The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-01-13
THE PURPOSELESs COUGH OF
 pLEURISY t

Aside from the horse sense that no medicine can prevent or cure cough in any case, the odies" Is that they contain on or another har- cotlc opiate or sedative ingredient. Opium, laudanum. paregoric, codeine, heroin. chloro- form and various modern derivatives of opium, are the familiar sedatlves in popular expector. ants.
 These sense -dulling drugs were originally employed in cough medicines because our an- cestors, in their crude way, assumed that 1t was the cough that produced the iiiness. We know 1t Is the illness that causes the cough. We know that tho illness goes right on, or even becomes worse, if the cough is checked or suppressed F' There are many disease conditions In which | cough is .a prominent symptom. There arc many such coughs which should be encour. SO by one means or another There are only Ia few illnesses associated with coughing in which 1t Is beneficial to the patient to check or suppress the coughing. Pleurisy Is one and the early stage of pulmonary tuberculosis is |another condition where 1t is often to the pa- tients advantage to avoid unnecessary cough ing by the exercise of will power or in somo such cases 1t may be wise treatment to pre- scribe Q suitnble sedative to check the Impulse to cough. This question is always one to be decided by the physician in attendance, with careful consideration of the present circum- stances. In no case class of cases Is there my hard and fast rule by which such an m- ,ortant matter may be decided by the patient ,r by anyone else than tho physician who <nows the individual circumstances. Although am physician. I'd cough my ,ead off before I'd resort to any medicine to | heck or diminish coughing on my own, if 1 had such an Illness. 1 have learned my lesson know doctor who attempts to treat himself has just as big q fool for q patient us Is the layman who attempts to doctor himself. A sick doctor is incapable of using his best Judg- ment in any case.
 In certain cases of uncomplicoted plourisy coughing can do no good and on tho contrary 1t stirs up the inhamed membrane and tends to increase the Inflammation. Here regardless of the relief of pain, the administration of a suitable opiate or other sedative Is clearly ''in- dicated," as doctors say-that ls it may Do | expected to do good and to do no harm. ro- peat only the physician in attendance, who knows tho individual requirements, can safely or intelllgontly prescribe or administer the cough medicine in such Q case
 Pleurisy Is Inflammation of the ploura. The pleura is the delicate serious membrane lining each side of tho chest cavity and covering tho surface of tho lung. Tho peura on each side form a colsed sac, with q flow spoonfuls of clear serum in it. The serum serves as n lubricant which prevents friction of tho lungs on the chest wall or friction of different lobes of the lungs on each other
 Tn dry pleursly opposing surfaces of pleura become adherent from tho sticking together of the fibrnous exudatc, and sometimes theso old adhesions remain for life after tho pleurlsy attack has been forgotten. In plourisy with effusion tho exudate is watery and may partly hll the entiro pleural cavity of ono side or both sides, requiring removal by aspiration In few cases tho cxudate iB purulcnt, and
 
 
 Look Out-Thcy'rc In a Huddle Expcctant mother again. and l have been unable tO overcome dread of consulting e physician, probably from my experience in bee Ing passed around n clinic of several doctors ali more or less embarrassing Mrs r. k.) Answcr-if a doctor is good he practices un- der his own namo and on his own reBponsibii- ity. If he K not so good ho can catch business more readily by going into huddle with q number of others and practicins under some such imposing name hA "clinic" "nstitute,' give you the namo of private physician if you inclose with yosr request stamped en. vclope bearing your address.
 How to Take Salts. 4,l Some time ago 1 saw a piece in the paper about taking epson salts for draining tlIc gnlI- bladder Would appreciate it if you would teIf me how to take the snits l believe my gail. S)
 Answer--It doesn't matter so long us you don't take the salts too seriously Probably the best result can be obtained by sneaking up on the salts and suddenly dumpny them In the sink before they have time to do my harin. If the piece you saw was mine it containod tho information that such foods as rich rnllts. cream, butter. egg yolk, fat meats. gravy, bacon usage. lard, olive oil cause contraction and drainage of the gail-bladder quito as of. fectlyely as does salts s A NaEE.
 ArIdity F#
 il drink only two glasses of water daily. Onc one retiring and one in the morning. Net fiix whether this indicates any serious kidney trouble. tW. E. S.i
 Angwor-- Alas. you'll never know. lt would cost you maybe s5 to find out. from any good doctor. but that's Just it--you'll never know.
 Copyright John r. Dine Co)