Salt Lake Telegram | 1915-11-12 | Page 14 | Pellagria Victim for Science Sake, Tells His Ordeal

Pell gria Victim j for S Science ce Sake f Tells His Ordeal I Says Convicts W Would o ld H Have v 1 Welcomed Death to Escape Escape Es Es- cape Dis Disease ase Diet I NEW ORLE ORLEANS NS La Nov 12 I I have been through a thousand I h hells sobbed a thin gaun gaunt wan man with glassy eyes and a skin like parchment as he staggered into a New I Orleans hotel I I I am W. W H. H English one of the eleven convicts released Monday from the Mississippi 1 penitentiary for for for- risking their lives to prove that an unbalanced diet caused pellagra pellagra- the emaciated victim of or science ex ex- ex- ex I was a life term convict so I when Governor Brewer and Dr Goldberger Gold Gold- berger offered freedom to anyone who would live on a 8 pr prescribed diet for nine months even though it meant contracting pellagra and probable death I gladly consented to tomake tomake tomake make the tile test Freedom is mighty sweet and I was willing to face death to secure it ft But I believe I have paid in full for my crime Nine months of torture Just think of t it Several of or us tried suicide d dur during r- r lug ing the tile last few months but we were watched night and day At any time I would have gladly welcomed wel corned a bullet but our guards only laughed when v en we attempted attempt d to es cape I 1 have have read various newspapers telling all about Dr Goldberger'S discovery the triumph of medicine but not on one word have I read of the poor wretches who have he been tortured tor tor- for days At least two of the pellagra squad made formal application to fo the penitentiary board hoard to be sent back to the walls and to be allowed t to serve their life lUe terms in preference to the suffering they underwent Five w weeks eks ago six pf ot Z us ua fainted one day and had to be put to bed To think of or eating the same kind of food tood nine months Our ra ra- three times a day for this period were Collards hominy cornbread corn corn- bread fried mush and coffee Tills is the tile food used by the poorer classes down here and they are the th- ones who contract pellagra For For the tile first few months I felt only lazy and stupid Along about July 1 1 I began to lose weight At AtI I that time I tipped the scales at I pounds now I 1 weigh US pounds I After the first three months I never I had a a. good nights night's sleep I When Governor Brewer pardoned par I us lie he told us we could remain re reo main l in the penitentiary and be cured by the balanced diet treat ment meat One might think this invitation tion would be accepted by but not even one of the eleven accepted The twelfth broke down two months ago and was sent home We all Just wanted to get aVay away from the scene of ot our torture The fhe first thing I did was to drink a aquart aquart aquart quart of cool milk and then I filled filed ed up on vegetables and pie Dr Goldberger told us how bow to cure ourselves and I am certainly trying to do it He said to eat fresh tresh meat eggs mi milk peas beans and other vegetables and you bet I I. am going to do as he be says