Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-23

every road in Virginia and Maryland Il 10
the commonest kind of a plant and can De
gathered any time from October until the
late spring, though / think the perry Is
more efficacous If gathered before the WIN
ter rains and SHOWS have fallen sun II
matters not when Ii Is gathered; II does the
work Those who do not want to take the
trouble to go out into the country and gatn-
er it, can secure 1t from any OF the OLD
aunties who bring herbs and roots to the
market houses To use it, make out OF 1t
an infusion tea. A handful of the berries
to a quart of boiling water. and let 1t re-
main on the stove for an hour or so. IL
makes a nice red tea, which can be taken,
a wineglass at a time four times a day.
Unlike most herb medicines, 1t is exceeding
ly pleasant to the taste, slightly sour ana
bitter, and has no bad after effects. For
ordinary cases of bo,s 1t should be taken
for at least a week. and. to keep them from
recurring, week or so longer.
4 !: X X
Naval officers were the most violent
opponents of iron ships observed a we'll
known naval officer to Star reporter, land
fought their introduction in every way pos
sible but the iron ship got the best of 1t In
the long run. Farragut and hosts of other
officers refused outright to sail in an iron
ship. and loaded down the records of the
navy with reasons why an iron ship could
not take the place of the wooden ship. 1t Is
interesting now to read these old reports
III view Oh the IdCL tlldI tfltTe are pEdcllCdi-
ly no wooden ships left They argued and
proved to their own satisfaction too, that
the iron ship would be too cold in winter
and too warm in the summer; that 1t would
sweat and give every who rode in it
rheumatism and dozens of other diseases.
Experience has shown every one of the OBJ
jections to be without foundation. The
people who forced the iron ship the
navy were landsharks in every instance.
They knew little about the sea themselves,
but just The same they thought it would be
an improvement on the wooden ship, and
they were right about it. The only thing
that | can compare it to was the opposition
to the elevated railroads in New York city.
Three hundred of the physicians of the
largest practice in New York city joined in
waited railroad. They insisted that If the
elevated cars were run. that in less than
six months one-third or more of the people
living along the lines of elevated railroads
would be driven crazy; that the noise and
the Earring would have such an effect upon
the nerves of the people that they could not
exist. Hundreds of famous naval surgeons
and hundreds not so famous are on record
the same way against the iron ship. The
long list of diseases that were to follow
their Introduction have not vet material
lied and the iron ship persistently refuses
to sweat In the terrible way that was pre-
dicted for it."
= x x
Dentists are thoroughly divided on
the question as to whether the use of to-
bacco is injurious to the teeth or a benefit
thereto as they were fifty years ago" ex-
planned dentist to a Star reporter though
neither side of the controversy is as active
as it was in former years. Maybe it was
on the principle that what Is meat for one
is poison to another that caused a suspen-
sion of hostilities. l think, however, the
great body of advanced thinkers in the
profession are inclined to the opinion tina t
while tobacco when chewed or smoked has
a tendency to discolor the teeth, the use of
it is a preservative rather than otherwise
As a general principle the use of any or
gan improves 1t, and if only for that reason
the use of tobacco may be advantageous.
While | would not encourage the use of
tobacco for any reason, l do not think 1
can cOnScientiOusly give it as an opinion,
as l am asked sometimes TO do. that to-
bacco is injurious to the teeth. The benefit
il is to the teeth may be more than coun-
terbalanced by the injury it does to other
organs. Tobacco being slightly alkaline
there is no doubt that it corrects the acid
lty arising from the stomach and which is
the cause Of the decay of the teeth All
dentists are agreed on one question, how
ever. in this connection, and that is that
cigarettes are certainly injurious to the
teeth. in other ways, too than by diScolOr-
ing them. though there are many cigarette
smokers who maintain that their teeth give
them less trouble while using tobacco in
this way than when they abstain from 1t
entirely"
x x X x x
At a recent local dinner a good story was
told at the expense of Representative Nor
ton of Ohio, commonly known to his col
leagues as doctor" 1t seems that early
in his career Norton graduated in medicine
and took up the practice. later giving IT
up for the more enticing practice of poll
tics" The story in question was told by
one of DR.. NOrton's colleagues from Ohio
and was as follows:
Back in the seventies / lived near DR..
Norton, then a practcing physician. While
| in that neighbOrhOod l was taken seriously
! i'll. and required the services of two ply
| sicians for days and days. 1 knew l was
a pretty sick man. and, consequently
| when the doctors failed to put in appear
| auce a certain day, | asked my wife
| what had become of them She held back
| tears in her eyes. that they had given me
| up, that they were convinced they coulc
| do nothing more for me. Well, / was de.
| termined not to die and happened to think
! of Dr. Norton. And l want TO say to yoU
| now that DIR. Norton saved my life.
| have always been grateful to him for thi:
| great service. although | have never beer
| able to repay him. Send for DIR. Norton.
| said l. He will be able TO save me- My
| wife acted on my suggestion, and, calling
| a messenger, sent for the doctor. Pretty
| soon the messenger returned with a reply
| to my wifes message, and this is what she
I read. Sorry. but | cannot come