The Washington times., 1933-09-15
Secrets OF
Health
By LOUIS E. BlSCH. Md. Ph.D.
Guard Against the Medical
Advice" Evil

Every person numbers among
his friends and acquaintance
many well-meaning individuals
who are forever giving out
gratuitous advice on medical
problems.
The worst of it is that people
are prone to follow such non.
professional advice eagerly.
Some even go so far as to pay
a doctor a fee for consultation,
and then turn around and fol-
low instead the suggestions Of
a neighbor across the street.
Pharmacists everywhere are
likewise interviewed frequently
by customers who want to
know whether the prescriptions
they are about to have filled
are good or not; whether the
doctors who wrote them are
reliable, or whether other
drugs do not exist which are
cheaper and equally effica-
ciouS.
Consult Experts
In fact, druggists often do
quite a bit of diagnosing and
prescribing themselves. They
claim they must do this, to be
courteous and accommodating
to their patrons. And, Of
course, the amount of self.
treatment that is going on
perhaps even more so in Europe
than in America-is simply
enormous.
The plea I make for expert
medical advice is not concerned
with augmenting the physicians
bank deposits. For the very
best of medical attention, and
from the most famous members
of the profession, may be OBJ
tanned at hospital clinics, in
most instances, without the
payment Of a red cent.
The reason for this article Is
to emphasize the need Of scien.
tific treatment based upon q
scientific examination and dag
noSiS.
GuesSwork should be scrupu-
lousy avoided where living, hu-
man tissues are concerned.
Surely if we are skeptical about
suggestions that statesmen make
as to quality and fit, when we
buy a hat or a suit of clothes,
we should be q hundred times
more skeptical when advice is
given concerning our health
and vital well-being.
No matter how friendly your
friends may be, avoid following
their medical advice as you
would the plague.
Many a disease could have
been checked in the making
had the patient been taken to
the doctor early enough. A
case in point is tuberculosis.
Here family remedies are often
tried, one after the other, for
months. Only after the "cold"
seems to get worse instead OF
better is a physicians help
sought.
Feeding Infants
Babies often suffer no end
because somebody else who had
a baby takes it upon herself to
declare what ails the child, and
what should be done for it.
Particularly is this the case in
the matter of feeding problems
which, any doctor will tell you.
involve not only knowledge Of
physiological chemistry but con-
siderable actual experience in
addition.
What prompts people to give
medical advice even when it is
not asked for or wanted? Ego,
to be sure-the urge to be list
ened to and found important!
Let us therefore neither re-
ceive medical advice nor give it.
Even If one who is near and
dear to us is suffering from .
complaint that seems to be lden-
tical with one we ourselves once
had, let us assume always that,
although the two conditions
may appear alike, a careful ex'
animation by one who knows
what to look for may reveal
that they differ markedly.
The best advice you can pos
sibly give to anybody who Is
ill, no matter who, is "See a doc
tor"
DR.. Bisch's Daily Diet Hint
No difference in nutritlve
value exists between the white
and dark meat of poultry, al
though the former is slightly
easier to digest. This differ
ence, however, is practically
negligible. Another fallacy IS
that poultry contains less pro"
tein than the red meats. Poul-
try is a welcome change in the
regular weekly diet, especially
since it can be cooked in sew
eral ways.
copyright, 1888, King Features
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