The Glasgow courier., 1915-12-03
PELLAGRA CURE FOUND.

periments of the public health serv-
ice, both the cause and the cure of
pellagra have been discovered, and
that the spread of this dread malady
which has been increasing in the Uni
ted States at a terrific rate during
the past few years, may now be
checked and eventually eradicated. AS
sistant Secretary Newton, in charge
of the public health service, expressed
great interest in the discovery and re-
CARDS it as one of the most import
ant achievements of medical science
in recent years.
Pellagra has been increasing alarm
ingly throughout the United States
during the last EIGHT years, and it is
estimated that Is G00 cases of the dis
ease will have occurred 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
only tuberculosis and pneumonia ex-
coed it as cause of death.
The final epoch-making expert
ment of the public health service was
carried out at the farm of the Missis-
sippi state penitentiary about eight
miles east of jackson, Mississippi, and
together with the previous work of
the service completes the chain in
the prevention and cure of the dis
ease. The work at the Mississippi
farm has been in charge of Surgeon
Joseph Goldberger and Assistant
Surgeon G. A. Wheeler of the Uni
ted States public health service. The
farm consists of 5000 acres in the CEN
ter of which is the convict camp. The
final experiment 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 carbohydrate
(cereaD diet. OF eleven convicts who
volunteered this experiment, six de-
veloped typical dermatitis and mild
nervous gastro-intestinal symptoms.
Experts, including DR.. E. H. Gallo
way, the secretary of the Mississippi
state board of health, DR.. Nolan Stew
art, formerly superintendent of the
Mississippi state hospital for the in
sane at Jackson, DR.. Marcus Hause,
professor of dermatology, Medical col
lege of the University Of Tennessee,
Memphis, Tennessee, and DR.. Martin
R. Engman, professor Of dermatology
in the Washington Medical school, St.
Louis, Missouri, declare that the dis
ease which was produced was true pei
lagra.
Prior to the commencement of these
experiments no history could be
found Of the occurrence of pellagra on
the penitentiary farm. On this farm
are rs or 80 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
through the experiment, and treat
ment should it be necessary. The diet
given was bountiful and more than
sufficient to sustain life. 1t differed
from that given the other convicts
merely in the absence of meats, milk,
eggs, beans, peas, and similar pro-
teid foods. In every other particular
the convicts selected for the expert
ment were treated exactly as were
the remaining convicts. They had the
same routine work and discipline, the
same periods of recreation and the
same water to drink Their quart
ers were better than those of the
other convicts. The diet given them
consisted of biscuits, fried mush, grits
and brown gravy, syrup, cornbread
cabbage, sweet potatoes, rice, collards
and coffee with sugar. All compo-
nents of the dietary were of the best
quality and were properly cooked. AS
preliminary, and to determine if the
convicts were afflicted with any other
disease, they were kept under obser.
walton from February to April 8
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 II, or about five
months after the beginning of the
restricted diet, that the skin symp
toms so characteristic of pellagra be
gan to develop. These symptoms are
considered as typical, every precautior
being taken to make sure that the!
were not caused by any other disease
The convicts upon whom the expert
ment was being made, as we'll a.