The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-10
The PElLAG8A CONGRESS.
THREE HUNDRED PHYSICIANS
ARE GATHERED IN COLUMBIA.
DIR. Zeller of Illinois Made Ringing
Speech i'm Which He Advanced The
Orics That Are Quite Startling.
(The State, Nov. A.

| (The State, Nov. A.
For the purpose of studying pella-
gra a national congress of physicians.
some of them among the most emf
nent specialists Of the medical pro-
fession in the United States, is now
holding its sessions in Columbia, in
! the assembly hall of the State Hospi-
| tai for the Insane.
| There were in attendance more than
200 medical men and by o'clock
nearly 100 more had arrived 1t is
believed that when the congress re-
convenes at 9 o'clock this morning
there will be present at least 400
members Of the profession. This ma
lady seems to have a special mystifi-
cation which causes physicians to wish
to find cause and remedy.
| The deliberations were opened by
Gov. Ansel with a felicitous address Of
welcome. After the governors ad-
dress came the reading of papers ac-
cording to the programme. All Of the
| papers are of a technical character.
| couched in medical terminology, ver-
bose and difficult to be understood by
folks who are not in the inner seal of
the ethics of the profession.
The first paper, read by DR.. ]. w.
Babcock, was that presented by DR..
F. M. Sandwith, F. r. c. p, Gresham
professor of physic, London, England.
This paper was a general review Of
the pellagra situation in various coun-
tries of the world. The title given the
paper in the programme was Intro
ductory Remarks"
The first speaker was DR.. j. w.
Kerr, assistant surgeon general, Uni
ted States public health and marine
hospital service Of Washington, D. c.
The subject OF his paper was, "Pella-
gra as National Public Health Prob
lem."
Economic Factors Of the Pellagra
Problem in South Carolina" was the
subject of a most interesting discus
sion by E. j. Watson, commissioner of
the department of agriculture, COM
merce and industries Of South Caro-
lima. Col. Watson furnished many in
teresting and important facts relating
to the food supply used by the people
OF this State bearing on the health of
it's people.
The paper of Dr. c. H. Lavinder,
passed assistant surgeon, United States
public health and marine hospital SER
vice, on the haematology of pellagra,
dealt with methods of miscroscopal
examination Of the blood of pella-
grins, and was entirely technical.
Papers were also read as per the
programme by Capts. J. F. Siler and
II. j. Nichols, physicians Of the medi-
cal corps, United States army; DR..
Menage Of New Orleans, representing
DR.. Isadore Dyer, dean Of the medical
department, Tulane university.
The paper Of DR.. c. w. G. Rohrer
OF the medical State board of health
was ordered printed in the official re-
port of the congress, as was also the
paper Of DR.. John 8. Turner of Dallas,
Tex, and the foreign papers sent in
for presentation and publication.
while We regard Mr.. Rockefeller's
princely gift for the eradication of the
hookworm at its true value, we say
$1.000,0O0 for the battle against the
disease Of pellagra would be far more
valuable" declared Col. e. ]. Watson,
who has made a careful study of pei
lagra because of the generally accept
ed theory that it is due to the con-
sumption Of impure corn and corn
products. Unless preventative meas
ures are taken without delay, he said
the corn industry will be seriously
threatened. He declared that not only
the Federal government but the corn
consuming States as we'll must put
into force a rigorous inspection of
corn and corn products. The CORES
pondent of the American Press says of
the meeting:
I'm this view Col. Watson has the
support Of the eminent physicians and
scientific investigators attending the
conference. All agree that radical
measures must be taken and without
delay, to prevent the spread Of this
disease. In this State, at least, the
legislature at it's next session will un-
doubtedly enact such inspection laws,