The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-02
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS TENDENCY
 TO TUBERCULOSIS

Patroing the environs of these hills with Tony the Wirish last evening saw several shooting star;. That reminded me that I haven't said much lately about the fallacy of lowered resist ance." If this column had carte banch as nave some other columns I could mention if l dared we might fill in the continuity and explain the association of ideas. But whenever venture to utter word that is not strictly medical-well, never mind, know what's good for my health.
 It's an unpleasant thought that child may be born with special tendency toward such condition tuberculosis. But that is not the reason why assert confidently that there IS no such thing tendency or predisposltion to the disease. The common belief that certain lndl- viduals are predsposed to develop tuberculosis or predestined to have it is just common be- lief and like many other traditions relating to health and sickness it lacks scientific support. By that I mean we have no good experimental evidence to warrant such belief It was probably based on empirical evidence originally. People saw that members of certain families developed tuberculosis after another: people saw that many individuals seemed frail and delicate" for months or years and finally went into de cline;" these observations people built up the pleaslble theory that such victims were some
 It is difficult explain in paragraph how l arrive at my conc fusion, but l am firmly con, predsposition or tendency to tuberculosis or to any other known disease
 I have repeatedly asserted here that there is no such thing as lowered resistance, as re- sistance to any known disease. So far have not encountered any scientific evidence that clashes with my assertion about this.
 Immunity is very different matter. lmmun- iy is a definite measurable state. A child may
  considerable degree of immunity, against tuber- culosis, diphtheria smallpox or other speclic disease Immunity is always specifc-that is immunity diphtheria protects against dlph- theria and not against any other disease. The fai- lacy of resistance" is of course not specific-it is just a vague notion and applies we'll to tu- berculoss as it does to the pip or what have you. Ghosts and fairies are vague too. l might | mention other conceptions which are equally vague. 1 prefer to reject such vague and un- proved fancies and cling to the ideas we can un- derstand. tangible. practical, comforting ideas. When I see shotng star say on, Oh, another I universe comes to a glorious end" When our turn comes we'll never know-so why think any more about it?
 We do know little about immunity to tuber- cuosis. We know sunlight helps one to gain | more immunity. We know the toxin of the tuber- ce bacillus in the right doses stimulates the for | nation of antitoxin in the patients body, and | that's immunity. We know how to regulate the tubercle-toxin dosage through rest eXerclse ana other therapeutic measures.
 | Best of all, We know how to build up immunity | in instance where immunity is insufficient | to keep and make the patient well. That IS the purpose all successful treatment. | QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Bug Houses Dc-Buggcd l We wish to thank for your help in clear ing this institution of reaches We followed your suggestions and it proved a complete success. l CT. S.. Superntendcnt).
 Answer-Listenng in the silly hours to. the hum and rustling noises of the reaches, l have sometimes wondered how the term playhouse actually came into use. Likewise often wonder | these days how I was inveigled into this cock roach exterminating business in the first placs. Reaches. so far know, in no way a | menace to health. Why should help in the | slaughter? Oh. well. it is like killing snakes-if | a hystercal feminine neighbor screams for help and demands the death of the harmless little snake, one must dispatch the snake win the
 lifelong ingrattude of the lady distress So for | a short while must continue sending readers | who ask for it our advice on the extermnation | of reaches.
 | Trench Mouth
 About a year ago I had trench mouth ani the
 doctor tried everything without success. wrote | to you and you suggested sodium perbOrate as q | paste and a gargle. This proved quite successful | and believe brought about a complete cure, as | the trouble has not been in evidence now for several months. (NIrs J. R.)
 Answer-Yes sodium perborate has given | much relief in many of trench mouth, | or as doctors call it Vincents angina. Make a | paste by mostening some of the pure sodium | perborate powder with few drops of water, and | spread this on the sore gums or patches in the mouth wherever you can reach them. Let the paste remain for five minutes, and apply it once | a day for several weeks. Then in addition make | a solution of a large lpoonful of the perborate
 in pint of water, and use it in that strength as
 mouthwash and gargle at least half a dozen times day.
 l An After Dinner Thought ! | am one of your numerous admirers and would rather read your health talks than eat. In our house there Is a veritable scramble for ouI bpapcr right after dinner every evening. (W. 0
 O.
 | Answer-How about the other members of the ! family? hope none of them would rather eat
 right after dinner, than read my stun.