El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-28

yellow or yellowish-gree color,
thlckens, and breaks in painful
cracks. Such phenomena are accom-
panied by digestive disturbances,
headache, and lassitude. But it is the
nervous system that suffers most Sc
riOusly. The intelligence is often af-
fected early in the progress of the
malady, one Characteristic of which is
a profound depression. Pellagrous
children wear serious faces and look
old. Sometimes the gait becomes
paralytic and there may be seizures
resembling epilepsy. Eventually, in a
itY sUpervenes, commonly of the mel
ancholic type.
MaIady is Filling AsyIums.
This, in fact, is one of the most
serious aspects Of the 'pellagra' prob
lem. The disease is filling our in
sane asylums. One can hardly find
an insane asylum anywhere in this
country today that has not its 'Della-
grins' In many instances they suf-
fer from acute spells of mania, with
an impulse to kill themselves or
others. There is no such thing as re-
coverv where the malady has prog
ressed beyond the very early stages,
and even in a cured case the mental
ity, if impaired, is not reSained.
1.-THE children Of 'pellaSrinS' come
into the world not only inferior ply
sically, but too often mentally def
cient : If this disease is allowed to
viii fail upon the race, and not mere
Il upon individuals. Not only bodily
deterioration and economic loss must
hut intellectual feebleness. Scattered
ali through the population of the
country will be large numbers Of
balf-witted persons
Research Work at Savannah
TN the hospital Of the Public
Health Service at savannah, an ex-
haustive series of experiments is be-
ing conducted under the direction of
surgeon c. Fl. Lavinder, for the pur-
pose of finding out the cause Of pei
lagra' and the mode by winch the IN
lection is transmitted. Sufferers
from the disease, while under treat
lnent, are made subjects of study.
Their blood is examined from time
to time; utmost care IS taken IN the
arrangement of their diet, and the in
QUiry is even carried so far as to de-
termine what portions of their food,
if any, are not satisfactorily assim-
Hated.
Tn connection with this clinical
work, experiments are being made
with monkeys, to find out whether
'pellagra' can be communicated to
them by incubation or by other
means. The animals are kept in a
hot house wherein the air is main
tanned at a temperature correspond
ing to that of the springtime of the
Vear-this being the season when the
characteristic eruption breaks out and
becomes most severe.
Sprfngtime Starts Eruption.
There seems to be some relation
between sunshine and the eruption.
The latter appears in spring, as if
brought out by the rays of the sun.
In the autumn it gradually disappears
and during the winter it may van
ish entirely The fact that it is only
a false recovery, however, becomes
manifest when next spring arrives
and the trouble again breaks out
"One of the oldest things about
'pellagra' is that it may run its whole
course and bring death to the suf-
ferer within a few days or weeks, or,
on the other hand it may proceed
for 20 years or more without much
apparent change in the condition of
the patient Chronic cases appear to
be incurable. Some mild ones get
well. The only treatment that has
proved at all successful up to the
present time consists in giving the