The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-15
POPULAR MEDICAL DELvsloNs
An Old Family Physician Tells of Some
Of His Exneriences.


Tit-Bits: Tradition and superstition
1T is said die hard, and even in this
twentieth century. the age Of education
n progress. 1t is surprising what err
roneous and delusive ideas prevail re.
garding medical matters.
In some Of the more common ALL
ments Of children a doctor hears az
times peculiar views expressed. Many
patients are quite under the Impression
thai 1t Is for their children's welfare
that they should contract While young
such diseases as measles, whoopinR
cough and ~chickenpox, or glasspox.
n they will even go so far as to ex-
pose them to infection so as to. as thew
express 1t, get it over and done with"
AS a matter of fact, there is no rea-
son or necessity why any child should
suffer from any one of these diseases.
Happy is the family that Escape them.
for then there is a chance of the young
steers growing up healthy men and wo-
men and useful members of society.
Most ideas prevail as to the
effect Of these complaints Of childhood.
I nave often heard 1t said, ooh, it's
MY measles!" or ~chickenpox. rs the
case may be; quite oblivious to after
effects. Any one who would take the
trouble to read health statistics would
soon be convinced that measles es-
pecially is not to be trifled with. And
yet medical men, as a rule, find a reck-
less disregard for isolation, and in
many cases not ever the of
calling in the family doctor. the re- e.
sule being. naturally, that the disease
spreads at it's own sweet will and often
works havoc.
In the treatment of this complaint.
again, decisions and ideas
exist mons q large number of the
community. Tradition, SO it appears
to me, is more prevalent with regard
to measles han almost any other
children's disease.
A remedy that has Deer handed down
from mother to daughter for 1 don't
know how many generations is saffron,
NOW, what effect saffron has Upon this
particular fever no doctor knows. Ger
tainly there is no peculiar element in
Its composition that makes it a neces-
sity. When one remembers tina SAT-
from is merely a dye-principally used
commercially in that role-and that it
possesses no medicinal value, one fails
to understand why 1t is SO universally
used. The only thing to be said in its
favor is that, while being useless. it is
harmless.
A favorite addition to saffron is
brandy, but as saffron is harmless,
brandy, on the other hand, especially
With babies and young children, is posi-
lively injurious and should never be
given except under medical advice.
Children are always thirsty in their
feverish ailments. Yet how seldom the
mother thinks of giving her child wa
ter to drink! 1t is nearly always milk
another popular delusion. Milk is an
excellent food, but it does not quench
thirst; in fact, it increases it. Give the
child cold boiled water and it will be-
come quiet and less fretful.
A very popular error is that spirits
keep the cdld out. AS a matter of fact
they 40 just the opposite. Alcohol in
creases the action of the skin, opens
the pores n makes the individual
more liable to contract chills and colds.
often with serious results. A glass of
hot milk is far better ard much coeap-
er and purer.
1t is a popular delusion that doctors
are compelled to attend to any and
every call made upon them. Nothing
of h kind; but medical men very
rarely refuse, although in many cases
the chance of receiving a fee is re-
mote. Street accidents or people sud
denly taken i'll sometimes a malinger-
err will make a kind hearted onlooker
run to the nearest doctor for assist
ance, quite %oblivious as to who is re-
sponsible for payment. AS a matter of
fact, the n who calls the doctor is
liable.