The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-28
OUR OWN INFERIORITY
COMPLEX

Since the politicians and their car
toonists began representing the pro-
posals or policies of the other party
as 'nostrums" not SO many old GUS
toners continue to take Doctor Fuss
budgets Lung, Liver and Nerve Tonic.
The politicians and cartoonistS are
only partly responsible for this chang
ing custom. The diet charlatans, self
styled food specialists, have contrib
uted toward the change. One of these
modern sharps has only to lay down a
menu and assure the customers that
1t is good for high blood pressure,
acidosis, indigestion, nervous exhaus-
ton, bad teeth and flat feet; If he is
careful to be quite arbitrary about
excluding or allowing certain items,
customers are convinced he is a
wizard. If he has the gall to call
himself Doctor" it never occurs to
the gullible public to inquire where or
how he got the title.
For several years have been sorely
afflicted with an inferiority complex
I believe a great many Flooding prac-
titioners are similarly afflicted. but !
speak now only for myself. said in
feriority-not superiority, as some Of
our readers would think more in char
acter. This inferiority complex has
cramped my efforts to enlighten the
public. The acidosis concept has kept
me much at sea. Repeatedly I have
sailed in with the intention OF smash
ing the acidosis DOGGY to smithereens,
but always at the critical moment up
hobs the old inferiority complex to
soften my blow. and I retire in a
fluster, leaving the DOGGY still palpi-
tating.
Acidosis was invented not more
than Is or 20 years ago. At the time
it was introduced as a working n.y.
pothesis I was so blamed busy trying
to play the dual role Of DR.. Jekyl and
Mr.. Hyde (Jekyl in practice, Hyde in
press) that I failed to grasp all the
fine points of the new idea. Oh, we
had recognized what was formerly
called "acid intoxication" as fea-
ture of various maladies long years
before the term "acidoSiS" was in
vented. But the thing that eluded
me was that the new acidosis seemed
as common as bad teeth and exotic
healers were discerning more or less
acidosis at the bottom Of nearly all
complaints, real or imaginary, and
what was more, these aggressive bunk
merchants were ascribing acidosis to
all diets but their own. Besides, one
heard vaguely of prominent quacks
within the ranks of regular medicine
who were plying good trade in anti
acidosis diet lists. All this contributed
to my self-accusation. How come, I
asked myself, that all these near-doc-
tors know so much about this acidoSiS
business, while I can't find out any,
thing about it to speak Of? began
q painstaking research of the medical
literature. and even made excursions
far outside of the ordinary bounds OF
scientific publications. but with little
luck. Finally I had to gather the out
put of the charlatans who were ex-
plotting acidosis and analyze it, and
then discovered it was the bunk, and
the inferiority complex no longer i'm
peded me.
, Now I wish to give this positive as
surance to everybody: Acidosis never
happens when the choice Of food is
not unnaturally restricted-say by
famine, imprisonment or ill-advised
dieting" SO we we'll folk should for
get all about acidosis and leave 1t to
the doctor to worry about when it
develops In the course Of some grave
illness.