Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-06-10

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custOmed to OBJ
E. V. McColum. serve experiment
tai animals, the
deficiencies Of whose diets were in
tensified in greater degree than would
ever be likely to arise in the expert
ence Of a human being even in war
time?
In reply to this we would call at
tentiOn to the experiences of the piO-
neers in certain sections Of the United
States. Living on the edge of the will
derness, struggling with poverty, they
often sold everything which was sal
able in order to buy needed livestock,
farming implements, and other neces-
saries. Their food was much more
simple even in summer than that of
the farmer of today and in winter
they regularly limited themselves to
very simple diet, the staple ingredi-
ents Of which were cornmeal and meat.
This led in the spring to the routine
practice of using tonics and blood puri-
tiers to relieve that tired feeling.
A little observation will show that
with improved living conditions, the
need of spring medicines has disap-
peared. We no longer feel worse in
spring than at other seasons. The ex-
PLANTATION is simple and evident. An
adequate restricted diet, even though
two or more articles fresh from the
hand of Nature were regular cOnStit-
uents, did not suffice to prevent fail
ure of health when persisted in for
three or four months.
Adequate Diet Checks Disease.
GOldberger of the public health serv-
ice in Washington has emphasized his
belief that pellagra, a disease which
is at present incapacitating thousands
in the south. is the result of made
quacy of the diet of the people during
the winter months. The great major
ity of all cases of the disease develop
in the spring or rather at the end of
winter during which the diets Of
many are practically limited to corn
bread, mOlasses and salt pork.
Extensive and heroic efforts of Dr.
GOldberger and his associates to in
feet themselves with the disease have
proven futile, and in Orphanages and
asylums where pellagra was formerly
a scOurge, 1t has all but disappeared
with an Improvement in the diets of
the inmates. He has furthermore pro-
duced the disease eXperimentally in
human beings. A group of convicts
n st0t of
sissippi volunteered on promise Of
pardon, to eat the diet which DR..
Goldberger prescribed. This con-
sisted of patent wheat flour, corn
meal, corn grits, corn starch, white
polished rice, standard granulated SUI
gar, cane syrup, sweet potatoes, pork
fat Cried out of salt pork, cabbage,
collards, turnip green's and coffee.
On this diet there was loss Of weight
and strength, and mild nervous symp-
toms. GaStrO-inteStinal symptoms
were slight. After five months the typ
zeal skin manifestations appeared in
six of the II volunteers. Protein and
the vitamine, fat soluble A, were de
fcient. Variety, calOries Of energy and
protein are not the only things to be
considered in the planning of the diet,
and it behOOveS those upon whom
rests the responsibility for planning
the dietaries of themselves and 9th
erS, to take heed of what specific
knowledge is now available in order
to safeguard against the dangers of
malnutrition.
The first experimental proof of the
existence of the unknown dietary es-
sential, fat-SolubIe A, came through
studies conducted with butterfat and
with egg fats. We were unable to
find the peculiar grOwth-promOting
properties in any of the plant oils and
observed that the content Of the I'M
known A in the body fats Of animals
and in the wheat, Oat and corn kerr
nels, was very small as compared with
the content in butterfat and egg fats.
Butter substitutes require the addi-
ton to the diet Of milk and eggs-be-
sides the liberal use of fresh vegeta-
bles such as cabbage, lettuce and
green's Whole grain must be used to
take the place of the by-products lack
ing the germ (white f1our). The
leaves Of plants are sufficiently rich
in the fat-soluble A to make it posi-
BILE to arrange dietaries without either
butter, eggs, or milk, which could in
duce adequate nutrition. This is not
an easy task with foods which are &C
ceptable to the human palate, for we
do not eat leaves in the dry state.
Wisconsin's Corn Crop