PARASITIC THEORY 



1713 



on men and animals are quite different from pellagra. Aspergillm 

 fumigatus and Aspergillus flavescens (or A. varians) have been 

 obtained by Ceni in pure cultures from the lungs, pleura, and 

 pericardium of pellagra cadavers, but the symptoms of the disease 

 are quite different from aspergillosis. Later, Ceni and Fossati have 

 stated that the real cause of the disease is the loxin from the fungi. 



[h] Bacteria. — Monti and Tirelli showea that many bacilli grow in 

 maize — e.g., Bacillus solanacear^ '^n, and another like B. subtilis — - 

 and it has been shown by,"^ ,auf that the so-called 5. maidis of 

 Majocchi and Cuboni i^ or>'y *^sie common potato bacillus. Another 

 bacillus, called B. pellagm, i^j stated by Carrarioli to produce toxins, 

 which, when injected into animals, produce the typical symptoms 

 of the disease. 



Tizzoni has described a bacillus found in the cerebro-spinal fluid 

 of pellagra patients and on maize, but this bacillus will be con- 

 sidered at greater length below. 



The maize theory is therefore by no means proved, and in fact 

 is, in our opinion, very doubtful. 



Parasitic Theory. — The parasitic theory of the origin of pellagra, 

 which is supported, to a certain extent, by our own observations 

 and by the Illinois Commission, who conclude that it is a disease 

 due to infection with some living organism, may be classified into : — 



A. Vegetal parasite. 



Tizzoni' s streptobacillus. 



B. Animal parasites. 



Alessandrini's theory, 1910. 

 Long's theory, 1910. 

 Perroncito's theory, 1910. 

 Babes' theory, 1911. 

 Sambon's theory, 1905. 



TizzoNi's Streptobacillus.— This is really a part of the maize 

 theory, as Tizzoni has found the bacillus on maize; but it is also 

 a genuine parasitic theory, because he has also found it in the blood, 

 cerebro-spinal fluid, and organs of pellagrins after death. He has 

 found it in both acute and chronic pellagra; it is a non-spore- 

 bearer, and resists temperatures of 80° and 90° C. for one hour. 

 It is easily cultivated, and is believed to be taken into the body with 

 the food, so causing the infection. Tizzoni claims that this organism 

 is the cause of the disease, but this claim has been refuted by Wood, 

 Raubitschek, the Illinois Pellagra Commission, and others, and 

 therefore cannot be accepted as proven. 



Alessandrini's Theory. — From epidemiological researches 

 mainly undertaken in Umbria, Alessandrini has come to the con- 

 clusion that there is some relationship between pellagra and drinking- 

 water, and he has found a slender nematode worm in the drinking- 

 water of pellagrous places. This worm, which he places in the 



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