The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-01-14
POPULAR MEDICAL DELUsroNs.
Some Experiences Of an Old Family y
Physician as Related by
Himself,

tradition and superstition, IL Is SAID,
die hard, and. even in this twentieth
century, the age of education and
progress, 1t is surprising what err
roneous and delusive ideas prevail re-
garding medical matters, says London
Tit-Bits.
In some of the more common all
ments of children doctor hears at
times peculiar views expressed. Many
patients are quite under the impress
sion that 1t Is for their children's well
fare that they should contract while
young such diseases as measles,
whooping cough and chickenpox, or
glasspox, and they will even go so far
as to expose them to infection so as to,
as they express it, get it over and
done with"
AS 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 escapes from
them, for then there is q chance of the
youngsters growing up healthy men
and women and useful members of So
ciety.
Most erroneous ideas prevail as to
the effect of these complaints of child
hood. | have often heard it said "Oh,
it's only measles!" or cbickenpox, as
the case may be; quite oblivious to
after effects. Anyone who would take
the trouble to read health statistics
would soon be convinced that measles
especially Is not to be trifled with. And
yet medical men, as a rule, lind a reck-
less disregard for isolation, and in
many cases not even the precaution of
calling in the family doctor, the result
being, naturally, that the disease
spreads at its own sweet will and
often works havoc.
In the treatment of this complaint,
again, dclUsiOns and erroneous ideas
exist among large number of the
community. Tradition. so II appears
to me, is more prevalent with regard
to measles than almost any other chill
dren's disease.
A remedy that has been handed
down from mother to daughter for /
don't know how many generations is
saffron. Now, what effect saffron has
upon this particular fever no doctor
knows. Certainly there is no peculiar
element in its composition that makes
it necessity When one remembers
that saffron Is merely dye, principal
ly used commercially in that role
and that IL 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
become quiet and less fretful.
A very popular error is that spirits
keep the cold out. AS 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 chills 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 fee is remote.
Street accidents or people suddenly
| taken i'll sometimes a malingerer)
will make n liind-hearted onlooker run
to the nearest doctor for assistance,
quite oblivious as to who is response
BILE for payment. AS matter of fact,
the one who calls the doctor is liable