The prevalence of pellagra in the United States : a statistical and geographical note with American bibliography / by C.H. Lavinder, C.F. Williams and J.W. Babcock.

  • Lavinder, C. H. (Claude Hervey), 1872-1950.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The prevalence of pellagra in the United States : a statistical and geographical note with American bibliography / by C.H. Lavinder, C.F. Williams and J.W. Babcock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    4/8 (page 284)
    reported independently in 1907 by medical officers of Alabama and South Carolina asylums. In April, 1908, one of the writers (C. H. L.), stationed at Wilmington, N. C., reported to the U. S. P. H. & M.-H. Service that several cases of pellagra had recently been observed in that city. From that time Surgeon-General Walter Wyman has shown the most active interest in the study of pellagra both personally and officially. In his report for 1908, Dr. Wyman says: “ These reports indicate that the disease is more prevalent than has been supposed and that it may in future assume import- ance from public health and economic standpoints “ Whether this disease in the Southern States be true pellagra or not has so far proven itself a factor to be reckoned with and it should receive most careful study.” In the summer of 1908 the disease was identified with Italian pellagra by two South Carolina physicians, Dr. J. J. Watson and one of the present writers (J. W. B.), who visited Italy for the purpose of studying the disease. Following these observations and publications, pellagra has been recognized in many different local- ities, such as Wilmington, Morganton and Charlotte, N. C, Augusta, Milledgeville and Atlanta, Ga., and many places in South Carolina as well as in other States. For the last year and a half, the South Carolina State Board of Health has been actively in- vestigating the pellagra problem, by special inquiry, conference and finally by original research with the cooperation of Surgeon- General Wyman, of the U. S. Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service, who assigned (May, 1909) one of the present writers (C. H. L.) to duty at Columbia and vicinity for this purpose. Recently a letter of inquiry (see below) about pellagra was ad- dressed by another of the present writers (C. F. W.) to the sup- erintendents of State hospitals for the insane in the United States, and the following table embodies their replies: To 164 inquiries 120 replies were received, about 20 being in the affirmative. New York: Number of cases, few (near Brooklyn). Pennsylvania (Dixmont) : Number of cases, 1; recognized, 1909 (Hun- garian). Maryland: Number of cases, 1 or 2; recognized 1909; probably existed since 1905; male, 1; female, 1. Virginia (Staunton) : Number of cases, 1 ( ?) ; recognized 1908. Virginia (Petersburg) : Number of cases, 1 (?).