Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-01-02
P0PULAR MEDICAL ILLUSIONS
pmc Experiences OF IN OLD FamiI,
Physician as Related by
RfanscIf.


RisnscIf.
Tradition and superstition, it is said
DIG harA, and ven in this twentieth
century, The age of education anc
progress, it Is surprising what er-
rcreous and delusiye ideas prevail re
Egarding medical matters, says London
Tit-Bits. !.
Ia somc of the more ommon all
ments of children a doctor hears al
times peculiar views expressed. Man!
patients are quite under the irpres
sion that it is for their children's wei.
fare that they should contract while
young such diseases as measles,
whoopiEg cough and ehickenpox, oi
g%lasspox, and they will even go so fa1
as to expose them to infection SO as to,
as they express it, "gct it over n
done With"
AS q matter OF fact, there is NO rea-
son or necessity why my child should
suffer from any one of these diseases.
Happy Is the family hat escapes from
them, for then there is a chance OF the
youngsters growing up healthy men
and women and useful members of So
cioty.
Most erroneous ideas prevail as to
] tse effect of these complaints of child
hood. | have often heard it said: "Oh,
it's only measles!" or c~hickenpox, as
the case may be; quite oblivious to
after effects. Anyone who would take
The trouble to. read health statistics
Puld oon be convinced that measles
ybecially is not to be trifled with. And
It medical men, as a rule, find a reck-
SIS disregard for isolation, and in
fany cases not even the preoaution of
Calling in the family doctor, the result
being, naturally, that the disease
spreads at its own sweet will and
A[ten works havoc.
In the treatment of this complaint,
ain, decisions and ideas
Exist among a large number of the
community Tradition, SO it appears
to me-, is more prevalent with regard
to measles than almost any other chill
dren's disease.
A remedy that has been handed
Dwn from mother to daughter for I
bn't know how many generations is
ptfron. Now, what effect saffron has
pen this particular fever no doctor
Knows. Certainly there is no peculiar
clement in its composition that makes
it d necessity. When one remembers
that saffron is merely a dye, principal
~ used commercially in that role
and that it possesses no medicinal
value-one fails to understand why it
is SO universally used. The only thing
TO DO said in it's favor is that, while
Icing 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 be
given except under medical advice.
Children are always thirsty in their
f~eYerish 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
become quiet and less fretful.
A very popular error Is that spirits
keep the cold out. AS a matter of fact
they do just the opposite. Alcohol in
creases the action of the skin, opens
the pores and makes the individual
more liable to contract ohills and colds,
often with serious results. A glass Of
hot milk is far better and much cheap
er and purer.
1t is a popular delusion that doctors
are compelled to attend to any and
every call made upon them. Nothing
OF the kind; but medical men very
rarely refuse, although in many cases
the chance of receiving aefee is remote.
street accidents or people suddenl.
taken i'll sometimes a malingerer)
Will make a kind-hearted onlooker run
to the nearest doctor for assistance.
quite oblivious as to who is responsi-
bic for payment. AS a matter OF fact,
Ne one who calls the doctor is liable.
~ HarHiF N ~ A4 s.