Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-02
Keep Fit For War
"
Infection and Disease
By Frederic ]. Haskin

1
order of Surgcon-Geperal William
Crawford C:orgas. They nre probably
| the most Authoritative advice upon
] medicine and hygiene which has ever
been offered the public IN popular
form. This talk was delivered by
| Col Frank Billings, formerly Of
| Chicago University, and now head Of
! the Division on Recommendation and
Rehabilitation. Army Medical Do
/ partment.
infection ia the invasion ~ the body by
n pathopenic organism BY n pathogsnlc
organism we mean one ss9ch ~ capable
| of multiplying lnsIde the body, and pro
| ei,rinp bodily reaction, which may take
the form of chill. fever headache, an
| inflammation or other undesHable con
dition
All of ia NJ all tirnes are invaded by
bacteria Some of them are pafhogenic.
| Most of them are non pathogenic, and
are simply parasites living on human
| beings.
A foesl Infection 10 an Infection 600
/ fined spsnawhere within ms An lnfee1on
about the root If the tooth, chutups
| .oo.hache ia one example Tonsittts- il
another sxanrie. tho torrsiI being IN that
case n focIs of Infection Catavh ~
,,mrally diie to focal lnfeetion, while an
inrruwIna toenall nny produce a local
| Infection under the nail
The important thing Tn remember
about these focal Infections B that thfy
are capable or poisoning the blood stream
md thereby doing great harm II - tr'ie
that Won rnav have a tonthache wnicn
results IN tho ache and nothing more, or
n catarrh which passes away without
doing serious harm In this caee the bar
| terra NAV not have gotten INTO the binod,
/ or they may not have entered y IN slfff-
c,ent force "a 10 harm. or the resistant
pnwers of vorr body may have bern great
| enough IN ne,ffraIire tho attack that ls
yotIr natural immunity may have saved
YOU.
Put IF n focal infection exists IN Your
BODY. vol are harburing traitor. for y
- MT - do you serIolts harm ~ hmn
when illness rold or fatlEue haa low'r"d
! yaur natural immunity II ls, therefore,
frIportant not to neglect focal infections,
bjt to remove them ~ Soon ~ rrff'sib'e.
ad,l ~ keep votm natural immunity ~
he highest posshle point by attention 70
v1a,r general health
okF ~ MrpIcINR's ~. FssoNs
This il ono of the most important les-
seIns ~ modern medicine fhat 70 hr"
n1arlv always expt,sed 70 Infections but
that orr natural immunity will protect rs
n wr trnd io our general health Babies
pId Old ucnplc arc cspccinly liahle 70 IN
fkctlous eI1Scasra heca,I=e they are weak
their natural immunity low For the
Same REASON adults are invaded ny m
feetions whom they do not yet enough
exerclse when they sleep IN poor arr
when they overwork when they 90 with
ont proper clothing or food. when they
.sassk or rfrzFa
TOO much
rheumatism henrf disease fuberc1I-
los,s pneumonia NAV All be rai.sed by
focal infections. uhIch get hold ipon the
,lisea4ed organ when the natural I'M
munItv If low That II one reason why so
many diseasee originate bad cold,
he cold weakcns the defensive powers Of
IN. body
T1I. mouth il especiallv liable n focal
Infections The roots of the teeth are
subject 10 Infection through the gums.
II il not necesaary for the teeth to be
derayed for these organisms 10 gam
hold There are more than thirty kinds
of baeteria m the cleanest mouth, and
there IS often infection about the roots Of
the teeth which does not manifest itself
by anv discomfort or anv PAIN whatever
Yet these infections are constant menace
10 the health, for they may invade the
blood stream under certain conditions
Tbest. infections in the mouth may ca,lse
pneumonia, tuberculosis or Bright :
disease
This does not mean that YOU should
immediately rush to doctor % see II voa
hive any focal Infection IN your body
bIt il docs mean that YOU should not
neglect any focal Infection which YOU per
celve, such as toothache or tonsIhtIS
And choose a doctor for the minor all-
ments iust rs carefully rs YOU would
choose one If you bad pneuInonIa DO
not be afraid 10 lose tooth II the dentist
saws the tooth cannot be fixed. And re-
member that the dentist who does not
use an X-rav to look At the roots of tooth
before he hxes it, IS not fulfilling hls obi
cations to his patient. Also remember
that a doctor can afford u serve you for
a reasonable fee.
Tonsilitis, rs stated above IS a typical
focal infection The tonsllS should not Dc
removed unless they are undoubtedly
diseased, but III the latter case they should
come out.
Don T NEGLECT CATARRH.
Do not neglect catarrh OF the nose and
throat This does not mean catarrh OF the
mucous membrane. Connected with the
nose are cavities of the bonev skull tWo
under each cheek, and two IN the frontal
region behind the eyebrows. These may
become seats Of bacterial Infection, and
produce chronic catarrh 1t cannot be
cured by douches, gargles and syringeS,
and if YOU have . chronic catarrh, do not
let doctor put you of with these things.
By an inclsion these cavities may be
drained, and the focus Of infection re-
moved
DO not neglect or minimize the mn
portance of any of these forms of focal IN
lection, for any Of them may do YOU very
serious harm But, above all, keep your
natural immunity high This natural inn
munlty, your bodily vlgor, IS your IN
; surance against all kinds of Infection
See that YOU have daily exercise, plenty
of sleep, good wholesome food, and that
you are properly clothed when YOU 60
out. Chilling the body is one of the most
dangerous things that you can do, for il
lowers you natural immunity, which Is
0f health