Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1909-08-26
PELLAGRA.
Charlotte Observer:

fNn0AtOvVC ~ 0oCS .s.s. h.
A disease which made its ap-
pearance in the South years ago
and which has recently been pro-
nounced pellagra is spreading
rupidly and has become almost
epidemic in some places. The vii
mington Dispatch says h ere.
were 25 cases in New Hanover
county during the month OF
June, the majority OF persons at
tackled being white. There have
been q number of cases il Dur
ham end the Greensboro papers
report two ladies in that town
being treated for the malady.
The disease has appearedin 9th.
er parts OF this State and other
sections of the South. Whatever
it is, it seems to he spreading rap.
idly and also battling the doctors
Everywhere. The Wilmington Dis
patch seems to be alarmed over
the situation. 1t says "medical
authorities state their belief to
be that the danger from pellagra
within the next few years W il
probably exceed that which re.
suits from the ravages of tuber-
culosis." The Durham Herald
says the death there in the last
few days of "this estimable wo-
man" shows the disease to- be no
respector OF persons, 1t isconan-
ed to no class. 1t attacks the
person Lying in comfort as well
as the person living amid squal-
or. The Durham paper calls o
the Federal government to take
up arms against it as it did a.
gainst yellow fever
That a disease has appeared
in some sections oil the country
which puzzles physicians ,s ad-
mitted on all hands we suppose;
but we do not think conditions
Warrant the excitement it causes
among some. There is no ,occa-
sion for going into Mysteries over
it's appearance here aud there
throughout the country. 1t can
hardly be the very fatal disease
some claim if, as has been stated,
in certain sections OF the State
one-tenth ol the population il
afflicted with 1t. Were it.so fear
full a malady whole sections O
that country, where. the disease
has existed for years would have
been depopulated long before
now.
The popular. theory OF b
cause of the disease, as our read
ers know, is that it comes from
eating bread made with improp'
erly cured corn. The Columbia
Record, in speaking OF the decla1
alton OF DR.. H. C. Lavindar thai
he has found pellagra in Western
in Western States asylums, says
this is one OF the most signifi'
cant Developments in the inyes.
tigation of the prevalence OF tn.
disease; that the theory which
regards the disease as acquired
by eating bread madefrom mou
dy ar spoiled corn, much OF which
comes from the West" seems tt
have confirmation in the discov
ery Of pe|lagra in the corn belt
The Record says, however, that
among the South Carolina ply
sicians who were first to lnvesti
gate the possibility of pellagera'
existence in America there hal
mot yet been q complete accept
ance Of the corn theory, as they
have refrained from a positive
7 declaration concerning the ori
gin oil the disease and have kep1
their minds open on the subject .
II This disease is caused by t h G
use OF the Western corn, how il
it that it made it's appearance il
a section Of the country where
! Western corn Is not the only
kind used, instead OF IN the Wes'
where none other is eaten, and
why has 1T not appeared in thil