The Springfield herald., 1914-10-16
copyright. 1914. by A. S. Gray)
NATURES ALARM BELL.


Dear Doctor am f1fty-eight years
of age and have always been healthy
except that have had rheumatism In
my legs for the past 15 years and 1t
hurts me to bend my right knee.
am the mother of three healthy sons
and they have inherited my rheutna-
tism so that they are frequently troub-
led with muscular rheumatism. What
will cure rheumatism%
1t is easy to picture the writer Of
such letter as plump. placid. kind
ly faced. motherly soul. A good cook,
she is proud of the fact that she can
prepare the same dishes on which her
mother and her mothers mother be-
fore her successfully raised their fam
lilies. But she has rheumatism" and
her sons have inherited rheumatism"
This is fair sample of type of in
quiry frequently received from people
who look upon rheumatism as sim
pie disorder which, quite as matter
of course. every one is bound to have
sooner or later as result OF wet feet,
damp clothes, or the weather, or AZ
the result of inheritance"
1t is customary to apply the word
rheumatism" to almost every imagi-
nable ache or pain occurring in any
part of the body. From long abuse
the word has lost its significance and
has come to sound harmless: 1t does
not convey any idea of danger and
most people are perfectly satisfied II
told that their various ailments arise
from "rheum atism" 1t In a nice, con-
venient word and 1t does not jar on
their sensibilities.
Rheumatism Is an acute infiamma-
ton of the synovial membranes OF
various joints with the accumulation
of fluid; 1t is due to an infection OF
unknown origin and runs a course OF
about six weeks. Muscular rheuma-
tisms" on the other hand. are either
the result of strains, as we have al
ready noted, or they are pains aris-
ing from organic diseases. or they are
caused by one or more OF many con-
ditions. practically all of them con-
nected either directly or indirectly
with defective metabolism. Here is
the basis of all our degenerative dis
eases. such as diabetes. Bright's dis
ease, arteriosclerosis and apoplexy. all
of which are on the increase. in spite
of the numerous cures" and all OF
which are allied to anemia. Whether
anemia is the cause or the result OF
most of these metabolic disturbances
is yet to be decided. but certainly cir
cumstanial evidence points strongly
in the former direction.
Why are these chronic pains SO lit
tie understood? Because we do not
want to know the truth il 1t will In
yoIve a thorough overhauling and re-
adjusting of diet and of our mode OF
life.
With very few exceptions all of our
troubles arise from the fact that we
are unable easily to bring our mental
pictures to coincide with the facts. to
harmonic the subjective with the OBJ
jective.
Health is a normal condition and Ill
health is a departure from the normal
hence there Is strong, persistent
force continually working toward the
normal and. barring organic break
downs from inherent weakness, we
are certain to relapse" into good
health sooner or later If we do not too
persistently work against 1t. There
fore a raw potato in the pocket,
nauseous draft or faith and cheerful
mind are certain to be equally enec-
tive or Ineffective, depending upon the
angle from which you view them.
If you were to interview our friend
of the letter you would undoubtedly
learn that during these Is years she
has taken many kinds of liquids. pills
and powders, used many liniments and
oiptments and has probably worn
few charms, such as magnetic rings
that turn either green or black as they
"absorb the poison" Most Of the sup
posed remedies doubtless she has
tried at the solicitation of we'll mean
ing friends; each perhaps effected
cure" in due time. But the trouble
always returned and she still has 1t.
or course she wants to be comfort
able and to get we'll. but she wants
to do 1t in her way. To ask her to
change her diet and mode of living
or even materially to change her
method OF purchasing supplies. is ask
ing her to tear up deep-seated and thor
oughly intrepched habits, prejudices.
tradition and beliefs and to go to addi-
tional trouble.