The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-10
HOW TO STOP IT
English Physician Reads Interesting Paper
on Pelagra al
COLUMBIA CONFERENCE

CULUMblA WNtEkENCE
DIR. Sandwich, Of London, Tells How
Italy, Where PellaPa is Widei,
Prevalent, Has Reduced Mortality,
Many Cases Found Among Esyp.
tians-UIges Preventative Rule.
The following paper by DR.. F. VI.
Sandwich, Of London, England
Gresham professor of physics was
read at the pellagra conference in
Columbia Wednesday afternoon: IL
feel that my first words must be
those Of congratulation and eLG)ur-
agement to the many physicians in
the Southern States who are now
working at the various problems con-
nected with pellagra. Congratuia.
ton in the first place. because they
have discovered the existance of the
disease, because they have impress
ed this discovery upon others 50
that the presence Of pellagra is now
thoroughly recognized.
IF l venture also to encourage
American co-workers. 1t is not with
any improper desire to draw atten-
ton to my own work. but because !
happen to be In the unique position
with regard to this one disease), of
being able to appreciate their diff
ficulties.
In spite of denials from Ameri-
a authorities on medicine ! have
always suspected that pellagra might
exist unrecognized In the South. and
at one time I requested my friends
to put me into communication with
the poorest folk Of the maize eat
ing districts. ]. was referred to a
settlement in Eastern Virginia TO
pauper negroes, but on investigation
l found that the inmates lived In
stone houses. on pork rations, and
I came to the conclusion that the
word poverty represented no con-
dition In America, which could COM
pare with the misery Of the impover-
ished peasants Of Italy, Roumania
or Egypt.
I'm April, 1905, I had the good
fortune to be at Boston during an
epidemic of cerebro spinal menin-
gifts, and the very first patient whom
I saw at the city hospital by the
courtesy of DR.. C. F. Wilmington, was
an Italian emigrant. who also dis
played a we'll marked pellagrous
eruption. This leads one TO wonder
whether the United States public
health and marine hospital service
officers who examine the emigrants
at Naples and other Italian ports
should not include pellagra among
the prohiDitory diseases.
Now, that the diagnois of pella-
sra has been firmly established In
SO many States, it would be well
to find out for certain how many
persons are attacked by the disease
in the South. In order to arrive
at any correct figures, 1t might be
we'll to institute compulsory Motif
cation OF the disease at least as a
Temporary Measure In Italy there
has been a law to that effect since
1888. I would also recommend that
agricultural laborers should be en-
amined in the States where peilL-
ara is known to be prevalent. such
as Georgia and North and South Car.
DINA. This might be done in Feb
ruary or March, when the eruption
is likely to be present.
I'm 1901 and 1902 l obtained
permission to examine 500 Egyptian
peasants who were actually at work
in the fields. They all stoutly de-
MED that they were Ill and their
employers who were with them stat
cd they could all do a fair days
work, but in every field / found
early cases of pellagra, bearing from
IS per cent in well-to-do districts
to 62 per cent in the inhabitants OF
the poorest hamletS.
The treatment of early pellagra
cases without mental symptoms can
be successfully accomplished by put
ting the patient on a liberal diet.
excluding maize and by Kidding him
of the hookworms which are so Of
ten co-existent. but the pellagrous
symptoms return if he is allowed IN
resume a diet of musty maize. Va
rious preparations of arsenic are uSe'
in advanced cases but when the brain
is attacked there is a small hope for
the patient unless by serotherapy'
Pellagra is essentially a disease
which cries for preventive measures.
Italy by preventive measures. has
since 1888 reduced the mortality OF
pellagra from 3,483 to 1885, though
during the years 1888 to 1907 the
maize area under cultivation has in
creased from 5.79 TO 6.3S per cen'
OF the whole country. This points
the moral that it Is the quality, not
the quantity OF maize which il al
fault. There are certain general
exioms which prove true IN Italy
and Egypt and it will doubtless BE-
found that they hold good in the
United States also:
"First.-Iu districts where nc
maize Is cultivated or h%aoituall!
eaten. pellegra does not exist.
"Second-There are many dis
tricts where maize has been oultivat,