by klondike mary » Tue Jul 21, 2020 7:59 pm
Are they rhinos? Hippos? [b]This[/b]
Was there a specific state? region of the country? he wanted to introduce the animal to [b]Yes, the South.[/b
************SPOILER******************8
The backstory: Pellegra was endemic in the American South in the early years of the 20th century. It was theorized by many (including TR.,) that it was caused by poverty and poor diet, and they weren't wrong. Roosevelt proposed to introduce hippos into the bayous of Louisiana, so that the locals could hunt them and have a source of protein in their diet. With hindsight, we can see that this would case more problems than it would solve. Good Lord, nutria and alligators aren't enough?
It wasn't until the later teens that a Dr. Joseph Godlwater did some experiments with convicts (Caucasian cons only, as the rash showed up better on white skin) that it was discovered just what vitamins were lacking, niacin and tryptophan.
Congrats, Dr. Trebor!