The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-08-20
MANY CASES OF PELLAcpA
LsProsy-Like Disease More Con-.
Than Supposed

III tue south. comes in d.,
late Associated Press sDec,a, ,rou
New Orleans: i'Oin
a recent report of the Trnitas
STATES r1arine hospital service ON tbo
existence In this country OF cases of
peilagrS (thick skim. a nost ,oo+L
some painful and fatal disease in
many respects standing close IN Lon
rosy IN Its horrors and fatality has
led &c very careful search for o,.5
investigation into this malady. Peua-
era Was supposed to be confined -
italy, Southern France and Sn.ir
prevailing among the poorest peasant-
~ and supposed to be due to the eat
ing OF musty or purified corn. A
case was reported in New York TWEEN.
~ years ago. but ii was proved n
have been brought here from italy
SIX years ago New Orleans doctor
pnofessed to have discerned several.
cases OF pellagra among negroes. but
his diagnosis was not accented. and
his assertion was denied. 1t was al
most forgotten until some months
ago when a young Mississippi woman
died OF what was unquestionably peI
lagrs- The case was a surprise. be-
cause she was well-to-do. of a class
not likely 10 eat spoiled corn meal.
but IL was impossible to find to what
circumstances or conditions the case
was due. 1t, however, attracted at
tention 10 the disease, and a more
careful investigation by the physi-
clan brought to light a case Of peIIa-
era in Alabama, Louisiana and other
FL states. leaving little doubt that the
malady has prevailed for years in this
country, bu, escaped observation. In
view OF the fact that the pellagra is
almost wholly among negroes. who
do not consult a doctor, the chances
are that many victims of the disease
passed to their death without medi-
cal attention or investigation.
In Louisiana cases of pellagra were
discovered in the state insane asy-
lum al Pineyille and the charity hos
pital az New Orleans. Four of the pa
tients have died recently, and a study
Of their cases and autopsies has shed.
a great deal Of light on pellagra ind
America that will enable physicians
90 recognize il more easily, differen-
tiate IL from paranoia-under which
name most Of the patients were sent
20 the asylum or hOspital-and dag
nose the malady properly. The fact
that one of the patients at the asy-
lum. a young white woman. has been
discharged cured leads TO the hope
that now that the existence of the
disease in this country and its char
acteristics are known, it may be pos
sible 10 check or cure il.
OF those treated in Louisiana. eth
ct in the insane asylum or charity
hospital, all but one have been ne
grOes. They came from different por-
tons OF the state, so that ii is not
possible to say when or how they |
contracted the malday. Those in the |
state insane asylum were sent there
as insane. their malady being dag |
nQsed as paranoia. II was only when
the rash peculiar to pellagra italian
for rough skim broke out that the
real cause of the disease was known.
The patients rapidly grew worse. SUI
fering az first from extreme nervous /
ness and insomnia, they finally went
into an anaemic and comatOse condi- 1
ton. lost the use of their limbs, SEEM /
ed TO suffe- a great deal, and died
raving.
II is impossible now to know how
long the disease has been in this
country unrecognied by the physl-
clans. II was discovered in Italy and
Southern France only a hundred
years ago. although it is almost GER
tainly older. The disease in Europe 1
is attributed 20 the eating Of purified
corn or maize. but southern doctors
are inclined TO believe that this Is
not the only cause.
DR.. ORenly. president Of the New
Orleans health board. suggests that
the disease may be due to eating too
much corn or corn meal during the
summer season. and especially II /
hot summer Il clogs the system !
causes the intestines 10 swell ana
brings abou. a number of compllca-
lions that eventually affect the whole
system and finally the brain. II the
case were known in its earlier stages
II could be cured. for removal to
cold climate is a complete remedy 'he
disease being peculiar to hot coun- !
s-s,., -. q. i, 49, ;tsolf in IFS more