The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-28
YOU CAN'T KEEP A CHRONIC RHEUMATIC
 DOWN

i In my time I suppose I have predsposed lot | of old rheumatics to apopleEy by my contem- ptible habit of asserting that there is no such thing as rheumatism and anyway it has nothing to do with the weather. If there's anything that raises the blood pressure of these obstinate and unreasonable invads with rheumatiz it is a low, unsympathetic sheer from the likes of me about their weather representations. I learned long ago to leave that subject severely alone unless l am in very fine fettle indeed.
 1 Perhaps here and there there is still grum- bling who knows? an otherwise candid and ob- durate citizen who is subject to chronic rheuma- | tism in spite of my earnest efforts and who can recall references made in this column to the work of Dr Ralph Pemberton arthrltls. pr Pemberton is of the foremost students and authorities arthritis. And painful though 1t be to my well known self esteem to admit it, this irrepressbe expert has observed that arth- ritis patients have lower surface temperatures than do normal persons Temperatures measured by means of electric thermocoupleo, and he teiIs us this is due to decreased blood flow in the ts- sues concerned. If the doctor were just drawing his imagination for his ideas, as do the erudte medical theorists who still try to explain now folks take cold from exposure, one might give him a bit of an argument. But, darn it all he is not imaginative at all: he is forbiddingly scien- tifc-he studies the tissues involved and finds the capillary bed or network comparatively inn mobile the channels constricted, and the move- ment of the blood through them less responsive to notifications imposed by changes in the en- vironment
 When a doctor comes at you like that, you just can't think of a suitable rejoinder to his com- ment that this peculiar impairment In the cap lary circulation in the affected tissues probably explains the sensitiveness of arthritc patients to changes of weather and changes of clothing and
 Oh well, have it your own way. Dr Pemberton draws no disagreeable inferences from this scl- entc observation except to suggest 1has it ap dbe parently accounts for the lowered metabolc capillary bed field that metabolism is chiefly carried on. But the distinguished arthrltls spe- cialist does suggest that the competent physician must regard arthritis as something more com plicated than mere focal infection; haVlnS found and disposed of the primary focus of infec- tion the physician has done only part or ms work he can promote me ar;., h otber therapeutic measures such as massage, baking diathermy, sun baths or ultraviolet light hydro-
 Here would add to my apology to our arth- ritis readers my ow.l suggestion that too much opinion tends to decrease the capillary circula- ton and lower the metabolism in the earlier stages of arthriis.
 ton believes that exposure to cold wet and the like is a cause of arthritis, however much dis comfort such exposure may give one with the disease.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS HOw Doctors Grow
 Your medical b,gotry is painfully obvious. dcrfuI things docs on the ground that Inc is not an old school doctor you only make your self small in the opinion of people who under stand. GA. l.. O.
 Answer-I condemn the quack because he is quack. I should have no more respect for him if he professed to be an "old school doctor" as vou nut it. In fact I do not believe honest, intelligent physician can acknowledge allegance to any particular school" or "pathy." This hun- bug who has evidently gained your confidence is not a legitimate doctor of any school or brand Of classification He just takes on that valuable commercial title as a gentleman acquires the courtesy title of Colonel down in Dixie.
 Acquired Defects Not Heritablc
 am an cxpectant mother. My husband had in- fantiIc paralysis at the Of years and 1t left him with a crippled left foot and leg. I am wOr- ried so that cant sleep. for fear my baby will be born with foot and leg like that. (Mrs J. C.. K0
 Answer-That is foolish. There is no tendency for an acquired defect to be transmitted to chil- dren Had your husband been born with the de- feet then you might have reasonable cause for some anxiety. But assure you the baby is no
 likely to have any such defect than 1t is to be born with curly hair if your husband had per- manent wave 10 years ago.
 Circumcision
 Does circumcision have any effect on moral conduct? (H. E. R.)
 Answer-No It is advisable only when nec- essary for cleanliness when in the newborn there is interference with urinaton. In some in- stances this operation is advisable for young men and it may be done under local anesthesia In the doctors office.