New Britain herald., 1928-11-28
Health Hints
BY DIR. MORRIS FISHBEIN
 Editor Journal of the American Medical Association and of Hy- geia fT1A Heolfh Maravino


 Medical Association and of Hy-
 geia, the Health Magazine
 It is now we'll established that tu- berculous infection starts during early infancy and that from GO to so per cent of all children by the time they have reached 13 years of age have the organism of tuberculosis in their bodies.
 Only ! few actually succumb to the ravages of the disease. There fore. obviously, the human tody has in it factors which aid in over Question-What is crctinism-
 Answer-Cretinism Is usually the result of inactivity of the thyroid gland. particularly in several generations of mothers living in a region where such inefficiency Of ,he thyroid gland is common. The child who is a cretin fails to develop either physically or mentally in a sat- isfactory manner.
 coming tuberculosis in the large majority of cases.
 The experience of many physi- clans indicates that a severe at- tack of measles. scarlet fever, or some other acute infectious , is- ease in childhood may decrease the resistance greatly and that a sud- den fntensification of the tubercu- lous disease after such infections is not unusual
 Watchfulncss
 Authorities are also agreed that much may be accomplished in con- trolling tuberculosis by detecting the manifestations in the child at the earliest possible moment and by giving suitable treatment al that time. For this reason the growth throughout the world ol preventoriums for children in what is called the pretuberculous stage has been tremendous, and the pub. lication of studies of cases from such preventoriums may be cited as evidence that they accom- plisf good work.
 The child who is about to hay, tuberculosis often manifests symp toms of the impending danger. bu these are usually so transient ant so uncharacteristic of any specia disease that they are usually over looked. Frequent attacks of colds influenza, disturbances of diges tion. regularly recurring fevers and perhaps general lassitude ar among the most common of thes symptoms
 l Not infrequently there are asso ciated with these conditions under weight, coughs persisting for si weeks or longer periodic swellin of the glands of the neck, and ia tieue. Not infreauently. there ar also disturbances of the bone for nation.
 Modern scientific medicin checks the relationship of ties symptoms to tuberculosis by tn use Of skin tests with tuberculi and the use of the x-ray. If ther are areas of tube5culous tnflamma tion in the lung. the X-ray will in dicate these areas through shad ows on the plate.
 Scientific Study
 In the preventorium it is possibl to study the child under controlle conditions. to make regular obser yations. and indeed to give tn child before it has tuberculosis tn same type of scientific study as given to . person with tubercu lcsis in a sanatorium.
 AS a result of studies which h made. Dr. ]. D. Bronfin of the Ma tional Jewish Hospital in Denve is convinced that preventorium for the observation of childre who have been exposed to tubercu losis and for treatment for tubercu losis in children are needed q urgently as sanatoriums for tn treatment of adults with tlbercU