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This is the Theory Advanced by Dr. C. H. Lavinder at the Conference at Spartanburg Wednesday—Cause of Dis ease is Still a Mystery. (Spartanburg Herald.) Never before in the history of America has such a pellagra confer ence been held,” stated a physician last night in commenting on the pel lagra conference given in honor of Dr. Louis W. Sambon, of London, England, a man world-famed as an epidemologist and a scientific invest igator of international repute. The scientific sessions of the con ference were attended yesterday by fully 200 physicians of this and other states, who entered into the discus sions with an earnestness that typi fied their intense interest in pellagra. While no decision was reached at, to the cause of pellagra and no defi nite course of treatment was arrived at, yet the theory was advanced, bo stered by almost incontrovertible facts that the disease is not trans missable through contact, although probably infectious. The Lambrosian theory of maize was attacked, and the prevailing theory was that Dr. Sambon’s idea of a parasitic origin is correct. Not a Local Disease. It was demonstrated by the facts given by eminent Investigators that the disease of pellagra g not peculiar to any country or clime , but it were wide in its extent. It is, ingly aly, in nearly all the states Port union, in Africa, in the West Indies, in the Philippiens, in Spain and prob ably in Iceland. That there are cases on the coast is the statementsor Dr. Wilson, of Charleston, ‘De, Wha ley of the same city; also cases are prevalent in North Carolina. Dr. C. H. Lavinder, of the public health service of Savannah, held out hope of recovery to the pellagrins, and many other physicians concurred in his views. The pellagrin should be treated similar to the patient suffer ing from the ravages of tuberculsis he said. He was of the opinion that if the pellagrin was removed from the endemic zone in the early stages of his malady, placed in more health ful environment and given plenty of nutritious food, he will recover and stay well. But, he stated, if they go back into the locality in which pellagra is found, they are liable to again contract the diesease. Is Not Directly Transmissible ?In view of the high mortality of pellagra and the prevailing pessi mism, this should be a comforting thought,” said Dr. Lavinder. “It is a comforting thought that pellagra is not directly transmissable from one person to another,” he con tinued. The concrete proposition was ad vanced by physicians holding opin ions similar to those of Dr. Lavinder that the government should establish hospitals for the study and treat ment of pellagra, is a World Disease. Dr. Sambon said pellagra is i» world disease; that it is not confined to any one country or clime. He claims that it is more prevalent in women than in men, and that child ren are peculiarly adaptable to it. The ratio is about three to one In favor of the female of the race. Dr. Sambon said that his observa tions have demonstrated that, if you bring people from a healthy locality, and place them in an endemic zone, they might probably contract the dis ease, The Simulium. Dr. Sambon said the question is: What is the transmission agent? Us. thinks it is the simulium, or the buf falo gnat. He said that the disease is more prevalent where there are streams of rapidly flowing water, which are breeding places of the buf falo gnat. He said that the admira ble work being done by the Thomp son-McFadden commission here will, no doubt, redound in much good, in that it increases the store of know, edge of pellagra and draws the lines near to a solution of the cause of the baffling disease. He said that like commissions should be established all over the country, because one body of men might fall into error because of similar work being done in one locality. If other commissions were j at work, all data could be examined
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Union Times
Union, South Carolina, US
Fri, Sep 05, 1913
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