Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-23
~"S%EEZELESS SUMMERS"
URGED BY WOMEN
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

WASHINGTON, March 2O-Hay
fever victims of this city are taking
time by the forelock this season.
A hay fever prevention clinic has
been opened at Woman's Welfare
Association, and working women
who regularly sneeze through a part
OF the year are looking forward
to a sneezeess summer.
The time TO tackle hay fever, ac-
cording to the specialist in charge
of the clinic. is before the appointed
time for sneezing arrives. Some
sneezers r at their worst in Au-
gust and September when pollen
from ragweed and other late bloom
ing 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
! begins to sreee about the first of
May, probably because of the pol
len from early grasses. 1t Is the
aim of the clinic doctor to immun-
ize 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 be-
fore 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
Il from his collection of bottles
some eighteen filled with pollens and
| other i~rritants which might throw
light on the case. First selected
for the test are the usual weed
pollens that are distributed at the
| tiD,a IF tho yroar xuhe, the natiapt
is affected. Grass and tree pollens,
the doctor explains are most often
responsible for hay fever attacks In
the spring.
In the late summer and fall rag
weed is the worst offender. More
cases OF hay fever are due to rag
weed than to any other plant. The
pollen of this weed is so light and
fine that a wind travelling 20 miles
an hour will carry tn. grains five
miles. Thus the pollen Is brought
into city streets from vacant lots,
weed grown back yards, and even
from the suburbs.
Goldenrod Myth Exploded
Goldenrod is not included in the
selected assortment of irritants.
Goldenrod. Pollen is heavy and is
not carried by the wind. Both gol-
denrod and roses are regarded by
scientists as negligible factors in
produring hay fever, in spite of the
pofsAar theory that makes these
two flowers prime causes of hay fe-
yer attacks. Unless a patient comes
in close contact with these plants
the pollen of which is disseminated
by insects, the clinic doctor does
not try the pollen as Il possible
cause of the disease.
Along with a dozen weed and
grass pollens the doctor next lays
out Walls containing other possible
causes of hay fever. The labels on
these are surprising. We r ac-
customed to calling all sorts of sea-
sonal asthmatic and sneezlng attacks
by the term hay fever. whether
ragweed or timothy or some other
plant is the exciting cause. But 1t
is strange to think of hay fever as
being due TO cat hairs, fur, chicken
feathers, rice powder, orriS or horse
dander. Yet these are the labels
on some of t-e bottles chosen for
the test.
1t is only in a comparatively few
instances that hay fever is traced
TO these unusual irritants, The
feathers N " Pillow tusc nave uSti
known to cause attacks. Grains OF
orris in face or tooth powder, OF
even the organic matter of a fur
neckpiece may. If inhaled by a high
~ sensitive nose. be the exciting
agent of O hay fever case.
The doctor arranges his bottles
The patient tares n arm to the
elbow. The nurse cleanses 1t with
alcohol and the test begins.
Eighteen drops of an alkaline so
luton are placed along the arm
and then with a sterilized needle
the doctor quickly makes a light
scratch, not deep enough to draw
blood, where each drop OF liquid
is A tiny sample of one selected
lirritant is then added to each of the
IS drops, and the patient settles
down for 20 minutes to wait for the
skin to react.
Action on the Skin
At the end of that time the arm
tells an interesting story to the
specialist. Some OF the extracts
have entered their scratches without
any disturbing effect. Other pol
lens have set the skin to itching
in protest. and pink welts have riser
around these scratches These arr