364 



THE VITAMINES 



130 cases develop on a diet containing a considerable amount of 

 cane sugar products, especially molasses. By omitting the latter, 

 which is greatly relished in the southern states, an improvement was 

 noted. That a diet very rich in carbohydrates is consumed in dis- 

 tricts where pellagra prevails, is evident from the report of Jobling 

 and Petersen (1354). Babes (1355) remarked, advisedly, that when 

 in February 1918, the entire population of Bucharest was placed upon 

 bread made of corn and wheat, numerous cases of pellagra appeared 

 as early as in May, so that three months were necessary for the 

 development of the disease. Lombroso (I.e. 1325) and Camurri (1356) 

 describe a dietary composition in the Italian pellagra districts: 



Lombroso Camurri 



Grams daily Grams daily 



Corn 1091 Polenta 1500 



Rice and barley 67 Rice 100 



Beans 60 Beans 100 



Potatoes 67 Potatoes 100 



Vegetables 250 Vegetables 100 



Lard 21 Lard 20 



Olive oil 33 Olive oil 10 



Fish 67 Milk 100 



Poultry 27 Cheese 50 



Apart from this, great differences were noted in the summer and 

 winter diets, which explains very well the periodic occurrence of 

 pellagra in spring. It seems that the Italian population feeds itself 

 very poorly in the winter. Lombroso reported on such dietary- 

 changes in the province of Ferrara : 



