The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-08-17
WASHINGTON INSISTS
A FOOD SHORTAGE
Health Service Claims Pei.
Iagra Increase
EARLY REPORTS
FULLY CONFIRMED
Failure to Diversity Crops Given by
Health Service rs Cause OF Increase
In Pcllagra. Charges no Reliable
Statistics by State Officers.

III clhSfu. SnurgCS no Reliable
Statistics by State Officers.
washington, Aug. 15.-Food short
age in the southern states has assum-
ed the proportions Of a famine only in
a scientific, restricted sense" but un-
doubtedly has been accompanied by
an increase in pellagra, the public
health service reported to President
Harding today as a result of the spe-
cial investigation undertaken at his
request.
me findings Of the public health
oflcials, the report said were based
largely on incomplete statistics sub
mitted by southern state health com
missioners at recent conference
here. In a letter to the President
Surgeon General Cumming declared
that despite the criticism OF some
southern officials regarding the ad-
ministration's course the information
collected fully confirms, in my opin-
ion, the position Of the public health
service with respect to the increase of
pellagra in various parts Of the
south"
Detailed figures were not made pub
lie, but memorandum Of supplement
tai information accompanying the sur
geon generals letter was summarized
as follows tonight, in statement is
sued at the White House,
Information indicates definite
increase of pellagra this year in Ala
bama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma
Texas and probably North and South
Carolina. Some evidence also indi-
Gates an increase in Georgia. In Ken
lucky and Virginia testimoy points to
a decrease. Conservative estimates
indicate five thousand deaths and one
hundred thousand cases of pcllagra in
the country in 1921"
Failure to diversity crops is blamed
by the surgeon general for the food
situation throughout the south,
mlhich he advised the President vas
acute in some localities when consid-
cred from the standjoint OF ply
'ioiotoIH'iiy NoihDiSlS uiSl SUN lS lS
required to prevent pellagra.
1T quickly became mpparentP
Surgeon General Cumming said, that
the interest OF the assembled health
officers conferred principally about
two points: THE bases for holding
that there existed an increased pre-
valence or pcllagra; 2-The use Of
the word famine" in describing the
cauSiive conditions.
80 far as the first point is con-
ccrned, all the health officers present,
with the exception OF the state health
officer Of Mississippi, stated that no
reliable morbidity statistics were
available for their states. In Missis-
sippi, the only state having trust
worthy statistics, the incidence OF the
disease in the first six months Of the
present year was about double that
in the corresponding period last year.
"a number OF the state health Of
fcers. on receiving the call to the
conference secured telegraphic re-
ports from physicians in, various
parts OF their state, believing that
these might serve as an index OF pei
lagra conditions, though they had no
comparable statistics for previous
years Others submitted statistics
showing the number OF deaths from
pellagra in the first six months Of
1871 and in the corresponding period
OF previous years. These data were
admittedly incomplete A careful re-
p!ew OF all the facts ELECTED by the
conference, fully confirm, in my opin-
ion, the position Of the public health
service with respect to the increase
OF vcllagra in various parts OF the
south.
Insofar as the use OF the word
famine" Is concerned the public
health service pointed out that it had
used the term in a scientific, restrict
cd sense, referring to a diet which
lacked some essential element or ele-
ments.
at was clearly brought out that In
various localities In the south, condi-
tions were such that the essential
foods required to prevent the devel-
opment OF pellagra were obtainable
Only with difficulty, and In some in
stances, were entirely beyond the