Dr Joseph Goldberger - pellagra research contribution

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One of the greatest research findings for the cause of the neglected humanity was by Dr Joseph Goldberger.

Dr Joseph Goldberger was born in Giralt, Hungary on July 16, 1874. He migrated along with his parents to United States in 1883 and settled in New York City. He earned his MD Degree in 1895 from the Bellevue Hospital Medical College (New York University School of Medicine).

Dr Joseph Goldberger after a stint of private practice at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, joined United States Marine Hospital Service (later PHS) as an Assistant Surgeon.

His first place of appointment was at the Port of New York and was assigned for the health inspection of immigrants.

Epidemiological skills of Dr Joseph Goldberger were sharpened when he worked on the control of yellow fever, dengue fever and typhus during 1902 - 1906.

In the year 1906 he married Marry against the wishes of the families.

During his studies on epidemics, Dr Joseph Goldberger contracted the diseases he studied like typhus and dengue fever.

In 1909 he published his research findings on Schamberg's disease connecting its origin to acarine mite.

Dr Joseph Goldberger was asked in 1914 to investigate on pellagra disease.

Working on the project he found that the inmates of prisons, orphanages and mental asylums were developing the ailment while the employees are not getting affected.

Dr Joseph Goldberger was sure that pellagra disease is not contagious and no germ is involved with it.

He also fed the affected children of orphanages and asylums with fresh food, meat and fresh vegetables.

There was dramatic recovery in their condition. Those of them who did not have the disease did not develop the disease.

Further he experimented with health volunteer prisoners and fed them only corn based food. Many of them developed pellagra rashes in about five months.

Dr Joseph Goldberger

Dr Joseph Goldberger to prove his point and to silence his detractors, injected blood of pellagra affected into his body and also on his assistant.

He also took swabs of nasal and throat secretions of the patients and rubbed onto his nose and throat.

Dr Joseph Goldberger collected scabs of pellagra disease rashes and swallowed them.

He did not contract the pellagra disease. Even after these demonstrations a section of the scientific community did not accept his theory that pellagra disease is due to nutritional deficiency.

Dr Joseph Goldberger contracted renal cell carcinoma and died on January 17, 1929. His ashes were sprinkled over the river Potomac.

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Dr Joseph Goldberger contribution to pellagra research.

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