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Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1921, Page 2

Pw.ijAflK.v, referred to in recent cables, (Italian polio sigra, smarting skin) is a peculiar disease ol comparatively modern origin. For some time it "as supposed to be practically confined to the peasantry in Italy, France, Spain and Houmania. Hut it has also been identied iik various jiarts ol and Kjrypt. 11l the l.’nited States sporadic cases had been observed up to 190(1, but since then numerous cases have been reported. It is in Italy, however, that it has been most prevalent. The malady is essentially chronic in character. A rod rash appears on the skin, and the victim feels unfit for work and suffers from headache and giddiness. The successive attacks each year become more and more severe, and aftei a certain stage the disease passes into a profound disorganisation ol the noivnus system. That pellagra varies inversely with the family income ill the cotton-mill villages of South Cnrolina the conclusion drawn after a tlnw-ywir study Irv the fnitH Pul'll*

Health Service. This is the first reported study in which the long-suspect-ed, relation 6f poverty aiid pellagra is definitely measured. As the income fell the disease was found to increase, and to affect more and more other members of the same family. As the income rove the disease decreased, and was rarely found in families that enjoyed the highest 'incomes, even though, tlii highest wits still quite low. Differences UTVfoiVg families with the same incomes were attiUnited by the report to dill: r

cnees in the expenditures for food, intelligence of the housewife, and ownership of cows, gardens,,-etc. Differences among villages winch were economically similar were attributed to d.llereltees in the availability and condition of food

in lecal markets. A recent, statement by die of the hugest- life insurance companies in the United States indicated that the fund standard of Southern wage-earners must have improved considerably of late, for the death rate Imm pellagra laid (alien from (i.< per 10U,(.Of) in 1915 to 2.3 in 1919.