The Huttig news., 1915-11-20
CAUSE AND CURE FOR PflIAGRA
PusliC Heath Service Discovers it is Ceased
 by Insufficient PrGteid Diet.

Anr ouncement has been made at the Treasury Department at Washington. D. G.. that as a result of continusd research and experi- ments of the public health service. both the cause and the cure of pellagfa have been discovered, and that the spread of this dread mala- dy, which has been increasing in the United States at a terrific rate during the past few years, may now be checked and eventually eradieated. Assistant Secretary Newton, of the public health serV- l ice, expressed great interest in the discovery and regards it as one of the most important achievements of medical science in recent years.
 Pellagra has been increasing aIarmingly throughout the United States during the last eight years. and it is estimated that z5.OOO cases of the disease will have oe- cured in the United States in 1915. and of this number at least 500 will have died before the end of the year. In many sections on- Fly tuberculosis and pneumonia ex- ceed it as a cause of death.
 The final epoch-making experi- ment of the public health service was carried out at the farm of the Mississippi state penitentiarY about eight miles east of Jackson, Miss, and together with the previous work of the service completes the chain in the prevention and cure of the disease. The work at the ] Mississippi farm has been in charge of Surgeon Joseph Goldberger and l Assistant Surgeon C. A. Wheeler. of the United States Public Health l Service. The farm consists of ] 3,2OO acres in the center of which is the convict camp The final ex- pertinent was undertaken for the purpose of testing the possibility of producing pellagra in healthy hu- man white adult males by restrict ed, one-sided, mainly carbo-hy- drant (cereal) diet. Of eleven conviets who yolenteered for this experiment, six developed a typical dermatitis and mild nervous gastro- intestinal symptoms.
 Experts, including a number of prominent physicians. declare that the disease which was produced was true pellagra.
 Pror to the commencement of these experiments no history could be found of the occurrence of pei lagra on the penitentiarv farm. On this farm are z5 or 80 convicts. Governor Earl Brewer offered to pardon twelve of the convicts who would volunteer for the experi- ment. They were assured that they would receive proper care throughout the experiment. and treatment should it be necessary. The diet given was bountful and more than sufficient to sustain life. It differed from that given the oth- CT copvicts merely in the absence of meats milks. eggs, beans. peas and similar proteid foods. In every other particular the eonviets se- lected for the experiment were treated exactly as were the re- maining conviets. 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 consisted of biscuits, fried mush. grits and brown gravy. syrup. corn bread, cabbage, sweet potatoes, rice, collards and coffee with sugar. All components of the dietary were of the best quality and were prop erly cooked As a preliminary and to determine if the convicts were afflicted with any other disease. they were kept under observation from February 4 to April 3. two and half months, on which date the one sided diet was heoUn