New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-04
South Asks MCAdOO and
Congress for Money to
Fight Disease.
$4,000 CASES REPORTED
IN UNITED STATES
Malady Has Made Appearance in
FOrty.fOur StateS-Insanity
It's Companion.

iTrcm The Tribune uroau.1
Washington. Jan 3.--Tho alarming in
crease of pellagra throughout the United
states has brought to secretary McAdoo
and members of Congress many appeals
FOR sum sufficient to enable the Public
Health Department to make a special
study Of the disease and II possible dis
cover its causes and check IT'S rapid
spread
II Is urged :hat Congress be asked for
the immediate appropriation Of a sum
sufficient to rent hospital building in
one of the Southern states where the
disease is most prevalent and there es-
tablish Laboratories and place a limited
number of patients under the care OF
specialists who will he able 10 study the
disease in all its phases.
In the last few years there have been
developed more chan $1,000 cases in the
United States. and statistics OF the public
health service show that it is increasing
rapidly. I'm one county Of South Carolina
there are now more than 80 cases. and I'm
many sections OF the South the ravages
OF the disease are becoming matter Of
public alarm.
The disease always develops most rap
idly with the coming of warm weather
in the spring. and 80 great is the con-
Germ of the people n the South that they
have appealed to Secretary McAdoo TO
take such steps as may be necessary 10
enable the Puzzle Health Department to
use its best equipment 10 stamp il out.
While for several years II was supposed
to be confined To a comparatively limited
area i'm the South. it has recently come
to light that the disease has made its
appearance in forty-four states of the
Union and i'm each locality it has thus
far defed the skill of the physicians.
lu some of its phases tho disease re-
sembles leprosy, and in some respects il
is even more to bc dreaded than leprosy
because pellagra frequently affects the
mental organism and leaves its victims
insane. There are localities i'm the South
where the disease has not only filled the
local hospitals. hut is taxing the capacity
OF the hospitals for the insane
There has been q popular notion that
il is caused 10y corn diet. but physicians
are not yet ready to adopt that theory.
one Of the chief purposes i'm establishing
the special hospital is TO develop re-
search i'm that direction. It is also I'M
known whether or not the disease is
communicable and by what means it is
transferred. il at all.
The most characteristic symptom OF the
disease is an acute rash on the hands
and parts Of the BODY. This manifesto
ton is said oftentimes to resemble 4
scald or severe sunburn. Soon after this
appears. i'm severe cases, the patient he
comes seriously il and many times death
or insanity quickly follows. Sometimes
the attacks recUr with increased violence.
While probably existent in parts of the
United States for "A great many years,
pcllaera was an unknown and ncgligi-
bile quantity I'M this country until the
years 1906 a. Appearing then and rccog-
uizcd to some extent I'm the state Of
Alabama. il has since steadily increased
in the number OF it's victims and the
territory involved until il has become q
national problem.
Tho experience Of certain European
countries. notably Italy. Rumauia and
Austria. with regard to this disease
teaches America what to expect. Wher-
ever introduced pcllagra becomes en-
demic and slowly spreads until it involves
large areas of country and thousands Of
persons All governments with expert
cnce unite i'm regarding it as a national
calamity, both from the financial and
public health standpointS