New Ulm review., 1921-11-16
PAIN IN BACK AND ANALYSIS
OF THE URINE.

Since the Home Health Club was
established, nearly a quarter of a
century ago, it has had many imitators.
This ! consider very decided COM
piment to the Home Health Club, but
like other counterfeits, some of the
so-called service organizations appear
to exist for profit only.
They render no service without pay,
and liberal pay, at that. I have seen
and examined some of the elegant
literature sent out by these institu-
tions and it is so skillfully gotten up
that many otherwise sound business
men and other people are induced to
pay from $40 to $25 to have their
urine examined once or twice each
year.
That is in practice what the service
amounts to and while I readily endorse
the plan of promptly having the urine
analyzed whenever any symptoms in
dicate any urinary disorder, I am fully
convinced that a charge of from $40
to $25 for doing it twice each year is
not necessary. Better service and for
less expense would follow if you were
to go to your family physician and in
slst that he make careful analysis.
He is perfectly competent to do it, if
he will.
also believe that. much. sickness,
suffering and many lives could be
saved if people would have a. careful
analysis of the urine made at least
once year while they are young and
twice year after reaching the age Of
80 years. One of the mistaken ideas
OF the laity is that pain in the back
is an indication of disease of the kid
neys, and they wait for such symp-
tom. As a matter of fact, we find
people feeling extra fine, looking fine
and with no pains in the back who are
almost at the point of utter collapse
with disease of the kidneys, that
might have been easily cured if attend
ed to in time. Pain in the back is
seldom caused by organic disease Of
the kidneys.
Only about a month ago I received
letter from a farmer in Minnesota
telling of the sickness of his wife. She
had appeared to be in her usual health
until few weeks before, when she
suddenly began to lose strength and
weight. She also wanted to drink
water almost constantly. 1 answered
his letter at once, privately, instead
Of through the paper in Home Health
Club Notes, and told him to lose no
time but have the urine analyzed at
once. He did so, but it was too late.
| had another letter from him yester-
day. His wife died Of sugar diabetes
10 days ago.
Another letter came about the same
time from neighbor of his, describing
symptoms of the earlier stages Of
diabetes. He acted promptly, fol-
lowed my suggestion as to analysis,
which confirmed the diagnosis of
disease in the kidneys, adopted the
diet which I recommended and is now
apparently WE'LL I say apparently,
because / would not feel safe in pro-
nouncing him cured until after the
urine has been tested every month for
a year. would also insist on certain
dietetic restrictions to be made per-
manent.
A single analysis of the urine in
which sugar or albumen is found is
not always certain indication of
disease of the kidneys, because either
of these conditions may appear tenn
porarily on account Of certain elements
in the food that has been taken in
excess of the normal quantity, but
when either sugar or albumen is found,
another analysis positively must be
made about a week later and while
the patient is upon normal diet. d
It is possible for the urine to be
normal and the quantity passed during
each "a hours to be between one and
one-haf to four pints for an adult, and
any wide deviation from that quantity
should cause one to at once have an
analysis made to find out the reason.
A decided increase in the quantity
should cause you to search carefully
for diabetes or certain forms of Bright's
disease. A temporary increase in
quantity may be caused by cold, raw
wind which chills the skin and stops
throwing off insensible perspira ation,
or it may be caused by excitement,
nervousness or the use of certain foods.
The quantity is decreased during
high fever, certain stages Of Bright's
disease, dropsy and cirrhosis Of the.
liver.
The normal color ranges from golden
yellow to amber, and is perfectly clear.
If it is not clear, it is not normal and
should be carefully analyzed. You
could probably save yourself from
much suffering and expense by col
lecting in clean vessel or glass Jug,
all of the urine passed in "a hours. IL
the quantity and color are normal and