Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-10-10

culiar similarity to leprosy. or Alpine
scurvy, the characteristic symptoms OF
pellagra as given above existed. AT
first symptoms are definite. general
debility pain in the back, sleepless-
ness. digestive disturbances, and
sometimes dlarrhoea Unlike the dis
ease as it appears in countries where
the seasons change; from winter to
spring and summer. it is not periodic
in its appearance, but when once 1t
sets in, il spreads sometimes slowly
but surely, over the entire body and
with dissication and exfoliation CT the
epidermis, which becomes very dry.
There is suppuratiye process under
meath the crusts. which assure and
break, allowing the offensive discharge
to flow over the surface and which
stains or soils the garments. thus be
Ing easy means Of communicating II
to others. In some the surface be-
comes crusty, thickened and under
kOtS lltBuNt NfNH
loss CT sensibility. With the skin con-
ditions there are digestive disorders,
salvation. dyspepsia. and diarrhoea
which may be hemmorrhagic. In the
advanced stages there may be head
ache, backache. spasms, paralysis and
imbasilism. Paralysis affects the
legs first. and often the entire body,
and sometimes results in sudden
death.
Here we have reviewed pellagra
in country where every condition
is favorable to the propagation Of the
disease and settle one fact. that is.
that diseased Indian corn plays no
Iart in the production Of pellagra
among the natives of the Philippine
islands. Rice was and is their chief
diet, while they had fruit. vegetables
and meats only occasionally. The de-
pravity, exposures TO rain and sun
light. irregularity in feeding and i'm
proper masticating. stuffing at times
when food was plentiful. together
with the dirty and filthy habits, the
living and sleeping in foul dingy
novels. has proven TO be sufficient to
produce the disease in absence of the
use of corn as food in any form or
condition. The substance of all that
mas been written, so far have
been able to collect after careful and
persistent research among the most
renowned dermatologists from the
present as far back as the earlies;
history of the disease. characterizes
it as a mafady belonging almost en-
tirely TO that class. forced by poverty
to life and habits that are conducive
to disease. among whom most all the
loathsome disease originates. Pella-
originate except among the poorest
classes in countries where corn was
known to be the chief food and
known to be of an inferior grade. as
are all other articles of food because
they Cost less. These facts have
caused us to overlook all associated
causes and we have been prone to
accept the conclusions Of others with.
out giving the subject any consider
able thought or investigation for our
selves. Since it is known that it
thrices elsewhere, stih among the
same poverty stricken classes, but
where corn is not used scarcely at
all, we are slow to hold on TO the
theory as it has been taught and so
widely accepted, that it originates
from diseased Indian corn exclusively.
That diseased ccrn may be or is a
factor in its production, along with
many other conditions and causes is
willingly accepted. Previous etioIogy
brings Indian corn and maze into ac-
count, but not one has claimed to
have established. as definite fact the
absolute origin of the disease. Il
was claimed by Roussel that the dis
ease originated only among poverty
stricken peasants, which was no
doubt true, as it, in our opinion. re-
quires the combined conditions OF
poverty to produce it. Habits and the
conditions of the slovals. and the con-
ditions of food. generally. and not
a single food but a specific class of
conditions CT food. all taken together
are required to produce pellagra-
That it is not contagious or heredi-
isry. il it be so admitted, is no proof
that it originates from any single
food product. and that II Is spread by
contact cannot be successfully contra