The Final Days of William and Martha Wheeler
Martha became ill on September 5, 1914 and died on September 25, 1914, from Pellagra. William filed the death report. At the time of her death, she and William lived at 504 Prices Alley, Wilmington, North Carolina. She was buried at the Oak Grove Cemetery, Wilmington, North Carolina.
Pellagra is the late stage of severe niacin deficiency. Pellagra was in existence for nearly two centuries in Europe before being recognized in the United States, where it was first reported in 1902. Over the next two decades, pellagra occurred in epidemic proportions in the American South. Poverty and the consumption of corn were the most frequently observed risk factors. Since the exact cause and cure of pellagra were not known, a culture of "pellagraphobia" formed among the public. Patients were shunned and ostracized. The medical community implicated spoiled corn as the cause of pellagra, which had economic repercussions for farmers. This set up a vicious cycle, likely leading to an increase in the number cases and deaths. Pellagra patients typically had a reddish glossy rash, often described as red scaly skin, on the hands and feet.
I do not know when William passed away. Since he filed Martha’s death certificate, we know that he was alive in September 1914. I have not been able to find him in the 1920 Census, so for now I’m assuming that he passed away sometime over that six-year period.
Pellagra is the late stage of severe niacin deficiency. Pellagra was in existence for nearly two centuries in Europe before being recognized in the United States, where it was first reported in 1902. Over the next two decades, pellagra occurred in epidemic proportions in the American South. Poverty and the consumption of corn were the most frequently observed risk factors. Since the exact cause and cure of pellagra were not known, a culture of "pellagraphobia" formed among the public. Patients were shunned and ostracized. The medical community implicated spoiled corn as the cause of pellagra, which had economic repercussions for farmers. This set up a vicious cycle, likely leading to an increase in the number cases and deaths. Pellagra patients typically had a reddish glossy rash, often described as red scaly skin, on the hands and feet.
I do not know when William passed away. Since he filed Martha’s death certificate, we know that he was alive in September 1914. I have not been able to find him in the 1920 Census, so for now I’m assuming that he passed away sometime over that six-year period.
posted by Steve | 2:00 PM
1 Comments:
Steve, your post regarding Martha’s final days intrigued me, specifically, your remarks “Pellagra is the late stage of severe niacin deficiency.” and “a culture of "pellagraphobia" formed among the public”.
I found myself wondering what kind of social reaction Martha faced so I searched the Internet to find out more information. I found that most people believed only people of low quality birth lines were able to contracted the disease and it didn’t really matter that they were being selected for eradication by nature. It troubles me to think that Martha had this idea of herself when she died; I sincerely hope she did not.
Also, I was saddened by further reading that in February 1914 Joseph Goldberger began an investigation into the cause of pellagra. By May/June 1914 he had a strong theory that it was a diatary disease. Goldberger suggested a change in diet to include fresh meats, eggs and milk. He immediately started preventitive studies at two orphanages and a sanitarium to prove his theory. I guess it was too early in the investigation for the information to reach the people suffering, like Martha.
http://www.jmcgowan.com/pellagra.pdf
Post a Comment
<< Home