The Detroit times., 1916-09-26
Headaches.
BY Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank Crane)

ing tendency TO write on medical sub
Jects in plain English. understandable
of the people.
Mystery, secrecy, dignified silence, big
Latin and Greek terms and all the other
time-honored accoutrements of hocus-
pocus are gradually disappearing.
The greater the doctor the palmer he
talks nowadays.
1t is probably the patent medicine
takers who have forced the regular ply
stefan into ineligible print While the
latter were sitting back looking wise, the
former were circulating their sarsapa-
rilla and swamp-root almanacs among the
farmers and Occurring from the tails of
spring wagons on the street corners to
the gaping crowd.
In self-defense the doctors had to
climb down from their cold heights of
medical ethics and begin to call spade
a spade New magazines have articles
by real scientists upon health and dis
ease. and the physicians corner in the
daily newspaper is a growing feature.
The toploftest high priests of science in
Rockefeller Institute and Johns Hopkins
no longer disdain TO write concisely of
what they know, and honestly of what
they don't know.
II is a good thing. Science is essen
TALLY democratic Real knowledge is
never snobbish. There is no reason why
the facts-re scarlet fever eczema, and
nerve troube-should not be divuged to
the commons. OF course, they may mis-
understand and misuse the facts, but
that will not be so bad as 70 understand
and use non-facts and nonsense.
One of the best. clearest and most
practical books that tells medical truth
in direct language is alittle VOLUME en-
titled Headaches" by DR.. Riley, the
well-known nerve specialist.
1t is written TO the multitude who
have headaches, and tells them what is
known and what is not known on the sub
ject, also what is the cause of head
ache and how TO get rid Of it.
There are few technical terms. and the
ordinary reader can understand all he
reads.
And he ought to read this kind of lit
erature: if for no other reason he ought
TO read it to cure himself of the habit Of
taking headache powders, pills. and syr-
ups II can pretty safely be asserted that
there is not one headache cure" sold at
the drug store that is not dangerous.
Many Of these nostrums weaken the
heart and to exchange a chronic head
ache for chronic heart disease is a poor
trade.
The best cure for headaches, as pr.
Riley shows and indeed about the only
cure for any physical ailment is cor
rect habits of living. When people
learn how TO eat, exercise. and take care
# the bowels, they rarely need either
drugs or mind cures.
at is not too much to say" the author
assures us, that most headaches are
preventable by common sense in eating,
drinking, reading, and working"
Only proper medical or surgical atten-
ton, Of course, can remedy headaches
that are due TO diseases of the eyes, bad
blood, serious kidney, digestive and SEX
ual complications and the like. But still,
fresh air, rational diet, and sane habits
will obviate most headaches.
The general rules for removing the
causes Of headaches may be roughly Civ
en- as follows:
/, Get all the fresh air YOU can.
,. Get sufficient sleep. Eight hours
is the average requirement.
3. Get all the sunshine you can.
4. Drink six or eight glasses of water
daily
). Find out what diet is suited to you
and stick to that Don't eat too much.
6. Keep the body in repair. Keep the
eyes ears. nose and teeth IN good work
ing order.
7. Wear clothing that is comfortable
and clean and restricts no normal func-
tie Of the body.
3. Avoid constipation by eating laxa-
tive foods and obeying natures calls.
And
9. Don't worry.