The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-08-26
CUT THE WEEDS TO WARD
OFF THE HAY FEVER


With the approach Of the autumnal
hay fever season, the American Hay
Fever Prevention association, with
headquarters in New Orleans, has is
sued bulletin, advising suffers
from that complaint a. to the best
means of prevention and Of caring
for the malady after its attacks.
1t advises, among other things, the
enforcement Of anti-weed ordinances,
as the means of removing the source
Of the disease and recommends . diet
! to aid in fighting off attacks.
The bulletin says:
As the autumnal form Of hay fever,
which is the most common, persistent
and annoying form of this malady, is
due in August, hay fever sufferers are
urged to use the most active proven
tative measures at this time.
The pollens Of the rag weeds Gam
brosia artemisiaefolia and Trifida)
are the irritating agents in practically
every case Of this form Of hay fever,
although the pollen of other weeds,
(golden-rod, etc., may aggravate the
symptoms and in some cases even ORR
ginate them.
In order to prevent or diminish the
irritating cause of this autumnal hay
fever, hay fever sufferers should re-
main away as much as possible from
roads adjoining neglected fields, which
is the habitat of these weeds. They
should learn to recognize the rag weed,
so as to avoid neighborhoods where it is
common.
OF special Importance is the removal
of the exciting cause from the neigh
borhood of the hay fever sufferer 8
home. In vacant lots and fields espec-
tally, if they have been at one time
cultivated, the weeds should be cut
down at once, which will prevent the
pollinization of the rag weed if present.
In order to accomplish this, hay fever
sufferers should explain to the owners
the relationship Of such pollens to hay
fever, which is as well established as
any other truth in medicine While
some underlying constitutional condi-
ton and some special sensitiveness of
the breathing passages may be the
predisposing cause, the direct exciting
lcause is one or more of these pollens.
This can be easily demonstrated, as
an attack may be produced in suscepti
BILE patients at any time Of the year,
by simply applying a few particles Of
the pollen to their nostrils.
When this is fully understood by the
public, vacant lots and neglected fields
with hay fever producing weeds will
soon become rare in the neighborhood
IOf residences. Such result may be at
tanned by grazing cattle, by cultiva-
Ition or moving down the weeds before
the time Of pollinization. That this is
entirely practical is demonstrated by
the fact that it has actually been &C.
icomplished in some localities as Bethle-
hem, N. H., etc.
In cases in which the owners, after
such explanations, reruse 20 cut the
weeds within Incorporated limits, a re-
port should be made to the local boards
|of health, as most towns already have
an anti-weed law. As the public be-
jcomes educated in the relationship of
rag weed and similar weeds to hay fever
Iof which several hundred thousands are
victims in the United States, legislation
against hay fever producing weeds in
the neighborh0od Of residences and pub.
lie roads will meet with little opposi-
ltion.
In the majority of cases, law nitro
lgenous diet (redueed in meals, fish,
cheese, milk, etc. is of benefit in pre-
venting or diminishing the attacks, un-
less contaminated by the low vitality
of the patient. Remedies are for the
most part unreliable; and should be
used only under the directions Of the
physicians. Many Of these remedies
contain some form of cocaine, and their
continued use may establish the habit
or injure the nervous system.