Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-24
DIETARY TREATMENT
IS CURE FOR PELLAGRA
It's Complete Success Described in
Reports by Federal Public
Health Service.
ENDS YEAR OF EXPERIMENTING
elimination of Improper Dict Both
Prevents and Cures Discase-In-
crease in Use of Fresh Animals
and Ieguminous Foods Advised.

WASHINGTON, October 23-Com-
both in preventing and permanently
curing pellagra. is described in re-
ports made public recently from Fed
eral Public Health Service officers who
have spent the past year experimenting
with patients - Georgia and Missis-
sippi
More 'han, year $50 ;be service
anuouaCad that preliminary tests had
demonstrated that pellaEra vas caused
ny improper diet, and that elimination
Of this cause would cure the disease.
since then three experiment stations
have been established, two at Jack
son. Miss, and the other al The Georgia
state Sanatorium and in them a large
number OF pellagra victims have COM
pleted years treatment. All soon
were rid Of the disease. and the re-
ports show that In only ono case at
the end Of the year had there been
symptoms OF recurrence.
The hysienic and sanitary conditions
IN all three stations were kept un-
changed. III order TO prove beyond doubt
that any Improvement in the patients
was due 10 the diet.
In announcing the success OF .the
treatment; the Public Health Service
Teconr ends that the people in COM
munities where pellagra is prevalent
increase the diet OF fresh animals and
ieSumnous foods, particularly during
the late winter and spring, when the
disease is particularly dangerous and
likely 10 spread ownership Of mich
COWS. increase OF milk, poultry and egg
production for home consumption. and
II reduction in the diet OF Sta"chy foods
is especially urged.
PRESSURE FOR SACRIFICES
IN ANIMAL PROTEIN FOOD
The white American family" says the
review, the greater is the pressure
20" sacrifices in diet, particuiarly in
animal protein foods, since they are
The most expensive.
The economic status OF wage earn
particularly Of cotton-mill families is
lower than that Of waCc-earners' FAINT
lies ia other sections OF the country.
"BudRetayy studies OF Il large num-
her Of native white wage earners'
families, generally comparable as to
annual family income and SIZE, imdt-
cate tEat the proportion If protcins
in the diet of southern families is
consiGcra bly less, aud Of carbohydrates
AMI Of hydrocarbons considerably
greater than in the diet of Northern
families
Certain factories have tended TO in
tcnsify this condition in recent years,
particularly since the indus trial de-
preston began in the latter part OF
iae" While the supply OF better
balanced diet ~ Southern industrial
localities hes apparently not been i'm
proved materially, the economic status
OF waEc-earNcrs families, especially
10 ;Ac COTTON goods aud lumber indus
trics, has been lowered and retail
prices Of foods have greatly increased,
tH.s increase being more pronounced,
particularly since 1907. than in other
sections OF The country The increase
in retain food prices has been at least
90 PEI cent higher in protcius than in
carbohydrates OF in hydrocarbons.
The available data thus point TO a
.cs.eHed tuuucia! ability Of Southern
wsre-carucrs families To provide
properly balanced diet. as we'll as a
Gtc:c4s, IN the availability measured
hy "e;"N prices OF an animal protein
foOd supply for the wage working pop
ula,iun, particularly since about 1907
~ 1905