Transactions of National Conference on Pellagra

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1909 edition. Excerpt: ...Case VII r Female, married, age 53, was depressed when admitted in June; had been for some time in South Carolina Hospital for Insane; had a diffuse dermatitis on hands, arms and body; appetite almost nothing; very much emaciated, and a constant diarrhoea and troublesome stomatitis. There was a gradual failure and the end came within a fortnight. I thought in this case there was a tuberculosis infection of the bowel or peritoneum, and the eruption incident to the starvation process, but in the light of present knowledge I think with Dr. Babcock that this was a case of pellagra. In these cases the use of alcohol was a factor in four, two men and two women, all except one have died. In no case was the use of damaged corn traced, but I assume the liability of all our people from the universal use of corn products as food. I think those who live in town and indiscriminately buy meal from their grocers are more in danger than those in the country where care is ordinarily taken in the selection of grain for bread. In conclusion, I wish to express the opinion that pellagra has been with us a long time, we have been misled by the authors of the text books who have dismissed the subject with a few lines, but I am sure I have been seeing these cases for twenty years, and I can believe that under diagnosis of chronic diarrhoea, intestinal indigestion, eczema and sunburn many cases have been seen and dismissed. I am inclined to think, though my experience with negro patients is very limited, that many so-called scrofulous negroes, are really pellagrous. We are beginning a great undertaking to eradicate this disease from our country. There are remedies medicinal and hygienic. The principal remedy seems to me in prevention, and the chief factor in prevention...