The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-11-17
PELLAGRA CURE
At LAST FOUND
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE DIS
COVERS CAUSE AND CURE
OF PELLAGRA.

a result OF cOntlnueQ research ana
experiments of the Public Health
Service, both the cause and the cure
of Dellagra have been discovered, and
that the spread of this dread malady,
which has been increasing in the Uni
ted States at terrific rate during
the past few years. may now be
checked and eventually eradicated.
Assistant Secretary Newton in charge
of the Public Health Service, express
ed great interest in the discovery and
regards it as one Of the most impor-
tant 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 $4,000 cases of the
disease will have occurred in the
United States in 1915, and of this
number at least 1900 will have died
before the end of the year. In many
sections only tuberculosis and pneu-
monia exceed it as a cause of death.
The final epoch-making experiment
, Of the Public Health Service, was car
ried 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 Assistant Surgeon G. A. Wheeler
of the United States Public Health
Service. The Farm consists of 5000
acres in the center of which is the
convict camp. The final experiment
was undertaken for the purpose of
testing the possibility of producing
pellagra in healthy human white
adult males by a restricted, one-sided
mainly, carbohydrate (cereal) diet.
Of eleven convicts who volunteered
for this experiment, six developed a
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
Stewart, formerly Superintendent of
the Mississippi State Hospital for the
Insane at Jackson, DR.. Marcus Hause,
Professor of Dermatology, Medical
College of the University of Tennes-
see,i Memphis, Tenn, and Dr.. Martin
R. Engman, Professor of Dermatolo-
gy in the Washington Medical School,
st. Louis, Mo-, declare that the dis
ease which was produced was true
pellagra.
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 convicits. Cover
nor Earl Brewer offered to pardon
twelve Of the convicts who would
volunteer for the experiment.; They
were assured that they would receive
proper care throughout the expert
nent, and treatment should it be
necessary. The diet given was boun-
tiful and more than sufficient to sus-
tain life. : It differed from that given
the other eonvicts merely in the abb
sence of meats, milk, eggs, beans,
peas and similar proteid foods. In
every other particular the convicts
selected for the experiment were
treated exactly as were the remaining
convicts. They had the same rou-
tine work and discipline, the same
periods of recreation and the same
water to drink. Their quarters were
better than those of the other con-
victs. The diet given them consist
ed of biscuits, fried mush, grits and
brown gravy, syrup, corn bread, cab
' bage, sweet potatoes. rice, collards
and coffee with sugar. All COM
ponents of the dietary were of the
best quality and were properly cooked
As a preliminary, and to determine
II the convicts were afflicted with
any ther disease, they were kept un-
der observation from February 4th
to April 9Th, two and a half months,
on which date the one sided diet was
begun.
Although the occurrence of ner-
vous symptoms and gastro-intestinal
disturbances was noted early, it was
not until September 18th, or about
five months after the beginning of
the restricted diet, that the skin
symptoms 80 characteristic of pella-
gra, began to develop. These symp-
toms are considered as typical, every
precaution being taken to make sure
that they were not caused by any
other disease. The convicts upon
whom the experiment was being
made, as well as twenty other con-
victs who were selected as controls,
were kept under continuous medical
surveillance. No cases of pellagra
developed in camp excepting among
those men who were on the restricted
diet The experimenters have there
fore drawn the conclusion that pella-
gra has been caused in at least six
of the eleven volunteers as result of
the one sided diet on which they SUBJ
sisted.
On the basis of this discovery, the
States of Mississippi, Louisiana and
Florida have laid their propaganda
through their respective boards of
health for the eradication OF the dis
ease.