The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-08-15
OLD FASHIONED IRON is HARD
TO RELIEVE

A few months ago we had piece in this COL
umn about plain old fashioned iron for pale
en- any more, but under the rouge and drug
store tan some of 'em are still as weak as their
were advising Pinky A. Eatinghams 1872 per
cent "tonic" for female frailty.
The old fashioned iron we recommended as
a good medicine for women with simple hypo-
chronic anemia (hypochromic is medical Greek
for lack of color or insufficient hemoglobin,
the iron-compound which gives blood its color
and serves as the carrier OF oxygen to the body
tissues) is officially Gin the United States and
British Pharmacopoeias) called Iron and Am
mum Citrate. When the anemic patient takes
this medicine she should take enough, and not
just trife with it. Not less than ten or fifteen
grains at every dose. though we know the body
needs to assimiate only about one-fourth of a
grain of iron a day. The good and sufficient
reason for these seemingly large doses Of iron
was explained here June II. The recipe gave
for simple hypochromic anemia Is as follows:
Dissolve an ounce Of iron and ammonium
citrate that is one ingredient) in four ounces
of water. Take a teaspoonful after each
meal three times day for two or three
months. This is neutral, will not injure the
teeth. and has proved more efhcacious than
any expensive organic" iron medirine.
Girls women with hypochromic anemia
(men seldom have it, are weak, easily fatigued,
short Of breath. pale, have poor appetite. belch
often complain Of burning or soreness of the
tongue and of brittle nails, dry. prematurely
graying hair and dull inelastic skin.
medicine six eight weeks and begins to throw
her weight about and talk back to her boss, If
she discovers that her steady progress stops
good plan to add to the recipe one
grain of copper sulphate-that is, have the
druggist include grain of copper sulphate
(blue vitriol) in the four ounce iron solution.
But 1 husbands, fathers, brothers and
boy friends to watch out, for when they go off
the iron standard onto the copper sometimes
you can't hold 'em.
have been panied to receive large number
of complaints from readers whose druggists in
form them there is no such combination pos
sible, or that they can't put up the medicine
without knowing what iron preparation is
wanted or how much of it whether 1t means
an ounce of iron and an ounce of ammonium
citrate what. The trouble with the profess
sion of pharmacy today is there is too much
ham and eggs, bathing pants. groceries and
hardware clutterinG up the shop.
One old fashioned pharmacist suggests that
or pharmacists should be reported to the state
board of pharmacy when they betray that they
do not know what Iron and Ammonium Citrate
Is. This pharmacist offers another good sug-
gestion, namely. that If there is any objection
to the taste of the solution, iron and ammonium
citrate can be dispensed in capsules.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Saccharin
Being on restricted carbohydrate diet use
saccharin to swceten my tea and coffee. from
six to eight 1-4-grain tablets day. Is this
| amount harmful? What injurious effects has
saccharn the body: M. ny
Answer-Saccharin is coaltar derivative,
chemically called benzosulphinid. It is 800
times sweeter than sugar. One-half grain of
saccharn is equivalent to about a teaspoonful
of sugar in sweetening There Is little evidence
that any harm Is done by the use OF small
quantities of saccharn--say up to S grains
day.
Rhcum It Isn't
have made remarkable recovery from
chronic arthritis that almost totally disabled
me. / have been ON the lime and ductlcss
gland treatment you recommend in your book
let, 1.-THE Ills Called Rheumatism" My physi-
clan, who administers the latter part OF the
treatment, is writing You about my case and
some others in which he Is trying out the treat
ment. But owed You this expression of graft
tudc. IF. L. R.)
Answer-Delighted to hear of your improve
ment. I hope 1t may continue. Although we
docs don't know what rheum 1t Is we can cure
1t just the same. Readers who desire copy Of
the booklet will please send O dime and o
stamped envelope and ask for the booklet-no
clipping will suffice.