The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-07
Fully a Thousand Cases in
the State
NEXT TO TUBERCULOSIS"

serious-Experts and Scientists
Unable to Name the Exac Cause of
the Dread Disease-First known in
Spain in 1885, Italy in 1862 and
France in 1929.
Pellagra, a disease which is creating
havoc in some sections Of the country,
is in the limelight in North Carolina
because of cases said to exist in every
county except Onslow: it being the
estimate of physicians that there are
now fully 1000 cases in this State.
That it is a disease to be dreaded is
not questioned and DR.. E. Jennes
Wood, Of Wilmington, says that pella-
gra is second only in Importance to
tuberculosis. While he does not believe
it originates from corn he frankly ad-
mits that there are but very few ply
sicians who do not believe the dis
ease is caused by corn.
The six or more deaths in North
Carolina recently, diagnosed as being
the result of pellagra, and the alarm
ing increase of the disease show that
the situation is daily growing more
serious. Just last week DR.. James
Mckee, superintendent of the State
I1OSp1ldI dL Ihd1CISH, Sdlu lIidl liCAC RI
fourteen cases there now, there having
been a total of nineteen. the first case
having developed a year and a half
ago. About ten days ago there was a
death from the disease at the State
Hospital and since that time a death
at Cary. Durham has suffered Sc
verely from it, and the disease is as
suming alarming proportions, SO much
so that the medical world is giving
close study to it.
Experts in the bureau of plant in
dustry of the United States Department
of Agriculture and the public health
and marine hospital service say that
from their Investigations they are not
able to name the exact cause of pella-
era. 1T was first heard Of in Spain
in 1735, Italy, 1862, and France, 1929,
with symptoms that vary greatly. The
word. ''pellagra' means raw skin,
the disease being accompanied by a
red, scaly eruption on the hands and
feet and parts of the body exposed to
the air, there being some swelling of
the parts affected. The condition
caused the idea that it was akin to
leprosy, but that theory has been
shown to be false. There go with 1t
digestive troubles, and diarrhoea, the
brain being finally affected. fits Of de-
preston affecting the patient. In old
or chronic cases there is an inclina-
ton to end life by drowning. the de-
sire for getting into the water being
induced by the itching Of the skin.
The peasants of Italy call it the sick
ness that drives you into the water
In the finality of the disease those
taken with it will not eat and he
end comes. In Europe the causes are
of long Duration, but in this country
the acute stage seems to be reached
in a short time.
DIR. Andrew M. Sou]e, Of the Georgia
College of Agriculture, has written an
article about pellagra. After having
given it close study he says that While
there are some who hold to the idea
that eating musty corn causes the dis
ease that certain investigators doubt
that bad corn causes it, but that las
a matter of fact musty, moldy, damp
corn is not good food for any class OF
stock and those who have had expert
ence will readily testify frequently
causes digestive disorders and prob