The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-06-06

1t Isn't only the
ayman, but the medical profession
as a whole has never paid any real
attention to our bodies when they are
well. There have been libraries and
libraries written on disease. but the
books written on what Is normal health
are virtually non-existent.
The whole effort has been to study
disease and then to cure it. 1t has been
good way and has accomplished
very great deal.
1t has In fact Increased the span
OF our life expectancy so that Ii now
stands at approximately sixty years.
But now that we are reaching this ripe
age. number of the medical profess
sion are saying: Instead of waiting
for disease to manifest itself, let's
see II we can't prevent 1t. Let's see
If we can't keep people so healthy that
they won't ever be laid up with long
spells of sickness. We have cur down
enormously the death rate from such
contagious diseases as diphtheria.
smallpox, rabies and measles. We have
made progress with diabetes and per-
nicious anemia. Now let's see II we
can't prevent the degeneratlve dis
eases that break down the proper func
tioning of the organs of the body, or
at least keep them harahg up until
person Is we'll along In years.
Obviously the first step In this OBJ
jective Is to make study OF normally
healthy individuals SO that we can
learn how healthy body reacts to
certain stimuli. In the hospital con-
nected with the University OF Illinois
Medical school, We had recently for
continuous rerlod Of 45O days two men,
one thin anG the other stocky. They
were both healthy and twenty-five years
OF age.
We made many tests. We drew
blood from each every other day, and
sometimes twice daily. Stomach IN
alysis was done at frequent Intervals
All urine specimens were saved and
Analysed Bastal metabolism was done
daily. Ten different skin tests were
made twice each week
The stocky, blocky type proved
stable sort of fellow. He did not vary
from day to day. When put into
hot room or into a cold room he was
not uncomfortable. He showed little II
any metaboic change as result OF
thaco nj In II
was acid In reaction. He semed to
have little use for the alkalines In his
food. We gave him certain foods to
determine Just how stable he could
maintain his equilibrium of chemical
reactions He can be summed up as a
vegetable organism. He was diges-
i've creature. He gained 20 pounds.
He never did any type OF work but
stayed In bed all the time. To eat and
sleep were his major functions In life.
He would read little beyond the daily
paper and he mapped between turning
the pages. He WIS happy and con.
tented.
The tall man showed great variations
III Ills bhAA lulAAlt0DS HUN udy VI
duy. His metabolsm was unstable.
His urine was always alkaline. He was
| uncomfortable In the hot room, he WIS
excitable and uneasy. his temperature
went up. His stomach stopped secret
| Ing acid and his urine became concen-
| trated. He lost weight the day fol
| lowing and did not get back to normal
| weight for ten days. Ills whole water
metaboism was upset. On the other
/ hand, he Jared very well In the cold
! room. Changes In diet produced con.
| siderable changes In his metabolism.
| His was skin and nervous organism,
and he WAS completely different from
| the stocky nun. He was always up
| and about and looking for something to
do. He never slept during tile day. He
washed glassware, helped In the labora-
| tory, and became real laboratory as
sistunt in the year and half he was
| under observation.
Then we made a study Of hay
fever, migraine headache and hive
group Of, patients. normal in other re-
spects. These we found belong to the
unstable types.
| Their various reactions charted upon
paper look like profile OF the Rocky
mountains. They change more during
the course OF day than the stable
| type change after having been given
the same stimulating medicine. They
ARE put together In different manner
and react differently to things around
them. They show more changes In
| their blood chemistry from day to day
than one would expect to find In sick
| people. But they are normal, that is
ln so far as their nucruating, vaccilat-
Ing and spasmudlc type of controlling
mach'nery Will allow them 10 be nor.
! nal.
We began these studies 70 gain a
better understanding of normal PEG
| pie. Much TO our surprise we foun1
| the normal range Of variations 70 be