Evening star., 1937-08-29
U.S.. Doctors War on Pellagra
Leads to Big Cut in Death Rate
ilIiam de kIeine Has
Spent 10 Years in Mis-.
sissippi alley Fight.

Ten years ago DR.. William De
kleine left Washington with a party
of American Red Cross officials to
aid f1ood-stricken inhabitants of the
Mississippi Valley.
1t was temporary assignment
but what he saw there, apart from
the ravageS of the flood, led him
to remain long after the food waters
had subsided to fight a greater plague
than high Water-pellagra
For pellagra, dread skin disease
which thrtves on starvation was
driven from hiding by the rising
waters and exposed to the light Of
day and the horror-stricken observa-
ton of health and relief officials in
the refugee camps established by the
Red Gross.
Then and there Dr. De Kleine, with
the support of the Red Cross, the
United States Public Health Service
and State and local authorities
launched an intensive campaign to
wipe out pellagra in the South.
Battle Has Succeeded.
How we'll his battle has succeeded
in the decade that has passed is de-
scribed in an article by Paul de Kruif,
noted writer on medical topics, in the
current issue of the Country Gentle
man.
4 know of no disease that can be
more easily prevented than pellagra, y
DR.. De Kleine says in a foreword to
the article 1T requires no medi-
cine, no serums, no medical treat
ment-only the right kind of food
in sufficient amount.
The control of this malady is as
simple as the A B Cs. but in spite of
this. thousands still die from it and
many times that number are incapaci-
tated"
The Red Cross battle has caused a
remarka Bile reduction in the death rate
from pellagra, it is pointed out When
DR.. De Kleine began his drive in
1927 about 1000 persons died each
year from the dietary disease-almost
all Of them in the Delta" section of
the South. The last survey. two
years ago, showed the deaths had
dropped to 5000 per year. with some
counties which formerly were black
spots almost entirely free from the
menace.
Nature of Pellagra.
The article relates how James L.
Fieser, assistant chairman of the Red
CyncS onfh0r;2oI nr IA $o
consult with the late Dr. Joseph Gold
berger Of the Public Health Service
discoverer of the dietary origin OF
pellagra. 1t was DR.. Goldberger who
found the disease was not contagious
not germ induced, but due to lack OF
foods containing certain vitamins.
IF every one would use a reasonable
amount of milk, lean meat, liver,
salmon and variety Of greens and
vegetables in his diet regularly" DR..
De Kleine asserts in the magazine
"pellagra would disappear entirely 1t
never occurs in persons who drink a
glass or two Of milk daily. Neither
does it occur In those who eat regu-
larly the meats referred to, or who eat
literally of vegetables and greens. A
small amount Of pure yeast will ac-
complish the same results
Yeast Is Ammunition.
Yeast-that was the ammunition
which De Kleine used in opening the
battle against the red plague" From
1927 to 1885, he says, the Red Cross
distributed some 100000 pounds Of
pure yeast through its chapters and
we'll over 100000 packages OF garden
seeds-for those much-needed veg
etables.
An educational. campaign taught
tenants and hare-croppers the value
Of raising kale, green cabbage. COLI
lsrds. tomatoes and turnip greens, Of
keeping COW. of canning v setables
for the Winter
The results, it is stated. have been