Date of Award

Spring 2019

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

School

Social Science and Global Studies

Committee Chair

Marie Danforth

Committee Chair School

Social Science and Global Studies

Committee Member 2

Edwin Jackson

Committee Member 2 School

Social Science and Global Studies

Committee Member 3

Katherine Smith

Committee Member 3 School

Social Science and Global Studies

Committee Member 4

Andrew P. Haley

Committee Member 4 School

Humanities

Abstract

This study attempts to test and expand a previous study to establish a differential diagnosis of pellagra in human remains (Paine & Brenton, 2006a). Seven individuals with documented pellagra and nine individuals randomly selected for comparison from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection were evaluated for caries, alveolar bone loss, periostitis, osteoporosis, cribra orbitalia, and porotic hyperostosis. Results indicate that the pellagra sample had lower rates of caries and alveolar bone loss, and higher rates of periostitis of the tibia and fibula in relation to the comparison sample. No osteoporosis, cribra orbitalia, or porotic hyperostosis was found in the pellagra sample. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups for any pathology except for periostitis when combined with the findings of a previous study (Paine & Brenton, 2006a). Future study should attempt to identify additional remains of those known to have pellagra.

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9308-0139

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