Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-05-23
SUNLIGHT GREAT
FACTOR IN CURE
FOR RICKETS
Deforming Disease Of Early
Childhood Responds To
Cod Liver Oil

From the hospital and laboratories
all over the world where scientists
have been trying to discover a pre-
ventive or a cure for ricketts,, the de-
forming disease of early childhood,
comes the good news that two simple
remedies for it, have been found.
Both are within the reach of every
body. They are sunlight, and cod
liver oil.
Pointing out the far-reaching bene-
fifts of the discovery, DR.. J. H. NJ.
Knox, Jr., Chief of the Bureau of
Child Hygiene of the State Depart
ment of Health said, "The examina-
tons that have been made at the
Child Health Conferences in the coun-
ties have shown that one out of every
three white children, and seven out
Of every ten colored children, under
two years old, suffer from this dis
ease, which not only impairs the
health, but often leads to permanent
deformity of the bones.
"Babies with ricketts, usually have
large square heads. The soft spot in
the skull does not close at the normal
time; the babies have head sweats
even if not dressed too warmly; they
are often nervous and restless; teeth
ing is frequently delayed; there is
less resistance to colds and other in
fections; the bones are softer than
normal and are easily deformed. Many
of the cases of bow legs, knock knees,
or narrow sunken chests are the re-
suits Of ricketts,. The pelvic bones
may also be permanently deformed
through the disease.
"Recent studies have shown that
ricketts, is caused by one of two factors
OF in many cases, by both together:
lst, the absence of sunlight in the
child's environment; I'd, diet that
fails to supply the substances neces-
sary for the formation of health bone
structure.
"Mothers' milk contains this sub
stance, if the mother herself receives
a proper diet; consequently babies
who are nursed by their mothers are
less likely to develop ricketts, than are
the bottle-fed babies. It can be pre-
vented in bottlefed babies by the use
of cows milk, modified to suit the
needs of the individual child, with
certain additions. After the baby is
about three months old, a teaspoonful
of orange juice should be given daily,
an hour before one of the morning
feelings. Tomato juice has similar
properties, and may be substituted
for the orange juice. When the baby
is six months old, a little vegetable
broth, made of spinach, asparagus,
peas or beans, carefully chopped and
cooked thoroughly, either with or
without chicken, beef or mutton, then
mashed and run through sieve,
should be added to the diet. The
green vegetables are chosen because
they contain the mineral salts that
are necessary for bone-making. A
very small quantity Of the broth is
given at frst-not more than tea
poonful. This is gradually increased
as the baby grows older.
"Babies who are given this sort Of
diet, and who are kept out of doors,
in the sunlight, as much as possible,
are not likely to have ricketts,. Bright
sunny rooms are necessary for the
general health, but indoor sunligh.
does not have the same effect on the
bone forming tissues, that we get
from the sunlight out of doors. That
is another thing the scientists have
tested out, and they have found that
certain properties of the light-the
properties that have something to
do with observation-disclosures lost
when the light passes through our
ordinary window glass.
"Cod-liver oil which has also been
found to be effective both as a pre-
ventive and as a cure of ricketts,, also
contains certain substances which help
toward proper bone formation. Nearly
all babies can take cod-liver oil eth
ell with OF after their own diet. From
one-fourth to two teaspoonfuls a day
is sufficient to prevent the disease,
and the same treatment will cure it,
in it's early stages"