Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-02
BY REX COLLIER.

UNCLE SAM has a miracle man
who Is Kidding America of that
once mysterious and dread dis
ease. pellagra, b. the simple
eypedient OF administering
yeast. a..
IL is DR.. Joseph Goldberger OF the
United States Public Health Service,
whose laboratory researches here ana
Id Investigations in the South have
won him international renovn IN the
world of medicine.
1tha simplicity of DR. Goldbergers
remedy for pellagra is exceeded only by
the homcly nature of his prescription
for keeping cured victims well. ms
prescription calls merely for regular
diet of milk, lean meats, eggs ana TO-
matoes. ..,
In other words. it has been found
that persons who eat such dairy prod
ucts and vegetables and meats do not
get pellagra. The disease occurs only
among persons whose diet lacks these
haalthful vitamin-rich foods.
Pellaora is a diease common IN the
Southern States, particularly In tne
cotton belt. II causes serious SKIN
eruption, disturbances of digestion ana
the nervous system and, If untreaJed,
death. The breaking out occurs COM
monty on the hands and forearms' on
the neck. upper part OF the feet ana
lower part Of the legs.
A characteristic development Il lin-
dernourishment. illness and lacKa-
daisical attitude toward ones existence
and work.
Prevalent in South.
Pelagra has been prevalent in the
Southern States for number OF years.
It is found occasionally in the North
ern States, although rarely. II was
first reported in the United States In
1864. although it was not generally
recognized as of any particular I'M
portance until about 1905 and 1907.
Since those years there have been
. MANY outbreaks of the disease and II
/. has come to be regarded as one OF the
! ma ior causes of death in the south
. In recent years pellagra has become
one of the most serious causes OF III
ness In the Mississippi Valley ana ao-
Joining farming States and automatic
ally has presented that section WIN .
nerplexing economic problem from the
! labor standpoint.
THE true cause of pellagra had not
been understood until DR.. Goldberger
announced the results of his extensive
researches. BY carefully controlled ex-
, perin1ents with animals, especially dogs
and with patients in various Southern
institutions he has been able TO con-
tribute Invaluable information to the
world on the cause and cure of the dis
ease
: DR. Goldberger has shown conclu-
zivelv that pellagra ts caused by the ap-
sence of certain food essentials from
the daily diet. These food essentials
are In the nature of vitanlin found
in such foods as milk, eggs, meat with
out fat and several vegetables, pr1ncl-
nallv tomatoes. The vitanin undoubt-
cdlv occurs in many other foods, bil'
further research will be necessary tc
make additions to the list.
II sufficient amount OF such FOODS
&C those cited could be added to the
daiIv rations of the people who are sub
iect to pellagra the disease would be
wiped out in this country medical ex-
merits declare. Many of the people In
tho pellagra area live on foods such as
fat meats (salt pork, corn bread, wheat
bread and various dishes made from
corn meal and white -four and molasses
This diet frequently constitutes the
chief elements in their daily rauons
This may not be true OF every sectlon
of the Southern States. but inquiry mas
]
tions Such a diet. physicians assert,
is entirely inadequate, not only for the
prevention of peilagra but for general
good health.
Shows Waite Of Yeast.
DR.. Goldberger has shown that pure
culture of Yeast serves as an excellent
preventive and cure for pelagra. Inc
vitamin found in the foods mentioned
appears in abundant form In pure yeast
II seems. This pure yeast is not TO os
confused with the commercial ana
household yeast in cake form, Ins
Yeast for pellsgra patients Is in nighly
concentrated powder form. About one
ounce Of this Yeast a day. taken for
period of from to 10 weeks. Will cure
bv far the majority of patients with
neilacra provided of course, the as
ease has not reached fatal stage.
Pellarra has been aptly referred to as
an economic disease" Investigation
has shown that II increases or decreases
in waves corresponding with amazing
faithf,llneSs 10 the respective decline
and rise of prosperity In the cotton
country.
DR. william de Kleine, who served as
medical director Of the American Red
Cross during the latter months or the
Mississippi flood of last year and VINO
s,lperlntended Americas first great ex-
pertinent with yeast as cure for pei
iagra among thousands of flood refu--
gees, told the writer that the controi
and prevention OF pelagra resolves
itself into a question OF economies anu
education.
"If the people. commonly subject to
pellarra," he said, can be educated as
TO the true nature of the disease and Its
prevention. and If economic conditions
can be improved SO that 1t Is possible
for every one to obtain an adequate
diet. then pellagra viii disappear.
81 do not mean to imply that eco
nomic conditions in the South are ex-
tremely backward, but rather imply
here that many people IN that section
have drifted into certain economic WAYS
of living that have brought on this