Clark
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call

lSfecloi Dispatch 10 ! he Call
OAKLAND Nov 27.-PelIagra. the
mysterious and dread disease that has
banied the efforts Of medical science
TO discover its cause and provide a
check for its ravages. has been found
10 exist in Alameda county. There are
three cases Of pellagra al the county
inhrmary. Dennis Bremen, August
Reposa and Patrick O'Farrell are af-
nicted with it, and no hope for their
cure is held out
The three men have been examined
repeatedly by DR.. Rupert Blue Of the
marine hospital service. and he is con-
hdent that the men are suffering from
penagra.
NOT THE FIRST CASES
Furthermore, according 10 DR.. w A
Clark. superintendent of the infirmary.
there are not the first cases OF pei
lagra that have come under his obser-
walton. though he did not recognize the
ma lady at the time. Doctor Clark has
been i'm charge Of the infrmary for Is
wears. During that time several pa
1ients showed the same symptoms S
manifested by Bremen. Reposa and
-OFarrelI. bat owing to the fact that
penagra was then a disease which
medical science had not Yet even seq
regated Dr. Clark did not realize what
the real trouble with his patients was.
Some OF them died and some of them
left the infrmary.
The symptoms that appear at the
outbreak of the disease are blistering
Of the backs of the hands the neck
and face. This blistering resembles a
had case Of sunburn and is often mis-
taken for ii. especially as il appears
only on the exposed parts, just as does
81 ms
A shiny appearance Of the skin is
manifested shortly after. This affects
all parts Of the body Then follows a
bowel disorder and the disease is by
this time established in the blood of
The victim Melancholia follows, then
dementia and finally death. The dis
case runs over course Of years.
Bremen and O'Farrell are old men.
and according 10 Doctor Clark. are apt
To die Of old age before ravages of the
disease have become acute enough to
kin them. Reposa is about so years
of age. and as the disease is at an
advanced stage in his case he is ex-
pected to succumb TO ii.
OF HONG STANDING
All OF these cases are Of more than
- years standing. according TO Doc
tor clark. who questioned the patients
closely as TO how long ago the symp-
toms first manifested themselves.
Doctor Clark said today: During
the is years that i have been in charge
Of the hospital I have seen several
similar cases. These patients all
showed the same symptoms. But as
the disease Of pellagra is a new one 1
did not know that il was among us. I
old not recognize it and I thought tkat
The bistered hands were due to the
fact that the sufferers might be essen
tally susceptible TO sunburn. Most
of the patients here are old and infirm
and many are incurable. 1t is probable
that some Of the sufferers from pellagra
in the past have died. but ] do not re-
member just what became OF the cases
10 which j have reference. Some OF
them may have left the institution"
DOIBT AS TO CAUSE
Medical men are inclined to believe
1hat the disease is caused by the eat
ing Of corn that has spoiled. 1t is a
fact in the districts of Italy. where il
is prevalent. the staple article Of food
Of the poorer people is poienta, a
cornmeaI cooked. Very often, espe-
ciaily among the very poor, corn Of an
inferior quality is eaten. and often it
has sOured before it is consumed.