The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-10-21
GETTING RID OF THAT BILE

From the way we regular quacks talk one
 might think that our great ambition nowadays | is to cut out the gall-badder of every tiresome patient who comes bellyaching around just as we are ready to snuk over to the bowling green. Sir Francis Drake didn't stop, at that when they interrupted his game.
 At that, we do devote our knowledge and talents largely to the endeavor to rid the pa tent of bile. Any luckless wight who has ever had his gallbladder surgically drained Knows what great success we make of this enoeaVor. can regard the appendectomy adventure from the patients point of view for I've been there with deep and abiding drainage all com plete At worst it is bore, and with hallway pleasant environment such as friends Wno don't take things too seriously and nurses who belong in the picture, 1t is jolly excurslon. But | don't know about this cholecystectomy or cholecystotony: sometimes 1t looks to, me as though the victims lot is ten times worse while the big drainage is going on than 1t was before the operation. But happily after what must seem a thousand years or so the drainage IS over and the case is closed, permanently, 1t is to be hoped. The patient then feels so fine, Tn contrast with his wretched state in hospital, that he readily believes the operation has helped him a lot. And maybe 1t has. In fact we know it has, in practically every case. Only we must give the patient credit for his unf1ag- ging optimism. wonder if his spirit is not buoyed up by the thought of all that bad bile he has gotten rid of?
 I am sure the average surgeon cherishes some such notion. Surgeons. you know, the very best operators in the business, are gener- ally pretty dumb when 1t comes to question of therapeutic technc aside from the method of operation. And the very best American sur geons recognize their own incompetence in the fine points of preparatory and after-treatment indeed they usually leave these responsibili- ties to the hands of physicians who are skilled in such fields or defer to the judgment of med cal colleagues when any such question arises in the course of the operation.
 Fifteen years ago method of non surgical drainage of the bile passages and gall-bladder was introduced by Lyon. This consists of the insertion of a fine tube in the manner oI the common stomach tube, but this one reaches the duodenum just beyond the pylorus or lower gateway of the stomach; through the tube a solution of magnesium sulphate lepsom salts) is passed and this excites tine emptying of the gallbladder and the bile-ducts; the bile thus elected into the duodenum is withdrawn | through the tube. For time this non-surgical drainage proved quite popular and probably saved many patients from surgical drainage. But later it was found by careful tests that dose of epson salts swallowed by the patient excites precisely the same election of bile into the duodendm, the same "non-surgicaf biliary drainage" and hard-headed, honest doctors concluded that the tube method perhaps has one advantage over the taking of salts, namely that it impresses the patient by the sight of dark maligant-looking bile.
 Another time we'll look some bile hibits and see just how terrible they
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Household Pets, Eh?
 Subject. ExtirpatiOn of Household Pets. l notice you have sure cure for ants. know what you recommend. But I have a sure cure | also. This one will rid the house of ants in | three days. In fact they walked out on us the next day after the application Sprinkle .. (H. N. E.)
 l mention for the exterminatiOn of cockrOaches It may be eficacious you say it is for ants but it is poisonous to man and to domes- tic animals or pets, and for that reason dare not name it here, for fear of mistakes. I am glad to send any who requests 1t instruc- tions for ridding the premises of either ants or reaches. Inclose stamped envelope bearing your address,
 Painful Feet
 Quinsy in 1927, again in 1928. Tonsils re- moved six weeks after second attack. Feet both- cred some before, but more than ever after toi'sls removed. work II hours day on my feet In store. One doctor said rilcumatisn. Rheumatism treatment no good. Feet now worse than ever. Is 1t from tOnsils? (M. o. P.) Is dampness bad for my trouble?
 Answer-More likely pronated or flat feet Any good physician ought to be able to tell by examination whether the feet require ortho- podic treatment. Whatever the trouble is, ! can assure you dampness has nothing to do with ti
 fat and Play
 How long after . I,cnl should one walt be. fore going Co swimming? Why !. h considered unsafe Co gO Into tl,e water directly after meni? lJ. M.)
 Answer--As long as one would walt 10 play a game of baseball or engage iD any vigorous S .s".s ""s 1s n1ss seu ono not to s tempt any strenuous swimming or hard running right after hearty gorge. But go ln ss soon as You like after any ordinary light meal Also N ls honlfhfpl t0 go Co swimming wbllo you are ali heated up and perhaps lH sweat from hard play or hard sofk on q hot day. Also t is hsaithful se fnr ns you are eopcsfned, 70 se ln made enough old issis1 maa today wlihoh' 1{IfII0E uH N1ilHt4AIUU n4AIU,