Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-11-16
CAUSE AND CURE
FOR PELLAGRA
Report Issued by Public Health
serviee-caused BY Insult.
fieient Food.


both the cause and the cure OF pei.
lagra have been discovered. and that
the spread OF this dread malady.
which has been increasing In the
United States at terrific rate dur.
ing the past few years. may now be
checked and eventually eradicated.
Assistant Secretary Newton. In
charge OF the Public Health Service.
expressed great interest In the dis
covery and regards Il as one OF the
most important achievements OF medi-
cal science In recent years.
Pellagra has been increasing alarm
ingly throughout the United states
during the last eight years, and II 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 II 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 restricted. one-sided.
mainly carbohydrate (cereaD diet.
OF eleven convicts who volunteered
for this experiment. six developed a
typical dematitis and mild nervous
gastro.intestinal symptoms.
Experts. including DIR. f. II. 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: Or. Marcus Hause'
professor OF dermatology. medical
college Of the University Of Tennes'
see. Memphis. Tenn. and DR.. Martin
r. Engman. professor OF dermatolosy
in the washington Medical School. st.
Louis. Mo. declare that the disease
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
pen!tent'ary farm. On this farm are
seventy.fve or eighty convicts Gov
ernor Earl Brewer offered to pardon
twelve OF the convicts who would vol
unteer for the experiment they
were assured that they would receive
proper care throughout the expert
ment. and treatment should u De
necessary. The diet given was boun'
tiful and more than sufficient TO sus'
tain life. II differed from that given
the other convicts merely In the ao'
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 routine
work and discipline. the same periods
OF recreation and the sane water to
drink. Their quarters we're better
than those Of the other convicts. The
diet given them consisted OF biscuits
fried mush. grits and brown gravy.
syrup. corn bread. cabbage. sweet po'
tatoes. rice. collards and coffee with
sugar. All components Of the dietary
we're OF the best quality and we're
properly cooked. As preliminary
and to determine II the convicts were
afflicted with any other disease. they
we're kept under observation from
February 4 to April 2. two and a half
months. on which date the one-sided
diet was begun.
Although the occurrence OF nervous
symptoms and gastrointditinal dis
turbances we're noted early. II was
not until September 70. or about>fve
months after the beginning OF the re-
stricted diet. that the skin symptoms
so characteristic Of pellagra began to
develop. These symptoms are con
sidered as typical. every precaution
being taken to make sure that they
we're not caused by any other disease.
The convicts upon whom the expert
ments we're being made. as well as
twenty other conyicts who we're Sc
lected 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 expert