"Goldberger's War" and Pellagra

Paper Summary:

Alan Kraut's book, "Goldberger's War: The Life and Work of a Public Health Crusader" studies the outbreak of pellagra in 1907 and the efforts made by Dr. Joseph Goldberger to offer correct etiology and cure for the same. This paper examines the effects of the epidemic which killed over 100,000 people and the hurdles and North-versus-South politics which affected Dr. Goldberger's attempt to bring an end to this disease.

From the Paper:

"It is indeed tragic to learn that Goldberger's research was so badly affected by political issues that South continued to suffer from pellagra for many years even after the diet-based cure had been discovered. The South was simply unwilling to accept that its people were living in sub human conditions and even refused to accept Red Cross aid. The South had yet not forgotten the "lost cause" of the Civil war and did not want to accept the charge of poverty and that too from a Northerner. When efforts of Goldberger resulted in a move for Red Cross aid to be directed to Southern regions, one Southern Congressman termed all reports of hunger and poverty "utter absurdity" [1]. People were so riled against reports of famine that residents of Georgia cried, "When this part of Georgia suffers from famine, the rest of the world will be dead!" [1] The United Daughters of the Confederacy also participated in the protests showing concern over 'false' reports."

More papers on "Goldberger's War" and Pellagra:

• Term Paper # 60217 : "Philippine-American War and Insurgency Against America"
• Analytical Essay # 141816 : "The United States Civil War and the Issue Of Slavery"
• Research Paper # 1105 : "The Revolutionary War and the African-American Soldier"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: