Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-11-05
FIVE THOUSAND CASES OF THE
TERRIBLE PELLAGRA DISEASE.
Government to Investigate Scourgs
Which Drives Its Victims TO In
sanity and the Grave.

The increasing lumber Of cases Oh
pellagra in the United States ana 'he
dreadful nature OF that disease nave
led the government, acting lhlousn
the Public Health and Marine Hospa-
.al Service, to, institute an oElclai ~
yestigation. The inquiry is to be car
ried on here and will be begun at
once. 1t is now estimated that tnere
are 5000 cases of the disease IN the
country, South Caroline having ooo Oh
these; M that commonwealth, arous-
ed to a sense of danger, some time 3
issued a call for a national conference
on the subject, which is to be held at
Columbia next week.
1t used to be said in medical
that pellagra did not exist IN 'hiS
country, but Investigations conducted
during the past couple of years sho"
that the disease has a toothold III IL
States and appears to be rapldly
spreading. 1t is 4 popularity OF the
disease that it may atliict a person un-
recognized for years and hr5t De oe-
tected after it has affected a Vlctlms
reason and sent him to a nladhouse.
In such an institution it was hrst rec
ognized in this country 45 years ago,
and after attracting a little brief at
tention vanished from the medical rec
ords until 1906-O7. The doctors now
believe that it existed here all the
time, unknown and put down nder
other names.
In 1864 two cases OF probable pella-
gra were reported at the annual meet
ing Of American asylum physicians at
Washington by DR.. Gray, OF the UTICA
Insane Asylum. and DR.. Tyler, OF So
merville, Mass. From that time until
within the past three years the only
reports of it were one case from Geor
gia and one case from Chicago, each
in 1902.
In 1907 a number of cases were rec
ognized and reported by physicians IN
Alabama and South Carolina asylums'
and in the summer of 1909 the ols-
ease was identified with Italian pella-
era by two South Carolina physicians
who visited Italy to study it. From
that time the reports Of it have come
in from various localities, chiefly IN
the south, until O it is estimated
there are 5000 cases. The only States
north of Maryland where it has been
so far reported are New York, Penn
| sylvania and Illinois.
One of the deplorable features OF
| pellagra is tina the disease may exist
in a patient for many years without
being detected and that the longer the
| correct diagnosis is put off the less are
the chances of recovery. The patients
intestines are affected, his vitality Is
and body and so gives the impression
of l~aziness, wherefore the confoundins
OF pellagra with nook worm disease;
he becomes emaciated, and finally his
mind SO far gives way that he has tc
be confined in an asylum. Even in the
early stages the disease is grave as tt
hopes of recovery. In the asylum
stage complete cure is very doubtful
although amendment has been re
corded.
The cause of the disease is no
known. There is a wide popular belle:
hat it is due to eating diseased corr
or drinking alcoholic drinks made
from such corn, but this is by ne
means proved yet Dr. wholly accepted
by the medical profession. The popu
lar belief is such in Germany, for in
stance, that the people can't be IN
duced to eat corn, and they regare
people who are willing to do SO a!
crazy or as at least somewhat wrong
in their heads. AS to the cause OF thu
disease lying in corn, it Is based or
the idea tina the disease comes from
a parasitic growth on h corn.
Most of the victims OF the disease
in the South are blacks, and person:
poorly nourished and living in unhy
gienic surroundings, and h grea1
majority are females. In some OF the
reports the proportion OF female vic
tins rises to rs per cent. There seem:
little doubt that the condition now
recognized as pellagra has existed II
the Southern States for many years
25 or 80 at least, and has been regard
ed as an unusual manifestation OF tn
berculosis, malaria, acute del1r1um
hook worms, eczema and the like.
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