Pellagra was a disease that affected hundreds of thousands of residents within the southeastern region of the United States from the time of its first known reports in the early 1900's to the end of World War II, in 1945. Dr. Joseph Goldberger, from New York, was given credit for finding the cure for Pellagra. Contributing to the Goldberger's cure were the discoveries of doctors and scientists prior to and during the time that Dr. Goldberger was working on the cure himself.
Pellagra was a painful disease that over time slowly killed the people that were afflicted with the disease. Pellagra, occurring almost exclusively in the poorer classes, is easily observed by the discoloration and thickening of the skin (usually the hands, neck, and the feet). The lesions on the skin are usually spread evenly, symmetrical on both sides of the body. Other symptoms of pellagra are reddened tongue and a scalding sensation in the mouth. This disease eventually causes weakness, nervousness, indigestion, and in advanced stages, diarrhea and various forms of insanity. (Trail To Light p. 288).
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