54: McCOLLUM— RELATION OF DIET TO PELLAGRA. 



eggs which are not so good as milk because of their lower calcium 

 content. The legume seeds, notwithstanding their high content of 

 protein, are without any appreciable value for improving the diets 

 which predispose to pellagra, because of the poor quality of their 

 protein and their failure to supplement a diet derived from vegetable 

 foods of the storage tissue class in other respects. 



Both meats and eggs are more expensive sources of protection 

 against faulty diet than milk. An effective campaign of education 

 should be conducted in all districts where diets of a character likely 

 to predispose to pellagra are common, informing the people about 

 the great benefits to health from regular and very liberal use of leafy 

 vegetables. This would be a movement toward the establishment 

 of dietary practices resembling those of the more nearly vegetarian 

 groups of Chinese and Japanese, and if in addition the inclusion of 

 a suitable amount of milk in the diet can be secured, not only would 

 pellagra disappear, but the general health of the people would be 

 promoted. 



The prevalence of pellagra in certain parts of the South rather 

 than in other sections of the country is probably closely connected 

 with the development of the modern milling industry. This places 

 in the grocery store the degerminated and decorticated part of 

 the grain. The rise of the sugar industry offers for human con- 

 sumption both sugar and molasses in quantities unheard of until 

 recent years. 



The widespread practice of growing a cash crop (cotton), and 

 of depending on the retail store for the greater part of the food 

 supply rather than of engaging in diversified farming appears to be 

 in great measure responsible for the existence of pellagra. The 

 food products which can be handled commercially without hazard 

 are not in general satisfactory foodstuff's unless properly supple- 

 mented with certain others which correct their deficiencies. 



School of Hygiene and Public Health, 

 Johns Hopkins University, 

 Baltimore. 



