The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-03-28
WISHING YOU GOOD RESISTANCE
AND HAPPY DAYS

The theory of resistance to disease is in
| genuous evolved from the necessity Of
to the knowledge or facts Of science. Immunity
is scientifically demonstratble fact. Resist.
ance is Pigment of the imagination.
Any physician determine by actual meas
ure test whether an individual has any i'm
munity against diphtheria, for instance. No one
can tell in advance whether you have any re.
sistance against any known disease This
hocus-pocus about poor resistance" is 100 pei
cent post morten post morbidus explanation
Try and find any candid opinion about an IN
dviduals resistance before the illness OF
death of the individually!
| OF course, every physician knows as much as
!. + do about immunity, and many know great
deal more. But on the other hand no physi-
clan knows thing about resistance that is
occult to anybody else. So when health au-
| thority haufs off and emits a column or so OF
ponderous advice about how to keep your ire
sistance'' built up, he is merely handing out the
bunk If he happens to be a health officer or
a politician holding a soft berth with some
way for him to earn his salary. The people
seem to like to hear the same old bunkem
about the way to keep up ones resistance, year
after year, with rare variations
| Odd, isn't it, that these wise health author
I tiles confine the resistance" hocus-pocus to
| their bulletins about catching cold, whatever
that may mean. There you have subject, SUI
! ficiently vague and undefnable to keep every
body guessing, and such subject lends itself
| admirably to the line of hokum uttered con-
corning RESISTANCE
Although we have as yet no precise means OF
| measuring it, we have good reason to believe
| that there is such thing as immunity against
one or more of the common respiratory infec-
lions which the old fogy health authorities still
tumble together Unfortunately as "colds'
Although it has not been proved by actual sci
entific experiment controlled tests) on human
beings, we have good reason to believe that
Cd adequate supply of vitamin A, and CD
fair degree of exposure of naked skin to direct
sunlight or ultraviolet light from artificial
source are factors essential in developing and
maintaining a protective degree of immunity
against respiratory infections.
Note that the scientific term immunity inn
plies something added, whereas the unscien-
tifc term resistance implies something lacking.
Immunity is a positive idea; resistance Is a neg
alive idea Immunity is something you can
hope to gain resistance is something you can
only fear to lose.
and examine this resistance hokum thought
fully, you are bound to wonder how the old
does tell that cold draft or wet feet or some
similar trifling exposure" impairs resistance.
And once you get to thinking about that-well,
next time the old doc tries the venerable joke
on you I'm a poor teacher if you don't respond
to his poor facetiousness with little smart
crack of your own.
Rabbits Safe Pets
Recently bought pair of rabbits for my chill
dren. We have plenty of room for them. But
the other day 1 was told that rabbits carry a
certain disease which is very dangerous 1or
human beings "a. MI
Answer-They are perfectly safe for pets 1t
is wild rabbits, not domestic rabbits, that may
have tularemia and that is communicable to
man, through infection of the person who skins
or dresses the rabbit and accidentally scratches
or cuts his hands.
St! SIT! Sstt!
When a young man otherwise in perfect
health begins to have gray hair at 20. does II
mean he Is growing old early? (B. H)
Answer-Let's not be too severe on the lad.
Wen say he is probably little stale, and has
been careless about getting his iodn. Now we
hope the older boys, and girls will not push
and shove but just form line on the right,
and send a stamped addressed envelope and
ask for instructions for taking suitable fodin
ration. 1 do not promise that it will prevent
grazing of the hair. or renew youth. or keep
the blood pressure down or the spirits and pep
up. / merely remind you that everybody needs
little iodin.
Sight of Suffering Shocks
L am "a years old. 81 inches tall and weigh
100 pounds. believe am normal but when
1 see any one injured feel faint and panicky
(B. 3. d.
Answer-Best way to overcome that is to
learn to make yourself useful In emergencies
Take a course of instruction in first aid.
Copyright John +. Ollie Coz