The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-23
Women Seek Sneezdess Summers
sy FREDERICK ;. HAsKiN

WASHINGTON, d. c.. March "a
Hay fever victims Of this city are tax
ing time by the forelock this season.
A hay fever prevention clinic has been
opened at the Women's Welfare asso-
citation, and working women who regu-
larry sneeze through part of the year
are looking forward to sneezeless
summer.
| The time to tackle hay fever, accord
ing to the specialist in charge of the
clinic, Is before the appointed time for
sneezing arrives. Some sneeZers are
at their worst in August and Septem-
Der when pollen from ragweed and 9TH
er late blooming plants is being blown
about on the wind. Other hay feverites
are attacked early and are well again
by July. One patient at the clinic be-
gins to sneeze about the first OF May,
! probably because OF the pollen from
early grasses. It Is the aim of the
clinic doctor to immunizs the patient
now before the deadly pollens begin to
do their work.
The doctor at the clinic sits at a
white table with boxes filled with rows
and rows Of small bottles before him
He listens carefully to the history of
a case, and notes. what time of the
year the patient begins sneezing and
If there are any clues as to the exact
cause. Then he chooses from his col
lection of bottles some eighteen filled
with pollens and other irritants which
might throw light on the case. First
/, selected for the test are the usual weed
/ pollens that are distributed at the time
/ of the year when the patient is af
fected. Grass and tree pollens, the
doctor explains, are most often respon
sible for hay fever attacks in the
/ spring. 1
In the late summer and fall ragweed
Is the worst offender. More cases OF
hay fever are due to ragweed than tc
any other plant. The pollen of this
weed is so light and fine that wind
travelling 20 miles an hour will carry
the grains five miles. Thus the pollen
is brought into city streets from va
want lots, weed grown back yards, anG
even from the suburbs.
Goidenrod Myth Exploded
Goldenrod is not included in the
selected assortment of irritants. Gold
Ienrod pollen is heavy and is not car
ried by the wind. Both goldenrod and
roses are regarded by scientists as
negligible factors in producing hay
fever, in spite of the popular theory
that makes these two flowers prime
lcauses of hay fever attacks. Unless g
patient comes in close contact with
these plants. the pollen of which is dis
seminated by insects. the clinic doctor
does not try the pollen as possible
cause of the disease.
Along with dozen weed and grass
pollens the doctor next lays out vials
containing other possible causes of ha,
fever. The labels on these are sur
prising. We are accustomed to call
ing all sorts of seasonal asthn1atic ant
sneezing attacks by the term hay fevel
whether ragweed or timothy or some
. other plant is the exciting cause. Blu
lit is strange to think of hay fever a!
being due to cat hairs, fur, CHECKER
feathers, rice powder, orris or hors,
dander. Yet these are the labels OF
, some of the bottles chosen for tn,
test.
\ 1t Is only in comparatively few in
stances that hay fever is traced t,
. these unusual irritants. The feather
In a pillow case have been know
to cause attacks. Grain of orris il
face or tooth powder, or even the or
ganic matter of a fur neckpiece may
if inhaled by a highly sensitive nose
be the exciting agent of a hay feve
case
/. The doctor arranges his bottles. TIL,
patient bares one arm to the elbow
,, The nurse cleanses it with alcohol, an,
the test begins.
Eighteen drops of an alkaline solu
ton are placed along the arm, an,
then with sterilized needle the doc
tor quickly makes a light scratch, no
. deep enough to draw blood, where eacl
drop of liquid is. A tiny sample O
4 one selected irritant is then added +
4 each of the IS drops, and the patien