192 Vitamins in Human Nutrition
neuritis, and presumably for the same reason—lack of in-
terest in non-alcoholic foods. There is a strong suspicion
that sprue is another manifestation of the same deficiency
as pellagra, complicated by infection with a yeast-like
fungus; sore mouth, indigestion, diarrhea, and progressive
anemia and wasting are the outstanding symptoms.
Years ago Dr. Goldberger observed that people who
developed pellagra had poor diets, lacking particularly in
fresh meat, eggs, and milk, and that if these and fresh
vegetables were added to their bill of fare, pellagra could
be prevented and cured. As noted above, the pellagra-
preventing food factor was long ago known to be hidden
somewhere in the vitamin G complex, but it was not until
1935 that it was clearly recognized as distinct from either
riboflavine or Bθ. Just two years ago (1937) the indus-
trious group of nutrition workers at the University of Wis-
consin, headed by Dr. Elvehjem, found that nicotinic acid
would cure black-tongue in dogs. Since then it has been
tried on human pellagra cases with dramatic success. Into
the hospital of Duke University Medical School was brought
a man who had suffered from pellagra for fifteen years,
emaciated and dried up, covered with skin sores, mouth and
tongue fiery red and swollen so he could barely swallow,
mentally confused, diarrheic—a pretty thorough physical
and mental wreck. He was given injections of 60 milligrams
of nicotinic acid daily for eight days. His appearance was
improved within twenty-four hours and his mind in forty-
eight; in six days he had fully recovered his wits, and in
twelve days his skin was normal—all by 10 cents’ worth of
nicotinic acid! To a Cincinnati hospital was brought an old
skin-and-bone negress, mentally confused and semi-
stuporous, unable to swallow or even to stand up, and ex-
pected to die. After three days of nicotinic acid treatment