The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-06-17
HONEST FOLK SWEAT BUT NOBODY
 EVER TAPESTRIES

Why don't you write book and title it "No 1 Such Thing? correspondent inauires. such | a book by you would make entertaining read | ing. And honestly I don't know whether the correspondent is serious or just sarcastic l It does seem as though am forever assert 1 ihg there is no such thing as a cold, rheunna- 1 tism, nervous breakdown, Indigestion, etc., etc., | but if 50. I believe 1t is pecessary. for we must | remember that the most prevalent ailment m | this country Is Billings complaint--people knowing so many things about health and l pathology which ain't so. The correspondent was prompted to make the | suggestion when he read an article in which l said that no perspires. Of course, meant that no one breathes through the skin. Sometimes charlatan finds 1t convenient or necessary to have his dupes imagine the skin breathes this lends color to his explanation of illness the way his method of treatment ''purifies the system" or some such hocus- pocus. But.physiologsts have never discovered any evidence that the skin can absorb air or anything ese unless it Is punctured or broken. A lady whose credulity Is amazing. in view of her evident general intelligence. cited num- ber of proofs that the skin absorbs things, among them a notorious nostrum which she informed me has been used for many years as Q salve applied on the surface for the cure of whatever the victim might happen to have. The lady might as logically say that a horse chestnut in the pocket has been used for many years cure for rheumatism. If I should write book entitled NO Such Thing" shall include In 1t chapter enumer- ating things which do not account for illness, and among these things shall include over- work, indigestion, biliousness, night air, damp ness, drafts, change of weather, climate sea- son, your age tomatoes, acid fruits wrong combinations of foods (whatever they may be), teething, open winter. hard water. red or dark meat, ptomains, verdigris, rust green apples, cucumbers, proximity to putrefying animal or vegetable matter, autointoxication vague "im- purties retained in the system" and high blood pressure.
 perpetrate a diagnosis of "ptomain poisoning" from time to time, which serves as well as 4 "heavy cold" does to soothe the anxiety of the public until the real nature or the illness Dc- comes evident.
 I did not include acldoss in the list because acidosis can happen in the course of certain illnesses, though only as consequences of dis case and never as the cause of 1t.
 Unquestionably a large number of people who complacentIy feel they know something about those health or medical matters would debate one or another of these questions with me or any other doctor or expert who might agree with me. Proverbially 1t is only the ignor- ant who despise educa.ion This applies m hns, With ology and hygiene. It is chiefly because of uni versal popular ignorance of human anatomy and physiology that belief in absorption through the skin Is so common. i5
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 Ffsfiskin
 A cream or ointment you recommended for one of our girls has completely relieved her of ''fsIislin." have 1t, too, and write to ask If you will please give me the formula. CT. O.
  calling 1t "fshskin" when might have called 1t ichthyosis and charged $10 for the prescrip- ton. Many young women have the rough scaly sallow dry patches of skin especially over the elbows and knees The less soap and water the better for such trouble. Only oil for cleansing the skin. This recipe is beneficial:
 salicyc acid .............1o grains
 Glycerin .................... 1 dram
 Lanoln ...s.'..'.. .'..S urdHis
 Benzoinated lard, enough to make one ounce.
 If the benzoinated lard is fresh and good grade of lanolin is used. the druggist will turn out fine cream. It is most economically dis pensed in a coiiapsible tube. Apply to the af- fected patches of skin pea-size quantity of the cream once day.
 Save Your Fuel and Enjoy Your Cereal
 Maybe this suggestion will help to save fuel. We learned this fin the hard times we had In Germany. Put your cereal on with less water or milk than usual. Let it boil or 10 min- utcs hut keep cover on tight so all the steam stays In the pot. Any small pot with . tight fitting cover will do. Then wrap the pot tn 10 or f5 sheets of newspaper and cover with . heavy towel or small blanket. let stand on wooden surface over night. In the morning the cereal win Dc well cooked and stiii warm. tAirs Y. F.)
 Answer-Thank you. Good sense and good economy