What did Dr Goldberger first do when he began trying to find the cure for pellagra?

What did Dr Goldberger first do when he began trying to find the cure for pellagra?

He tested his hypothesis in three ways. The first was a prospective treatment study in a Mississippi orphanage where almost 50 percent of the orphans had pellagra. Goldberger started an enriched feeding program that included milk, meat, eggs, and fresh vegetables on one ward, keeping another ward as a control group.

How did Dr Goldberger research pellagra?

Joseph Goldberger, a physician in the U.S. government’s Hygienic Laboratory, the predecessor of the National Institutes of Health, discovered the cause of pellagra and stepped on a number of medical toes when his research experiments showed that diet and not germs (the currently held medical theory) caused the disease.

What is the history of pellagra?

Pellagra was first identified among Spanish peasants by Don Gaspar Casal in 1735. A loathsome skin disease, it was called “mal de la rosa” and often mistaken for leprosy. Pellagra has sometimes been called the disease of the four D’s – dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia, and death.

What was Goldberger cure for pellagra?

Shipments of food which Goldberger had requested from Washington were provided to children in two Mississippi orphanages and to inmates at the Georgia State Asylum. Results were dramatic; those fed a diet of fresh meat, milk and vegetables instead of a com-based diet recovered from pellagra.

Why did people think pellagra was an infectious disease?

Through observations and experiments at Southern orphanages and prisons, Goldberger found that the disease was not infectious, but instead was caused by a deficiency in the diet. Many poor Southerners consumed a diet solely of meat, meal, and molasses.

Which of the following symptoms is observed in pellagra disease?

Symptoms of pellagra include:

• Delusions or mental confusion.
• Diarrhea.
• Weakness.
• Loss of appetite.
• Pain in abdomen.
• Inflamed mucous membrane.
• Scaly skin sores, especially in sun-exposed areas of the skin.

What did Dr Goldberger do to provide evidence?

What is pellagra Class 9?

Hint:Pellagra is a skin disease which is caused by deficiency of vitamin B and its symptoms include dementia, sores in the mouth, diarrhea, dermatitis and inflamed skin. If the condition is not treated, then the individual may even die.