Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-07-29
THE PELLAGRA EPIDEMIC REPORTS

THE PELLAGRA EPIDEMIC REPORTS -
Southerners generally interested in the re-
ports that have been sent broadcast to the effect
that the South is facing semi famine and that
an epidemic OF pellagra is imminent as result
OF underfeeding during the last few months since
the cotton market collapsed. AS result of these
reports which were first given official sanction
by the United States Public Health Service the
Red Cross, the Rockefeller Foundation. and other
phlanthropic agencies are preparing to come to
the rescue" of the Starving South"
lommyrot, pish posh, piffle and bunk" you
exclaim as you hear the wild stories that some
folks believe about the Souths condition. OF
course 1t is not SO in general way Still, it may
be true IN some cases, in some remote communi-
ties, on some little "half horse" farms, among
some classes of farmers, especially the least en-
hghtened negro tenant farmer. Where there is
smoke there may be some fire and the federal
health service would not fabricate such report
entirely on its own imagination. ~
AS far as the South as whole especially
Georgia as whole, is concerned, the alleged
semi famine and pellagra epidemic are entirely
mythical
The average Southern farmer, especially the av-
erage Georgia farmer, raises something to eat
besides hog and hominey" and is not in danger
of being underfed from any necessity However,
this problem of undertaking is not one that in
wolves wealth poverty, prosperity or hard
times. The public health departments of a great
many cities have made thorough Investigations
of health conditions among the school children
of cities North, East South and West and have
found surprising amount of manutrition pre-
i4tl,,
found to be "semi-starved"-not "half-starved"
iron lack of sufficient quantity-but semi starved
thr ugh lack of sufficient variety or because of
pch did not supply all the bodily needs
l. Hell-to-do have suffered that sort of thing
as much as the poor
Pellagra is not very well understood disease
but it is generally attributed to malnutrition. to
improper or insufficient food. Improper diet is
usually thought to be the cause by some med-
cal men who have studied it. simple diet Of
corn bread and side meat no matter how much
corn read and side meat nor how we'll cooked it
may be, is not enough to preserve health The
body requires protens, fats carbohydrates and
Vitamlnes for health The corn bread and side
meat diet does not provide the necessary vita
mines and is lacking in mineral ingredients
which are necessary to health Fresh vegetables
and fruits are as necessary to healthful diet as
meat and bread. Without them one may be
semi-starved" and suffer malnutrition although
he eats three times day until he is so full he
can hardly breathe.
In the days when every available square foot
OF arabic land was devoted to cotton by nearly
every Southern farmer, and little attention was
paid to food crops it might have been possible
Tor financial panic, or "defaton period" tc
have caused condition of semi starvation to b,
general among Southern tenant farmers Now
adays it is entirely Impossible for the simple fac
OF hard times" to endanger the health of oui
farming people to make them susceptible t.
epidemic OF pellagra.
However if the announcements of the publ,
health service even have the glimmering or pos
slble truth n them, it would be the wise thing
TOR Southern legislatures and Southern Chamber
of commerce, and all other institutions and or
CARNATIONS interested in public welfare to begir
educational campaigns simultaneously with the
resolutions condemning the public health service
They should reach the men and women who dc
not understand that "all food is not nourishment'
and should advocate the raising of more foot
crops, especially fruits and vegetables
1t is really not good sense to say that hare
times or cotton price collapse could affect the
Southern farm larder
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