My uncle.
Born: 14 Dec. 1917 in Georgia. 1 2
Parents: FREDDIE AUGUSTUS DOGGETT AND AZA SARA FRANCES DELAY
Death: 23 Sep. 1926, Walton Co., GA, acute Chorea, aggravated by Pellegra. 2 3 4
Burial: 24 Sep. 1926, Hopkins-Delay Cem., Hebron Church Rd., Oconee Co., GA. 2
Notes:
It appears that Clifton became sick on 19 Sep. 1926 and died of acute Chorea on the 23rd at age 8. He had had Pellegra for about six months. 4
Chorea is an irregular, rapid, uncontrolled, involuntary, excessive movement that seems to move randomly from one part of the body to another.
The movements of chorea, athetosis, choreoathetosis, and ballism occur by themselves, without conscious attempts at movement. The affected child often appears fidgety or restless and unable to sit still. The word "chorea" comes from the Greek word for dance. The jerky movements of the feet or hands are often similar to dancing or piano playing. When chorea is severe, the movements may cause motion of the arms or legs that results in throwing whatever is in the hand or falling to the ground. Walking may become bizarre, with inserted excessive postures and leg movements. Unlike parkinsonism, which is an inability to make voluntary movements, or ataxia and dystonia, which affect the quality of voluntary movements, the movements of chorea, athetosis, choreoathetosis, and ballism occur by themselves, without conscious attempts at movement. In some cases, attempts to move may make the symptoms worse.
Among other causes Chorea may also be acquired through metabolic disorders. A metabolic disorder is a medical disorder which affects the production of energy within individual human (or animal) cells. Most metabolic disorders are genetic, though a few are "acquired" as a result of diet, toxins, infections, etc. Diet was probably the key factor in Clifton's death. See Pellegra, below.
•Historically Pellegra has been the only endemic nutritional disease native to the U.S.
•In 1918, there were an estimated 10,000 pellegra deaths and 100,000 cases, primarily in the cotton growing regions of the Southern U.S.
•Pellegra became a public health issue in the South during the depression –Families growing corn and eating mostly non-alkaline processed grits.
•Corn is of limited nutritional benefit without appropriate processing or treatment to enhance availability of nutrients.
Sources:
1. 1920 Federal Census, Dark Corner, Oconee, GA.
2. Personal viewing of cemetery marker at the Hopkins-Delay Cemetery, Hebron Church Rd., Oconee Co., GA.
3. Indexes of Vital Records for Georgia: Deaths, 1919-1998, Georgia Health Department, Office of Vital Records, Cert. 25545-H.
4. Georgia Certificate of Death.
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Page last updated 6 September 2008.