Pellagra, Part 1
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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Pellagra and Its Historical Roots
This chapter delves into the historical context of pellagra in the southern United States post-Civil War, examining how sharecropping and cash crop focus led to nutritional deficiencies. It also discusses the implications of corn milling advancements and transitions to the significance of a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune in contrast to another statue of Lincoln.
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The pellagra epidemic of the early 20th century may have been the deadliest epidemic of a specific nutrient deficiency in U.S. history. Part one covers what it is, its appearance in 19th-century Italy, and the first reports of it in the U.S.
Research:
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