The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-20
Medical Notes.

Nothing gives the doctor more trouble
than patient who just won't get well.
These people decide. no matter how slight
the illness, that the time for their diving
has come, and very often in such cases II
does come because the mind has pow
erfui influence over the body. In the
same way very strong wilIed person
refuses tG give up the fight for life even
when the doctors say there is no hone.
and such obstinate people often get well
in spite Of the lack of hope. Much Of
the Illness from which many people suf
fer Is purely imaginary, but by persever-
ing in their morbid Imagination the Ill
ness may become real. Their food must
be weighed out without the error Of a
grain and their drink must be measured
with minute precision, for who knows
what terrible results might ensue if a
quarter of an ounce more bread were
eaten or a drachm more wine drunk
than is set forth in the dietary by which
their meals are regulated. Such people
when you ask them. how they feel are
never more than a little better" or
fairly we'll for me" and even this ad-
mission costs them an effort, for they
actually believe that they are telling what
IS not true just to be agreeable Even
when in perfect health Illness of any
kind in the neighborheod will surely af-
feet those people If they take 4 walk
and meet friend who has had the in
huenza they will cross the road to avoid
any possibility Of infection. II in spite
OF extreme care they chance to swallow
a fruit stone an ever ending cause Of
anxiety is provided. II you talk to these
fnvalids on fine day their gloomy and
respondent conversation is enough to
make the sun hide his face and if you
chance to be smut up with them on
rainy day it Will task your patience to
the utmost to refrain from impoIite au6
violent language Yet while the doctors
do not like these patients they are a per-
feet mine of wealth and swallow more
pills and pOtions in a week than ordinary
people would consume in year
The question as to how long canned
food will keep and be fit to eat has been
subject of expert investigation. DR.
Brown, who is strongly in favor of legis-
lation to regulate the canning and sale
of canned food made analyses Of meats
soups, etc, which were from twenty to
thirty years old, and although the cans
We're rusted outside they were perfectly
clean inside and the contents were sound,
although not as fresh and tempting T.
the sight as recently prepared samples
In canned fruits age caused a change due
to the chemical action of the acids Of
the fruit and the galvanlc action by
which the plating and solder were eaten
off. He recommends that no sheet tin
be used for cans containing more than
per cent of lead, or IN which more
than TO per cent of solder is used In the
making. for numerous analyses show that
when lead is used in timing or soldering
cans lead will be found in the fruits and
syrups. The question of age IS one which
can readily be solved by stamping upon
them the date when the cans were filled
and a prohibition of the sale of all can
ned food not bearing such dates.
Superstitious people think there is soue
evil in having stuffed birds In the house
and physicians say that there is a real
evil due to the arsenic used in preparing
the skin A physician has reported
case in which the husband of her patient
was an amateur taxiderInist and the wife
was found to he suffering from arsenical
poisoning due to inhaIations of the arseni-
{ car carnations from the stuffed birds
No deubt9in some cases zHl-de6aed- feel
ings of indisposition attributable to no
ascertainable causatien may be due Is
the presence of stuffed birds In the house
and it may be barely possible that the