The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-11-14
FOOD is FUEL, THOUGH FUEL is NOT
NECESSARILY FOOD

Young woman complains that since fall she
had a year ago she has had strange craving
for coal and has eaten lot of 1t we doc
tors call such perverson of appetite ''pica,"
which at once suggests We don't know about it.
Infants commonly manifest a fondness for
ashes, soil and the like when they are old
enough to creep or totter about and crafty
their odd taste. Young women with simple ane-
mia often crave freak things such as sour
pickles, vinegar green fruit. Expectant mothers
are quite likely to dote on raw starch, chalk or
what have you. Here let me assure all of these
that their odd craving has no particular signifi-
canoe and there is no serious harm inn any of
the things mentioned. In some cases the crav-
ing is satisfied by the healthful habit of eating
some raw potato, carrot turnip or other root
vegetable every day; or chewing some raw
wheat, oats, rice; or eating the skins or outer
husks and seeds of various vegetables and
fruits instead of pairing them off excluding
them: or eating the tops of onions, celery, par
sey and the like when these relishes are avail
able But even If the baby prefers clean fire
sterilized ashes, or mamma likes her chalk or
coal, these things are quite harmless. So Is good
clean sand or soil, provided it is not polluted,
that is. by excretions of animal or man. Such
pollution involving the hazard of infestation
with various parasites, is the only serious OBJ
lection to "pica
the danger of serious even fatal lead poison
ing from paint on crib bed high chair or toys
or playthings, when the baby has the habit OF
gnawng at such things. The infant so slowly
poisoned becomes anemic, puny, fretful, sickly,
and eventually suffers from paralysis, convul-
sons or other grave manifestation of damage
to the central nervous system. Better unpaint-
ed furnishings and playthings-it will do no
harm if the baby puts these in his mouth or
gnaws at them. Wood Is not food nor yet
poison
That ubiquitous agent Ben Told has it that
plea is due to lack of something in the system.
There Is no scientific ground for the notion.
Many persons who crave these extraordinary
things may have shortage of calcium Qime)
or some deficiency in the metabolism or utiliZa-
ton of this element IN the body. But we know
that many persons with such calcium deficiency
have no odd cravings at ALL
from time to time. 1 know fellow who can
eat mashed potato without batting an eye.
Sheep sometimes take to eating wool. There
are persons who appear sane to the casual OBJ
server yet who actually like the taste of whiskey
neat or even glass of sour acrid wine Chill
dren in a neurotic household, where make be-
lieve and pretend rule conduct, sometimes bite
off bits of hair, and eventually the hair accu-
mulates in a large ball or mass which causes
intestinal obstruction. Here and there far out
in the bush, scouts assure me- one may still find
who chews tobacco.
Infants children with plea generally give
it up when they get old enough to help them
selves to a variety of foods they like.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Painful shoulder
Aching pain under or about right shoulder,
arm tired. shoulder tired and painful. Would
Answer-Seeing doctor is sometimes good
for sore eyes, but for sore shoulders ortho-
pedic surgeon is often more beneficial.
Removal of Tonsils
Daughter aged years just over an Illness
caused by "infected glands resulting from sore
throat. Our doctor advises removal of her tom
siIs soon, and says he has removed as many as
any one. But shouldn't we take her to special
list for this? mrs #. l.. M
Answer-No The chances are your family
physician can remove the tonsils we'll as any
| specialist can perhaps better.
Making Mother Behave
| When a woman is pregnant does she have to
| taste everything she smells? There are two wO.
| men I'm our neighbOrhoOd expecting to have
| babies and mother thinks she must take each
or them little of everything we happen to b.
cooking, which she fears they will smell. She
| says am heartless because say it Is q mis-.
| take. (E. e. deF.l
Answer-If it is superstition it is ridiculous
| But if mother is just being kind to the neigh.
| bors, more power to her, and would there
were more of her heart.
Copyright 1898. John f. Ollie Coz