The New York herald., 1921-07-27
OFFICIALS CONSIDER
PELLAGRA MENACE
Surgeon General and Red Cross
Confer on General Situa-
ton in South.

WASHINGTON, July 26.-Quick response
was made to-day 10 President Harding's
call on the Public Health Service and the
Red Cross to meet the reported threat OF
a pellagra epidemic in large section OF
the cotton belt.
Officials OF the two agencies got I'M
mediately to work In an endeavor TO
carry out the Presidents request and
late in the day held joint conference.
Officials of eight Southern states maze
their response in the form OF protest
that no such serious situation as mas
Eeen pictured exists.
Surgeon Gen. Cumming and DR.. Joseph
Goldberger. pellagra expert of the Public
Health Service, met in conference with
Dr.. Livingston Farrand, chairman, and
other Red Cross officials. The session
was quite lengthy and no information
as to conclusions reached was disclosed.
DR.. Cumming stated that he would make
a report tomorrow to the President.
The response from the South was
widespread and varied. The Georgia
Senate passed resolution denouncing
the report of pellagra epidemic as
"damning." The secretary or the state
Board Of Health declared the disease
showed no increase and the Macon Cnam-
Der Of Commerce telegrapned Protest
to the White House.
FIorida's State health officer con-
tended his State showed a decrease.
The State Board of Health Of Alabama
also claimed a decrease. The Tennessee
Health Board reported nothing un-
usual" South Carolina admitted an in
crease. but no "semi-famine," and con-
tended there was nothing alarming.
Arkansas reported nothing alarming
and Louisiana reported a decrease.
Mississippi acknowledged twice as many
cases this year as last, but disclaimed
an epidemic or a "semi-famine."
In all cases the State health officials
took vigorous issue with the reports OF
the Public Health Service. which has
publicly estimated that. due to impov-
erished diet forced upon them by de-
preston OF the cotton market, at least
100 900 persons in the Southern cotton
belt would have pellagra and that ten
per cent. of them would die. DR.. Cum
ming said tonight however. that the
Public Health Service would stand by Its
figures.
Acting upon letter from Senator
Dial of South Carolina, who called to
his attention published reports OF the
Public Health Service announcement.
President Harding wrote Surgeon-Gen-
eral Cumming and Dr. Livingston Far
rand, chairman of the central COM
mittee of the Red Cross, urging them
to take appropriate steps to meet the
situation described to him as being
fraught with "semi-famine" and threat
OF an epidemic Of a ravaging disease.
No sooner had the Presidents letters
been published than protests and de-
malls began to pour down. Public Health
Service officials pointed out that their
reports only gave warning that unless
something were done to remedy par
ticular kind of semi-starvatlon" now
said to prevailing. many deaths from
pellagra would follow.
After setting out that the depression
of the cotton market and conditions
generally have reduced thousands of
persons to limited diet which produces
pellagra. the Public Health Service re-
port said:
"It takes about five months Of this
particular kind OF semi-starvation be-
fore pellaEra begins to manifest itself,
but after that it does so with appalling
rapidity. The second stage Is now well
under way"