The Washington times., 1924-06-05
PEEtAGRA CURE.
SAID To Be
FOUND
U. S. Public Health Service
Doctor Claims to Have
Disease In Check

Physicians Of the United States
Public Health Service have discov
cred how to- control pellagra. This
disease has afflicted countless
thousands of persons in various
parts Of the world, notably in
Italy and in our Southern States,
where as many as $4,000 patients,
1t has been estimated, suffered from
simultaneously. A few years
ago the State hospitals Of the South
were overcrowded with these un.
fortunates.
A decade ago It was thought that
the malady resulted from an infec,
tion-that 1t was of germ origin.
The disease as characterized by
study OF the public health doctors
has convinced them that 1t is due
solely to faulty diet; in other words
that It is'a deficiency disease. Pro.
ceeding on this basis, tlNey have been
able to eliminate the disease in in.
situations, the patients in which
have been under their control.
Commenting on this notable con.
quest, the Journal Of the American
Medical Association says editorially:
Original Research.
"Les than decade has elapsed
since Goldenberger and his asso.
ciates began their studies of
pellagra in this country. The de-
velopments Of these Investigations
furnish an illustration of how sig.
nificant knowledge of the etiology
OF disease may be for its proper
management.
II pellagra was due to an in
lection, as seemed to be the case
tc many students of the subject
ten years ago, the public duty in
the direction Of prevention obvious
~ lay in the introduction and en-.
forcement OF such sanitary meas.
ures as are accustomed to be
efficacious in the face of infectious
disease. The foremost need was to
discover and eradicate the biologic
agent that was involved. Problems
Of segregation and quarantine
would need to be considered; in fact,
drastic measures involving isolation
Of patients were actually adopted
in some instances. This sort of
procedure was likely to be super.
flous II the etiologic factor lay in
the diet in circumstances wherein
the individual rather than his
hygienic surroundings was primarily
concerned.
''In the face Of such doubt, the
experts Of the Public Health Service
have continued their observations
and have carefully collected data
with respect to more than 700 per.
sons, of whom more than half wero
pellagrins. These seem to indicate
the preventabi1ity of pellagra by
means Of diet. The procedures
carried out over a series of years in
several institutions in which pella
gra has been rampant have become
familiar to readers of the Journal
OF the American Medical Associa
ton. The institution diet was In
each instance modified by reduc
ton Of the maize element and in
crease in the fresh animal protein
foods-meat, milk land at the or
phanages, eggs) and legumes.
"All other conditions, hygienic
and sanitary, including association
with active cases which from time
to time were admitted, remained
unchanged. Among the pellagrins
single recurrent case was noted
during the first year following the
inauguration of the modified diet
but none in the second or in the
third year. Among the nonpella
grins there was not a single case.
Diet Is Important.
"a return to the institution diet
Immediately after the discontinue
ance Of the formal study at one OF
the institutions was reported tC
have been followed by an incidence
Of pellagra Of approximately 40 per
cent among the affected group. Re
sumption Of the modified diet was
again followed, during a period OF