Evening star., 1927-05-20

| derived pleasure from refusing food
! pleasure in finding something which
| their parents could not force them to
do This sense Of power over their
| elders in neurotic children gives them
more delight than the eating of their
| food"
Nervous Indigestion in adults was
discussed by DIR. Walter G.. Alvarez Of
Rochester, Mimi, before the pharma-
cology and therapeutics section. The
physician best qualified to treat such
cases, he said, is one who himself has
suffered a nervous breakdown. and
they should be avoided by doctors who
have no sympathy with nervous per-
sons.
Opposes Harsh Methods.
The worst possible treatment. said
DR.. Alvarez, is the "harsh dressing
down" which physician sometimes
gives the patient when he finds there
is no functional disorder of the stom-
ach. The best method usually is to
explain the situation as simply and
kindly as possible and try to get the
patient to see his ailment III the same
light Is the physician.
Nervous indigestion, he said, often
is the result of overwork, debt, poverty
in women who hate their husbands
but who will not get a divorce either
for religious reasons or because they
are afraid of losing their children.
In these cases, he said, it is useless
for doctor TO prescribe a long rest.
leaving home. or anything of the sort
He must make the best of conditions
as they are and do everything he can
to make the patient more cheerful
under the circumstances.
Recommends Powders.
Administration of a sleeping pow
der. other than morphine, was advo
Gated for those patients whose nervous
indigestion prevented them from sleep
ing. 1t has the same place in such
a case as walking stick for a man
temporarily crippled" DIR. Alvarez
said.
Such cases frequently are treated
by massage, he said. but he cast
doubts on the advisability of this
method with many patients.
Massage" he said, sis likely to be
profitable only with those pussy cats
who like to be stroked."
For those persons who hate to be
paved over" he said this treatment
is more likely to increase the mental
trouble.
Successful treating Of hiccough bv
means of carbon dioxide respira ton
was described by DR.. Russell f. Shell.
dom of Boston. This usually stops
the condition at the seventh or eighth
breath, he said, and has saved lives
in cases where hiccough developed
after operation and could not other
wise be controlled. Approximately S
per cent carbon dioxide is used with
either oxygen or air.
TattOOing Is Considered
Removing of tattooing should al.
ways be a task for the physician. al.
though 1t frequently falls 10 the
"quack," DR.. Marvin d. SHE of Cleve-
land told the dermatology section. Dr. |
SHE gave an account of the history
of tattooing and said that it still is
q prevalent practice among the lower |
classes. particularly soldiers and |
sailors.
The practice of tattooing filthy de. |
signs on the body was described DR.. |
SHE told of one instance where a Grim |
inal recently condemned to the gull |
lotine in France was found to have |
tattooed around his neck the inscrip- |
ton: 'Executioner, follow the dotted |
line"
Invention OF the electric needle |
which renders tattooing less painful |
he said. has led to an increase In the |
practice, especially among women |
Formerly it was considered largely |
test of endurance of pain. Among |
savages it was considered a sign Of |
heroism to have undergone the requi. |
site suffering and the tattooed body of |
an enemy was treated with respect |
while the untattooed corpse was sub |
jected to indignitipS
Speaks on Obesity.
DR.. Stewart r. Roberts of Atlanta,
discussed the relationship of obesity
to heart disease and raised the ques
ton whether the muscles of the heart |
are geared to a certain body mass |
and are not equal to the increased |
work which obesity demands. He con |
sidered also the occurrence Of high |
blood pressure in obese persons anc |
the general impression that obese per |
sons do not offer satisfactory resist
ance to operations or to pneumonia |
and other infections.
Disturbances Of the heart are found
with great frequency in cases Of dis. |
eases Of the thyroid gland, DR., John
Phillips of Cleveland found in d study
of a large series Of cases. He pointed
out the necessity for trea tment Of the
heart and outlined methods which
have been found successful
DR.. o. II. Perry Pepper Of Phila- |
delphia reviewed a ssries of cases
showing changes in the blood in in
flammation of the membrane of the
heart and classified the various types
Of Inflammation.