The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-08-11
NO FAMINE OR
PLAGUE IN SOUTH
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS HOLD
CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON.
Worse in Some States
Need For Educational Methods to
Combat Spread-No Worse Than
in Former Years.

valence Of pellagra in the south
cropped out Friday among health
officials of IL southern states at the
closing session of their two-day con-
ferences here with Surgeon General
Cumming, of the Public Health Ser
vice.
Half of the state officers, in
adopting a report of conditions
contended clause should be includ-
ed that the situation was in no way
more serious than during the last sew
eral years. Others, among them Drs.
Ohm West, of Tennessee, and G. W.
Garrison, of Arkansas, held, however,
that, while there was no cause for
alarm, pellagra was more prevalent
than in the past, and succeeded in
having the statement they objected to
eliminated.
Those who secuted the conten-
tion that the situation was more
serious than in former years included
Drs. w. S. Leathers, Of Mississippi;
"A. C. Mccormack, of Kentucky;
James A. Hayne, of South Carolina,
and C. W. Welch, of Alabama.
All the state commissioners, how
ever, were agreed that there was no
condition approaching famine or
plague in the south" The Health
Service was criticised for spreading
"erroneous and misleading reports"
Another clause that there is no
occasion for extending charitable
measures for the relief of the con-
ditions so far as any state is con-
cerned where pellagra is prevalent"
also was stricken out. DR.. w. S.
Rankin, health officer of North Caro-
lima, contended that it would be re-
flection on the south to make any
reference to the possibility of charit-
able relief.
The report emphasized the necessi-
ty Of affording federal, state and local
health agencies sufficient funds to
cope with health conditions generally.
AS adopted, the text of the report
was as follows:
estate health officers of the south
ern states, in conference at the re-
quest of the surgeon general of the
United States Public Health Service,
deplore the fact than an impression
had been created that famine condi-
tions exist in the south, and as a re-
suit that pellagra has increased to
an alarming extent.
sAfter making an investigation and
using all information available, we
do not believe the situation warrants
or should occasion any undue alarm.
The indications are that there will be
an increase in pellagra this year in
localities in certain states where the
disease has been epidemic, but data
in hand shows in an unmistakable
way that the number of cases and
deaths from pellagra during 1921 will
still be less than the annual everage
during the period of 1914 to 1921.
I'm other words, it is fully SUBJ
stantiated by facts in hand that pella-
gra has steadily decreased in the
southern states during previous years.
In drawing conclusions relative to
the actual control of any disease COM
parative statistics are valueless un-
less an analysis is made for period
of years, not less than five, and pref
erably ten.
"There is no condition approaching
a famine or plague in the south. 1t is
obvious that this is a clear case OF
misinterpretation of terms, an incor-
rect analysis, and as result state
ments have been made that are er-
roneous and misleading to the public.
eve realize that pellagra, requires
scientific and aggressive considera-
tion and that the solution of the pei
Iagra problem depends upon sane
educational methods. The whole ques-
ton is one that should be approached
as a public health problem and dealt
with by we'll defined plan.
There can be no doubt but that
there will be an increase in the pre-
valence of tuberculosis, pellagra and
other diseases during the next few
few years as result of the economic
depression throughout the entire
country unless federal, state and local
health departments are given ade-
uuate financial support and co-opera-
tion in directing intensive public
public health education and in the es-
tablishment and maintenance of local