The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-09

| IAN al NY, dituOuSH pSiidSid has
been very common for generations
in certain portions of Italy.
Since the first announcement by
DR.. Goldberger the public service
and private agencies have added a
vast amount of evidence corrobora-
tive of this theory and, while we
have doubtless much to learn of
certain aspects of the pellagra sit
uation, yet we are for the first time
in possession of knowledge suffi-
GENTLY we'll proven to afford us
rational methods for prevention
and cure . 1t is another example of
! the remarkable strides which public
| health work has made in the past
| decade. Few diseases have so long
| withstood research and investiga-
tion as the pellagra without the dis
| covery of treatment even in the alb
sence of accurate knowledge of
causatiOn.
Changes in Diet.
"Practically the whole medical
armomentarium has been directed at
this disease, but it is probably safe
to state at the present time that no
drug or combination of drugs has
any definite effect in the treatment
of pellagra, where depended upon to
the exclusion of needed changes in
diet. 1t is not unlikely that it will
be found that the diet alone, how
ever Unbalanced, will not cause the
occurrence of pellagra, but that
other conditions, such as climate,
race, depicting influences and in
herited tendencies must bear a por-
ton of the indictment.
In this connection. it is prob
able that hookworm disease, in it's
effect upon the individual and the
race. has rather close connection
with the existence of pellagra It
is noteworthy, at least, that pellegra
is prevalent, for the most part, in
those sections where hookworm dis
! ease is known to exist, certain por-
lions of southern Europe as Spain,
Italy, the Austrian Tyrol, Egypt,
certain portions of the Orient, and
in this country, the southeastern
states.
Accepting the dietary origin of
the disease it is reasonable to sup
! pose that a malady, affecting as
profoundly as does hookworm dis
ease the nutrition and physical de-
velopment of those infected should
predispose to the development of
pellagra and the Importance of
/ treating for hookworms, where these
exist has been pointed out in the
consideration of pelagra. It is al
so possible that the actual presence
of hookworm Is not necessary but
that the congenial weakness or
stigma attaching to generations of
this disease has of itself an import
ant bearing in the development of
pellagra under suitable conditions of
diet.
Is Increasing Rapidly.
There is much more that might
be said about this disease, but for
the present needs it is sufficient for
us to realize that it is increasing
rapidly in this and other Southern
communities and that definite meas
ures should be instituted for its
control part of this increase is,
doubtless. only apparent due to our
greater familiarity with its mani
festations and hence to more accur-
ate diagnoses, but there can be nc
doubt but that thedisease itself has
markedly increased during the last
year or so. Reports from other
Southern states and from different
sections of Florida all confirm this
statement. In jacksonville. we have
had, for the past four years, an
average of fourteen deaths recorded
from pellagra. During the present
year we have had up to this writ
ing thirty-two deaths.
THE histories of these fatal
cases, as well as of many others re-
ported as under treatment. SUBJ
stantiate, as to their probable orr
gin, the dietary theory advanced by
DR.. Goldberger. A dairy bill OF
fare, typical of our local cases
would read as follows: Cornbread
(rarely wheat bread, white bacon
(sow BELLY, green vegetables, syrup
and, all too infrequently, fish OF
stewed meat. 1t is needless to say
that pellaera is. for the most part
confined to the poorer classes. As
has already been pointed out. diet
which may quite readily produce
pellagra may not mean hunger OF
starvation, but rather that certain
elements necessary to our physical
well-being are absent. 1t is note.
worthy that these foods in most
common form are the more expen.
sive ones and 1t is, therefore, rea.
sonable to expect an increase in the
prevalence of pellagra in conse
quenoe of the financial depression