The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-20
QUESTIONS AND AN

| not bear olfactory or visible evidence of spoilage.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
 One Kidney Compatibie With
 Health.
 S. A. writes: What are the chances of living a healthy life after a kidney has been removed? ?',
 Answer.v-The chances are good, pro- viding the remaining kidney is normal and the removed kidney was not af- fected by. cancer. With the present. day methods of diagnosis physicians de- termine quite definitely not only the presence of disease. but also how much work each kidney is doing. If the trou- ble. is limited to one kidney and the function of the opposite kidney, is nor maj, the chances for health after re- moval are good. Naturally the person who has lost one kidney should be more careful As to habits of living and working than one who has both kid neys. .
 ja- g.s Stsmmerins.
 A. l.. inquiries: |. "To what group of disease does stanamering belond 2 What is its cure7 3.sWhat means are used to cure it? 4. Why does it disappear spontaneously many times ip the patients becoming of age?
 Answer.-1. Stammering belongs to the group of nervous disorders, more specifically to those concerned with the mind.
 ?. The cause may vary greatly, but .afe usually in the nature of an emo tional shock, fright or a more pro- longed mental conflict; in some cases stammering is due to mimicry of other .stammerers with whom the child may happen to come in contact
 V 3. The means used in treatment are: general hygenic measures; avoidance of conditions that cause worry, mental stress, undue responsibility and excite ment; and systematic exercises in speaking, including singing and read ing aloud. In additino to the exercises. help may possibly be secured by psy. ehoanalysis, though results are variable And doubtful. /
 4. Since the condition is neurosis and is not due to an organic disease, there is no reason why 1t should not disappear spontaneously at any time, though this is somewhat unusual. The observation that it has disappeared when the patient came of age is prob ably coincidence; it may possibly be due to suggestion to the patient that he is likely to get well at that particular time.
 Epilepsy--Caus And Treatment
 H. A. W. asks l: Are epileptic fits caused by fault in the digestion of certain important foods? If so, what foods? My observation is that fresh pork, bananas, hot biscuits or pastry. oysters or merely an overloaded stom- ach will cause an attack, 1t seems also that a too full bladder causes an at tack. Worry and excitement also ap- pear. to lead to attacks. Will you give me some accurate information regard ing the cause and treatment of cpl lepsy?
 Answer: Epilepsy is not a single disease, but is symptom re- sulting from one or more of many causes. Among the causes that are known are certain poisons or the eff fects they produce in the body, ex- cellent examples of which are alcohol and the poisons that result from dis eases of the liver and kidneys. No one has yet confirmed the suggestion that faulty digestion of starches and sugars is responsible for the fitsA and while this mya be correct for some cases, it is certainly not true for all. For years it has. been taught that faulty diges- tion of proteins in the diet may be a cause, and most physicians recommend that the amount of proteins, especially meats, in the dietary of epilepsy of un- known cause be limited, Within recent times, also, considerable publicity has been given to the claim that complete starvation for three or four weeks will cure epilepsy. It is fact that pro- longed starvation is frequently ac. companied by cessation of epileptic fits, but. unfortunately, the belief is usually only temporary. In some cases an error in diagnosis may have been madA the fits not being true epilepsy. hence the claim of cure. In true eDi- lepsy the iconyulsions reappear when the patient resumes eating and more active life. =.
 Indiscretions in diet and worry or may excite fits. All up- sets and extra strains on the body, as well as local irritations, such as in- fected teeth or tonsils, may bring on fits in epileptic persons. The first requisite in the way of treatment is an accurate diagnosis, which means study of the functioning of the various body systems to eliminate any of the known If a removable cause cannot be found, the treatment must consist of careful regulation of the mode of life so as to avoid strains that the pa. tient is unable to meet without risk. just as would be done in case of heart disease or other bodily handicap. In addition, drugs can be administered with advantage to keep the. fits in check, at least in many cases. But it IS essential to realize that the paritcu- lar variety and quantity of such drugs must be selected to suit the particular case. There is no single remedy or dosage that can be administered as A routine without serious danger of caus- ing more damage than would be caused by the fits if they were left unchecked. " n v TET EDD ATEo