The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-09-26
Congress VIII Be Asked For
sso.e00 Appropriated
STATION Be LOCATED HERE
Dispatch Sent Gu, From Washington
Sets Forth Rapid Spread Of
Terrible Disease and the Method
OF Cure viii BE Given Attention
Of Medical Authorities.

The account of the large number
OF pellagra cases in Durham publish
ed In the Sun and the agitation o
the necessity for an investigation hal
reached the authorities at Washing
ton. There is now likelihood o.
the establishment OF a station II
Durham BY the public health ant
marine hospital corps for the investi
cation Of the sources OF the disease
Al the next session OF congress al
appropriation OF s50.000 will b.
asked for the purpose OF conducting
an investigation OF the disease in th.
south. For some time. the local ply
sicians and members OF the board oI
health have been planning to have
an investigation Of the disease IN
Durham by the federal governmnel
or otherwise by experts Nothing
has been said OF the plans for the
reason that they were not fully ma
turei. and the physicians desiped C
get down 70 something definite be,
fore making any public announce
ment The matter has now beer
taken up al Washington, as Is sci
forth by tho following dispatch
which has been sent out:
Recently Il was published in the
state papers that there we're 200
cases of pellagra in the city OF Dur.
hame. y. G., and no one has denied
the charge Durham, the home oi
the great tobacco kings OF the world
has about $4,000 people. Two hun
dred ~ them have peIlagra. n the
reports are true. That amount ai-
most 10 a scourge.
II Is said here that the medical as
sociation OF Durham and some OF the
county and city authorities will ash
the government TO investigate the
situation In that locality.
Pellagfa Is spreading al an alarm.
ing rate. II reaches the high and
the low. the rich and the poor. the
saint and the sinner alike.
Durham Is said 10 be one of the
worst peliagra spots In this country
Experts who have taken mp the study
of the disease are eager to know Just
what causes the prevalence there.
Increasing Rapidly.
Gaining hcadway against a feeble
and disorganized fight by the medi.
cal fraternity and the public health
service, pcllagra Is increasing an
nnally more than 100 per cent
There are more than 10000 eases in
eleven southern states alone this
summer. NJ opposed 70 about 1000
IN thirteen states two years ago
Believing that the disease with rs
rapid spread has long since passed
Tho point where II became a serious
menace TO public health. the public
health aud marine hospital service
which has been Offering the only
concerted study ~ aud fight against
the disease. Will ash an appropria.
tiou of thn.1nO Al the next session o'
congress. 60 be used IN lighting this
maiady.
The annual report Of Surgeon Gen.
eral Wymann. ~ the public health
and marine hospital service, which
viii be sent ~ the printer shortly
will present the situation in such q
iigh, as 10 call for serious considcra.
ton ~ present any money cxpcnd.
81 in lighting the disease must BE-
drawn from the appropriation foi
the service contained N the sundry
civil bill The HANDS Of the service
therefore. are tied. aud rs the medi.
cal literature of the country contains
practically nothing about pcllaEra
which was discovered IN this country
only as far back AZ 1905, the country
ii left helpless BY the helplcssnis,
of the service. The service has al
feady given over one hospital and
the services of two officials entirely
to the observation and care oi
pcllaera cases. The hospital at Sa
yannah. Ga. Is given over entirely
10 the caro- OF pellagra cases. IN
charge of Dr. q. ". Lavinder. whlls
Dr. " ~ Grimm spends all his tim,
in the ncld investigating and recon
mendinE passing on applicants fol
admission 10 the hospital. In addi
tion the service has sent out from
time 10 time such literature rs II hai
been able 10 collect data for ans
prepare. These few bulletins of n,
service are practically all the IN
formation the medical profession Il
this country has 10 rely upon.
small Village Has 200 Cases.
The eleven southern states wher,
the ravages II the disease are acrcesl
and where there are approximatei,
fo.s00 new cases this year are vir
eInia. North Carolina. Florida. Ala
bama. Missippi. Tennessee. Louis
lana. Texas and Kentucky. II Ia re
ported that In one North CaroiIns
village where there are less thar
s.OOO inhabitants. zoo cases o
pcliarra have sprung up this sum