The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-05-18
DREAD PELLAcRA
FOUND DURABLE.
Proper Quantities of Animal
Protein in Diet Both Cure
and Preventive.
TAKES HEAVY TOLL OF LIFE.
Scientists Of United States Public
Health Service Give Results Of
Many Years Study Of Disease
Need Eggs and Meat.

-fNSe0 E08o anu WGAts
Pellagra, mysterious disease which
has caused widespread illness and
taken heavy toll of life in the United
States and many countries of Europe
Is caused primarily by lack of animal
protein In the diet, and is both pre-
yentable and durable by proper quaint
ties of animal protein being included
In the diet, it is announced by the
United States public health service.
Doctors Goldberger and Tanner,
surgeon and past assistant surgeon, re-
spectively, reporting the results OF
many years study of the disease, as
sert that forty grams per day of beef
or milk proteIns In the diet Will, for
practically all normal individuals pre-
vent the contraction Of pellagra. The
necessary forty grams of animal pro-
TEN are contained In about half
pound OF beef, or three pints of milk.
ST ~. Must Get Enough. d1
Thus 1t does not Suffice" says the
report, merely to include milk or
meat in diet to prevent pellagra. The
quantity Of either Of these or of other
like foods alone or as supplements,
must be considerable to be effective.
This may help to explain some OF the
Instances OF penagfa In individuals,
(lncluding some OF those. very rare
ones In nursing ihfahts5, who are al
lsSS6 TO have Had ! good diet. They
go ]Hot .s aontp@s enough f0i their par
,as5a.ss - ..a asc mo. ,on. CT s
forth the Logic Of tho situation Tas ex-
Ax~fR ~>R< An
1sThefs efnok Il h6hd q consider
abe Shd cSnvfncHg body 6f evidence
II t6p1brt Of sFtte svieMa thaf f1Yet il the
pfimify Confronting sfsctof IA f1e pre-
ven1{Ifi3Sn and ia t{oh Of psliasfa
Lp begin with, ACCOUNT must be
taken of the faGt that NO unequivocal, :
Evidence OF the transmissibility of the
disease has yet been adduced'
r"Of outstanding Significance are, on
the one hand, the demonstration that
pellagra may be completely prevented
by means of 8 suitable diet, without
intervention of any other known fac
tor, hygienic or sanitary and. on the
other, the absence of any sound evil
dence that the disease is preventable
by any other means"
Referring to experimental work on
group of convicts, the report states,
|sAt least of II convictS who volun-
teered for the experiment and who
subsisted on a diet consisting princf- |
pally of the cereals, wheat, maize, and |
rice, with pork fat and some fresh |
vegetables (sweet potatoes, turnips, |
cabbage, greens), developed evidence
which experienced observers recog-
n1zed as that OF pellagra whereas, of
a large number OF controls, none pre-
sented any evidence justifying even
suspicion OF the disease.
. The Protein Factor.
''Thus, by a process OF exclusion
We are led to conclude that of the
known dietary essentials the protein
factor alone was concerned in our fail
ure to prevent the development of the
cases herein cited. And if our inter
pretations are, as we believe, sound,
land If all dietary factors essential
n human nutrition are known) the
lurther conclusion may properly be
1rawn, namely. that the dominating
ole Of diet in the prevention and
.Atsatfon OF pellagra must be re
erred primarily to the character OF
he protein supply.
- Some of the perplexity and con-
usior will also be prevented If it is
lot forgotten that the biological
fnalfty OF a protein and Its adequacy
d relation to pellagra may, and doubt
ess frequently do, depend on the plane
& intake In our experience, supple
nent, OF NOT. over 40 grams OF mix
= beef ,proteins will. Tor practically
1lsn normal ( Individuals, adequately
upbae1nent aspelfagra- producing mix
ufe OF pfoteins from maize, wheat.
1tt5, and cowpeAs, but 20 Is grams
somewhat over aepints
Z amflk or d quarter OF a. pound Of
oufid steaK may not do So 0saEs 80