The Prescott daily news., 1915-11-15
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
 DISCOVERS CAUSE AND
 CURE OF PELLAGRA
Pellagra Caused by Insufficient Pro-
 teid Diet


 Treasury Department today that as a result of continued research and eX- periments of the Public Health Ser vice, both the cause and the cure of pellagra have been discovered, and that the spread of this dread malady which during the past few years, may now be checked and eventually era dicated. Assistant Secretary Newton in charge of the Public Health Service expressed great interest in the discov- cry and regards it as one of the most important achievements of medical science in recent years.
 Pellagra has been increasing alarm ingly throughout the United States during the laot eight years, and it is estimated that 75,000 cases of the dis ease will have occurred in the United States in 1915, and of this number at least 75O0 will have died before the end of the year. In many sections only tuberculosis and pneumonia exceed it as cause of death.
 The final epoch-making experiment ried out at the farm of the Mississ- ippi State Penitentiary about eight miles east of Jackson, Miss, and to- gether with the previous work of the Service completes the chain in the pre- vention and cure of the disease. The work at the Mississippi Farm has been in charge of Surgeon Joseph Goldberger and Assistant Surgeon G.. A. Wheeler of the United States Pub lie Health Service. The Farm con- sists of 3200 acres in the center of which is the convict camp. The final experiment was undertaken for the purpose of testing the possibility of producing pellagra in healthy white adult males by restricted, one-sided, mainly carbohydrate (cereaD diet. Of eleven convicts who volunteered fo this experiment, six developed typi- cal dermatitis and mild nervous gas tro-intestinal symptoms.
 Experts, including Dr. K. H. Gallo way, the Secretary of the Mississippi State Board of Health, Dr. Nolan Stewart, formerly Superintendent of the Mississippi State Hospital for the Insane at Jackson, Dr. Marcus Hause, Professor of Dermatology, Medical College of the University of Tennes- see, Memphis, Tenn, and Dr. Martin k. Engman, Professor of Dermatology in the Washington Medical School, St. Louis, Mo-, declare that the disease which was produced was true pellagra.
 Prior to the commencement of these experiments no history could be found of the occurrence Of pellagra on the penitentiary farm. Oh this farm are 75 or so convicts. Governor Earl Brewer offered to pardon twelve of the convicts who would volunteer for the experiment. They were assured that they would receive proper care throughout the experiment, and treat ment should it be necessary. The diet given was bountiful and more than sufficient to sustain life. It differed from that given the other convicts merely in the absence of meats, milk. eggs, beans, peas, and similar proteid foods. In every other particular the convicts selected for the experiment were treated exactly as were the re- maining convicts They had the same routine work and discipline, the same periods of recreation and the same water to drink. Their quarters were better than those of the other convicts The diet given them consisted of bis cults, fried mush, grits and brown gravy, syrup, cornbread, cabbage, sweet potatoes, rice, collards and cof- fee with sugar. All components of the dietary were of the best quality and were properly cooked. As a pre- liminary, and to determine if the con- victs were afflicted with any other dis ease, they were kept under observation from February 4th to April 9th, two and a half months, on which date the one sided diet was begun.
 Although the occurrence of nervous symptoms and gastro-intestinal dis turbances was noted early, it was not until September 18th, or about five months after the beginning of the res tricted diet, that the skin symptoms so characteristic of pellagra began to develop. These symptoms are con