In 1943 I published a paper on pellagra, in which I described in summary form twelve clinical cases from amongst patients with a psychosis of long standing at West Park Hospital. I also referred briefly to two other cases seen at the observation unit at St. Pancras Hospital, one of whom died shortly after admission, the other being subsequently discharged recovered from West Park. Since then I have encountered from time to time further cases, both amongst the West Park patients and those of recent admission to the observation unit. The diagnosis in each instance was clinical, being based on the well-known symptomatology of symmetrical dermatitis, glossitis (and often stomatitis), malnutrition and, as a rule, diarrhoea. The frequent association of malnutrition with mental disease led one to suspect that milder vitamin-deficient states, i.e. intermediate between frank pellagra and healthy nutrition, existed. I think that our clinical observations, together with subsequent research along biochemical lines, go to support this. If one adds to the foregoing the major and minor B1 deficiency states, one is forced to the conclusion that one is not dealing with academic rarities, but with a practical problem of interest to psychiatrist, physician and dietician. Moreover, recent research has yielded us powerful therapeutic weapons, such as nicotinic acid, aneurin and riboflavine, which, with certain reservations, have a specific curative effect in the corresponding deficiency conditions.