Omaha daily bee., 1918-04-28
HOW ONE MAN FOUND HEALTH
in A CITY DENTISTS CHAIR
Symptoms of Illness That Frequently Msead Physicians
Into Incorrect Diagnoses Causing Misery
and Suffering Due to Cond
ton of Teeth.

assured me there was nothing Or
ganic the matter" with me, made up
my mind that, however much my Ill
health might spoil my own life, it
should not spoil the lives of others.
| am breaking that resolution be-
cause / think l have discovered what
is the matter with half the people of
the world, who without being sick, are
more or less constantly depressed and
troubled with pains that are not "or-
ganic" and, therefore, apparently be-
yond medical help. believe l can
describe the symptoms of at least a
million men and women in these
United States who will recognize in
my story counterpart of their own.
I come OF moderately well-to-do par
ents. My ancestors on both sides
lived wholesome, self-respecting lives.
None of them passed away much be-
fore eighty. How it come to pass that
should "enjoy poor health" seemed
mystery.
/ passed through the usual success
sion of children's diseases in mild
form, and except for them l cannot
remember ever having had the minis
trations of physician in my first hf-
teen years. F>can remember being
taken by my mother to the dentist
when | was years old.
Long before this | had been initi-
ated into the use of the toothbrush
so long, in fact, that | must have been
born with toothbrush in the place of
the traditional silver spoon. feel it
necessary to set this down, partly out
of justice to my parents, and partly
because | understand that late medi-
cal theory ascribes all tooth decay to
lack of oral cleanliness. | am the
living proof that this theory will not
hold water. IS
Lots of Work Needed.
l can recall my first appointment
with a city dentist clearly enough
even to the very words he spoke. /
opened my mouth, he poked the in
strument here and there for brief
minute, and, turning to my mother,
in accusing tones he said to her:
'Mrs. Elkins, there's pile of work
to be done"
He began by pulling three teeth.
Six or seven years of hard, conscien-
tious brushing out of eleven years of
life-and this was the reward!
1t was during these years of my
early teens that l first remember
certain deficiency of vitality, lack OF
endurance that left me tired. and
ready to go home and to bed while
other fellows were still fresh. 1t was
not sufficiently pronounced to be
noticeable to my people, nor to handi-
cap me at school.
So | made my way up through high
school and into business, living a viz
tuous and more or less unhappy life.
! had everything that ought to make
man happy-a good home, congenial
work and the appearance of splendid
health. Indeed, have never,lost that
appearance: it seems to be one of the
curiosities of condition like mine
that man can look the perfect pic
ture of health while feeling utterly
miserable. Knowing this, | often won-
der what tragedies are hidden be-
hind rosy cheeks and eyes almost
clear. ~
My trouble was, first of all. that l
was never really rested. | slept fair
ly we'll, but | would get up in the
morning almost as tired as when /
went to bed My wife sometimes leaps
to the floor and stretches her arms
above her head to greet the new day,
and exclaims, 81 could eat the worldw
/ have never in my whole life felt
that way. Generally | have risen
rather blur-eyed, with Kind of grim
resolve to make my strength equal
to the days burden, somehow or
other. And many morning / have
lain on my pillow. watching the rays
Of the sun push their way through
the window and spread and dance,
and have pictured the sunlight as a
kind of implacable enemy. ..
Down to Mere Nerve.
Usually this tired feeling would pass
off by the time had eaten breakfast,
and / would reach my office with a
fair amount of energy and determine
ton Tor the job. But after an hour
or two all that energy would have
used itself up and would be down
to mere nerve again. 1t was as
though Nature had given me mans
size body, and brain for mans size
job, but had equipped me with reser-
voir that would hold only child's
energy. ,e
My people had never believed much
in doctors. I complained to them
once or twice about my feelings, and
they brushed the complaint aside as
being product of an unduly active
imagination. They had no time or
money to squander on the health of
boy who cost as much to feed as
did and who looked so perfectly
we'll.
We had moved from the city to
suburb, and our new dentist. a con-
scientious young fellow, was hon.
estly concerned at the way in which
my teeth persisted in going to
pieces, in spite of all his care and
my vigorous consumption of tooth
powder and washes. He asked me
questions about my health, and
sought by putting litmus paper in
my mouth to determine whether the
saliva was acid or alkaline. So far
as ! could see, there was no reaction
visible on the paper, but he believed
that there was something the matter
with my stomach which caused an
acid condition of the mouth.
My people listened to his report,
though they paid no attention to my
own, and on his suggestion I was
taken to doctors of various sorts.
More Eresh Air
Looking as we'll as / did. l re-
ceived a superficial examination. a
slap on the back and an injunction to
get more fresh air into my lungs,
drink more water and think less
about my health. So my youth
passed, and manhood came to me.