The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-02-10
TRANCE DISEASE THIS.
4, the Old World /" PeIIagra' a
Strong Grip in the South?
A1IyG BAD CORN CAUSES 1T

One Time a Nef''oA0 00oi 20 HI
Europe, and May Become Epidemic
in the south.
vAsHLNGTON.-Looming up as a
no menace to health conditions in
south is the recent appearance
deadly disease known to medi-
:, scientists as "Pellagra. !" This
canoe malady is a veritable scourge
tbe Old World, and the possibility
it's becoming epidemic in the
ortbern states is by no means re-
note.
For several centuries ''pellagra" is
Lnovn to have existed in the Old
ror,d but its presence in the south
&c Init recently been discovered. 1t
robablv has existed for several years
that section of the country, but
oodioaI men have failed to recognize
Z is presence.
Now. however, this peculiar dis
Doso has been diagnosed as true Pei
AGRA. and the credit for its discovery
h the south belongs to Passed AS
8is+ant Surgeon c. H. Lavinder, of
he Public Health and Marine Hos
btal Service He has made thor
high investigation of the disease and
has hut recently made an exhaustive
Sonort on his observations to Surgeon
sGeneral Wyman.
From Eating Spoiled Maize.
"PeIagra" is a malady caused by
The eating of spoiled MAIZE" and
broduces in persons afflicted with it
sort of intoXication. The disease
Generally occurs among the poorer
Masses of the rural population, who
&uhsist largely, or exclusively, on
8Gfn most usually prepared by boil
III corn meal in salt water called
#polentia' in Italy DR.. Lavinder
States that in pellagrous countries
HE corn is often of a poor quality,
BATTERED before maturity and not
8roperly cured and stored, so that
3arasites more easily develop upon it.
i Pellegra is both an endemic and
Epidemic disease, which occurs in
Ahose who feed on diseased maize,
Snd is characterized by an erythema
Bf the skin, digestive disturbances,
md nervous disturbances. 1t may
terminate in such serious conditions
As grave cacheXia or insanity; it is
periodic in its manifestations, and
usually appears with the beginning
n Spring, ameliorates during sum-
&ler and ordinarily in winter the
symptoms disappear to such an ex-
TENT as often to give the false idea
n recovery. So long as the cause
persists, however, it reappears each
fear.
Involve Nervous System.
The disease usually begins with
RaStro-intestinal disturbances" says
assistant Surgeon Lavinder, follow
fd shortly by the erythema of the
fkin, and in brief while there is
pore or less invOlvment of the ner-
BouS system. 1t is a slowly advanc-
lng toXemia, the brunt of which, in
me end, is borne by the nervous sys-
lem' and each annual recurrence
leaVes a deeper and more indelible
park on the mental and nervous
Fondluon Of the sufferer"
Inc great gravity and danger of
gIe disease, it is pointed out, lies in
he number of people affected, and in
rs immediate and remote conse-
Euehces not only to individuals, but
y the race-intellectual feebleness,
IgSSened resistance, economic loss,
PHYSICAL deterioration, of the race,
Has Corn Changed?
All interesting theory advanced by
DI LaYlnder is that if the cause of
eudsfa be accepted as feeding on
oe0ned maize then the maize crop
!. Ine United States must in recent
, YEA nave undergone a decided
,II"nse IN some respect, for maize has
5l"a}S been very extensively used as
.0Ou III the southern states, and Pei
asId mas not appeared in former
,oaIS This is subject which, he
.scIafes, will require extensive in
.gSIlsation, should the disease con-
Iuue TO advance.
OoA'ernlng the etiOlogy of the dis
,,"ee' .J IS said to be an intoxication
, ,u lo using as food Indian corn
y nae which, under the influence
g. unidentified parasite growths
hun bnns has undergone certain
", nouSt~ with the production of one
70, more toxic substances of a chemi-
al nature.
Ill III ,ne preface of his report DR..
o "'iu9er declares that there is rea-
na NO. 10 believe that perhaps Pellagra
' quite prevalent in the south
r., states, but is unrecognized. |
ol'IiA the past two or three years,
VI some reason or reasons unknown,
us disease has rapidly increased in
,uIlpe9s and extent of territory af-
o o.(, Pellagra bears close re-
i t'uO'ance to the accepted descrip-
lSD OF Pellagra as it occurs in the |
o az world, though different in some |
W. s.leulars, and the acute cases
iiejPoAderate and the mortality is
Slncn II &c OF - -a~so,,a ..o4...a |