The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-20
4nenpia Of The Young
By lE. ADDTN0roN BRUCB

Anemia- deficiency of red corpuscles in the blood--has many causes and may develop in persons of any age. But there is one type of anemia of such frequent occurrence in earlier life and so uniform in causation that it might well be given the distinctive name of anemia preeox, or anemia of the young.
 This anemia is not in itself dangerous condition. It is not akin, for example, to the so-called pernicious anemia which still con stitutes q mystery baffling to medical science. Anefnia of the young is usually readily con- trolled It is, however, significant of state of affairs which, if allowed to continue, will pave the way for an illness that may be serious.
 Mostly it is direct result of faulty habits of living, and especially of faulty dietetic habits. Sometimes, to be sure, as in the case of anemiA developing in the fully grown, it is a sign of a chronic infection localized In the teeth, tonsils, nasal passages, sinuses of the face, or in some part of the intestinal tract This possibility should always be kept in mind.
 But as a rule infection need not be merlin mated to explain anemia of the young. Let a growing boy Or girl be kept too much in- doors, be deprived or deprive himself or her self of adequate exercise, or live on food stuffs deficient in iron, then anemia will FOLLOW almost lneVitaDlys
 And the fact is that many young persons live 80 unhysenically that they cannot avoid becoming anemic and manifesting the va rious symptoms of anemia. One symptom pallor-they may hide by the use of cos metics, a mode of concealment nowadays adopted by numerous foolish girls, even girls in their early teens. But they cannot hide their listlessness and their fatiguability.
 Commonly their parents assume that all they need is rest--and rest does have place in the treatment of anemia of the young. More important, though, are fresh air, sun shine, and systematic exercise outdoors, and most important of all is the inclusion in the diet of iron-containing foods.
 Here is a list of such foods, in the order of their iron content
 Spinach, string beans, cabbage, lean beef, celery strawberries, dried beans, eggs, to- m9toes, carrots potatoes, beets, turnips, Gfa- ham bread, grapes, onions, raisinsj figs, oat- meal, prunes
 Merely to read this list should assist not a few young anemics-and some older ones ito understand why they are suffering from anemia And they should not reassuringly tell themselves that they can cling to the meat-white bread-cake-pastry-c diet they prefer, and still conquer their anemia by dosing themselves with an iron-containing medicine.
 Physicians are beginning to doubt whether medicinal iron has any direct uphuilding in- fluence. As recently noted, for example, by Dr. Eugene l.. Fisk.
 Tt has been maintained that medicinal iron is never absorbed as such, but merely exerts a slight influence in promoting ab- sorption of iron in the food, or in stimu- lating the blood-forming organs"
 Besides which:
 Medicinal iron is likely to prove consti- pating; but the iron-bearing foods, such as Graham bread, whole wheat bread, whole cereals, spinach and other greens, and fruit juices are-l -laxative.''
 To eat good foods, to stay outdoors in sun shine as much as possible, to rest and to ex- ercise with regularity, that is the course of wisdom for all young, anemics-after they have, of course, made sure that their anemia is not secondary to some infection.