The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-10-29
NO ca.
Disease Appears to be t..
Insane AsyIums Georgia s..
Numbers Many Patients. ing

Pellagra, the strange malady which
is now making such progress in the
south, is disease entirely unknown to
the general public. Even the boards of
health Throughout the country and the
medical fraternity are unfamiliar wit h
it. No cases of pellagra were reported
in this country previous to two years
ago. Now there are thousands in the
southern states, and even New York has
few. In the State insane sanitarium
of Georgia, more than three per cent
of the cases admitted during 1908 were
victims of pellagra.
The outlook for recovery is doubtful,
although if the disease be recognized
in its earliest stages a cure is possible.
The second stage is doubtful and the
third or last, absolutely hopeless.
However, the efficacy of arsenic is now
being tested by DR.. j. w. BabcOck, of
State Insane Asylum OF Georgia. The
government has detailed Passed AS
sistant Surgeon C. H. Lavinder to
make thorough investigation Of the
cause and prevalence. statistical and
geographical, of pellagra. A weekly
bulletin is being issued detailing the
results of the experimental work.
1.-THE disease at first attacks the skin
and alimentary canal" says DR.. Chas.
j. Problem, New York physician, who
has been interested in the matter, "and
in its later stages seriously effects the
mind. 1t is a sort of elephantiasis,
ending in melanchoia and insanity, in
some cases the skin becomes coal black
as its ravages proceed. 1t has been
discovered recently that it is form OF
the dread Italian leprosy.
1.-THE disease is manifested in the
spring. At first there is weakness and
lassitude, giddiness, headache, an ach-
ing of the joints, particularly of the
back, and extending to the hands and
feet.
"The tongue becomes furred, the
abdomen is tense and painful! and
diarrhoea is invariably present. Der
mathis attacks the skin of the fore
arms, elbows, face and neck. This
symptom develops within twenty-fOur
hours after the inception of the disease,
and lasts from ten to eighteen days.
The inflammation usually starts on the
back of the hand in the way of dark
or livid red spot. The skin swells
dreadfully and itches intolerably when
exposed to the sun.
after few weeks these symptoms
subside, but the skin remains thickened
and augmented. The patient is weak
and emaciated, with headache and
pain in the back. The tongue is denud-
ed, red and dry. Swallowing is painful,
the patient becomes delirious, ty-
phoid state sets in, and death ensues.
The mental disturbances take the
form of melancholia and general
feebleness of intellect. There is dis
tinct suicidal tendency, great despOn-
dency and delirium.
Professor Lombroso, of Turin, is at
present the foremost authority on pei
! lagra. 1t was he who first advanced
the theory that the disease arose from
certain fungi on corn or maize which
developed into toxin from moisture.
This taken into the system causes pei
lagra. These organisms when grown
on any other culture than corn or maize
are apparently non-toxlc.
| In Italy, where the disease is COM
mon, there are stringent laws in re-
gard to the sale of damaged grain. At
present there are estimated to be about
hundred thousand cases in that coun-
try of which ten per cent are insane.
The disease is by no means rare III
Spain or Roumania.
The disease is spreading alarmingly
in the south, and the situation is par
ticularly grave because corn and corn
meal form so important part of the
food stuffs of that portion of the coun-
try.
1t is generally believed that pellagra
is not contagious. 1t seems to sweep
portion of the country like an epide-
mic, but it is believed that this condl-
ton arises from the general condition
of the maize of that section, and not by
communication.
However, the State Board of Hea lth
of Tennessee, has taken action quar-
antining the disease,
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