The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-07-20

4
pellagra is on a fearful increase in the
State of Mississippi, wherefore il has
prepared a special article for the press
giving all the data at command, anC
showing cOnclGsively that the dread
disease is one to be reckoned with
This article is by Dr. E. H. Galloway
| secretary of the state board of health
and is as follows:
For the year 1914 ther were 10,954
cases of pellagra reported to the State
Board of Health through the county
health officers, as compared with 6,991
for the preceding year. This shows
more of an increase than probably &C
tually existed, but without fear of con-
tradiction, it can be said that pellagra
is increasing at an alarming rate. The
basis for this assertion is based on the
increase for the year 1914 in the num-
Der of deaths from this cause. as COM
pared with that for the year 1913.
With practically the same number of
deaths from all causes reported for
the past two years, the number of
deaths reported from pellagra for the
year 1914 was 1892, as compared with
795 for the year 1913.
"The death rate for 1914 was 62.7
per hundred thousand population, as
compared with a rate of APT for 1913.
This means that the death rate for
1914 increased over AZ per cent over
that for the year 1913.
''Pellagra is one, if not the most i'm
pOrtant disease with which we are con-
fronted at this time, and it deserves
more attention than it has received to
date. During the year 1914 in the
number of deaths it was third, being
only exceeded by tuberculosis and
pneumonia. Pellagra caused more
deaths during this year than typhoid
fever, smallpox, measles, scarlet few
er, influenza, epidemic cerebro-spinal
and acute poliomyelitis
combined. Pellagra affects both
whites and negroes; for the year 1914
the white rate was 3O.S, and the negro
rate nearly three times AS large, Being
81 per hundred thousand population.
"The mortality from pellagra, based
on the number of cases reported for
all deaths, was 1919 per cent; white
Ga per cent and negro 1874
per cent. On this basis, the negro
is more than twice that of
the white
"Pellagra is not confined to any par
ticular section of the state. as it was
from every county in the
state, and every county had deaths
from pellagra for the year 1914, with
he exception of Hancock, Pearl River
and Winston. The greatest number
Of deaths from this cause was report
I'd from counties having hospitals;
Kinds led with 10 deaths, Lauderdale |
Il, Adams So. The other counties hav-
ng more than 80 deaths were as fol- |
ows Sunflower SO, Coahoma &c, War
EN- 43, Bolivar 49, Lowndes and Pa
lola 81 each, Forrest and Washington |
q each and Copiah 80.
"a great many Investigations of |
his disease have been made in this |
country and Europe. A little over a |
rear ago DR.. Joseph Goldberger, sur
,eon of the United States Public |
Health Service, was placed in charge |
If corps of men for the purpose of |
Investigating the cause of pellagra,
md it is the opinion of DR.. Goldberger |
hat pellagra is due to a one-sided or
diet, which is deficient in |
he proteid elements. 1t was reported |
n the weekly publication of the Health |
reports of the United States Public
Health Service that this was not only
he cause, but that by supplying the
'roteid elements that pellagra could
'e cured.
1T has been reasonably we'll estab-
ished that pellagra is not communi-
able disease and that beneficial re-
ultss have been obtained in institu-
ions and private practice by follow
ne the idea-o Doctor Goldberger that
ellagra is due to a deficiency of the /
roteid elements, by feeding pellagrins
n diet composed of lean meat. milk.
ggs and beans.
Without any other successful line
I treatment for pellagra, it is the Il
uty of every physician to follow the Il
uggestion of Doctor Goldberger in the
reatment of pellagra. So far there
ave been no drugs that have pro- |
uced cures for this disease. there. II