South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-18
Your Health

10y lNO1 AL -. OOBED-ANDs VI. ~.
Commissioner of Health, New York
City. u. S. Sen.-Elcct from y. Y.
State
There is hope OF recovery from
every disease 10 which flesh is heir.
No one need despair and fall into a
state Of helpless hopelessness. Mod
ern medicine has made great in
roads into the realm OF diseases for
merly considered incurabie.
II IS not an easy task 10 deter
mine the exact cause OF every hu-
man ailment. Many old-time mys-
teries, however, are now explained
By the theory OF focal Infection,
II is believed when, al some CEN
trail pointer focus. as IL is more
comomnly cailed-there is pus for
nation, or germ growth, that from
this focus radiate lines OF attack
against every part of the body.
Perhaps the most common exam
pie OF focal infection is the trouble
ia distant organs due to an abscess-
ed tooth. The trouble with the
tooth may be so slight "a not 10 be
noticed by the patient. Trihing as
such a condition seems. Il is believ-
ed that n focus Of this sort may SER
iously and even fatally affect the
victim
Sometimes theories Of this kind
are "overworked" The history Of
medicine is marred by the transient
popularity Of various fads. 1t may
we'll be that the present enthusiasm
over dental infection or other focal
infection, as a cause for human all
ments. will be laughed at in the
future. But, in the light of present
knowledge, il seems abundantly
proved that any focus of disease
may affect your entire body
Some OF the diseases traced 10
focal infection are heart disease,
high blood-presure. hardeEisng of
the arteries. neuralgia, neuritis,
headache rheumatism. certain eye
diseases. ulcer of tho stomach. dis
ease OF the gall-bladder. appended
tbs, diabetes and even disease OF the
brain.
This "a n long list. but it must be
understood that focal infection is
one of many causes for these dis
eases. Furthermore, IL must be un-
derstood there may be one Of these
diseases and at the same a focal in
lection. without there being the
slightest relation between the two
conditions.
Sometimes an apparently healthy
man. with every organ in seemingly
normal condition. will complain OF
wandering pains through his muse
les The joints seem stiff, and il is
hard for him TO walk. He has head
ache every day. All in all, he is mis-
cradle and unhappy
This man may be the victim OF a
focal infection. Even though his
tonsils are OF normal size. there
may be a pus pocket in one Of them.
\ crowned tooth may be diseased
beneath the gold. The gums may be
pus-infected. One OF the cavities
connected with the nose may be a
reservoir OF pus. Even a small in
fected gland, or an absceSSsed pim-
pie somewhere on the skin may he
the source of poison affecting the
whole body.
Patient scientists have especially
examined and carefully studied ev-
cry patient entering large hospitals
for years at a stretch. The result,
in one instance. disclosed that 10
per cent OF all the patients admit
ted for every reason were suffering
from conditions due 10 Infection in
the mouth.
The importance Of focal Infection
cannot be overlooked. Every OBJ
acure ailment and symptom must
be thought of as a condition which
might be due to such a cause You
viii help your doctor a great deal
II YOU give study 10 this possibility
before consulting him about some
uncomfortable condition for when
there is not a well-defned reason.
Tell him everything-as briefly as
YOU can-that may be a possible
cause.
Let Us be cautious. There is no
excuse for pulling every tooth and
taking out every tousil or operating
on every nose just because a focal
Infection is sometimes located in one
Of these organs. There are means
Of finding out after your suspicion
has ben aroused.
Never sacrifice a useful organ I'M
les there is abundant reason for do
ing so. But sometimes the relief Of
pain is little short OF miraculous
when the focus OF infection has
been removed. You may be made
a new person by proper treatment