The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-03-12
COLD AND TOXEMIA COVER 4
 LOT OF IGNORANCE

l OOLD AND IOAEMAA COVEtG A LOT OF IGNORANCE.
 In textbook on Nervous and Mental Diseases" by Charles $. Potts, M. D., published 22 years ago, exposure to cold and wet is sis, internal pachymeningitis, To- comotor ataxia, primary lateral sclerosis (spastic paralysis), infan- tile paralysis (acute anterior poli- omyelitis, progressive spinal mus cuuar atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, nepralgia, neuritis, idio- pathic multiple neuritis. optic atro- phy. facial paralysis, wryneck. in- tercostal neuralgia, sciatica, acute myelitis inflammation of spinal cord). chronic myelitis, paralysis agitans Shaking palsy, Parkinson's disease), Raynaud's disease, cry thromeiagia, and we'll continue the list some other time-I'm tired of it now and Pm going over bow ling
 What I meant to say is that, thank goodness, the list of ailments ascribed to exposure to cold and wet is steadily diminishing as our knowledge of pathology increases. That condition mentioned about the middle of the list eff the prin- ter didn't give up before he got that far), idiopathic multiple neur- its, is humdinger. An idopathic disease is one without extrinsic or apparent cause. As 8 matter of plain logic we might as well say that every disease mentioned IS
 "idiopathic," but I reckon the old | timers hated to come right out and admit they didn't know the cause of the trouble. That's how
 it happens that exposure to cold or wet is given as one of the causes of all these diseases of the nervous system in this 22-year-old medical book. f Actually so far as our scientific
 knowledge goes, no ailment ss | caused by exposure to cold or wet
 save only frostbite. There Is nc danger that this statement will be
 cortroverted, for there is no ex- perimental evidence to support rhe
 quaint notion that such exposure gives rise to disease.
 | am quite aware that exposure 1 to cold or wet may be injurious tc | one who has, say Raynaud's dis ease, or prostatic hypertrophy, ol
 chronic nephritis, but that fac, | should not be confused with .tnS
 cause of the malady.
 In his book Nutrition and Dis
 ease" pr Edward Mellanby says: l "(D Early cases of dis, | seminated sclerosis (otherwise i | called multiple sclerosis). how | ever severe, have greatly im- <.
 proved by proper dfetetic
 treatment as suggested above, | and so war as can be seen at
 present, remain improved. CD Outstanding cases may 2
 be slightly improved by this | treatment. but in any case
 have not become worse-the | morbid condition generally has
 remained stationary .
 The diet Mellanby refers to II
 one he describes as a high vitamir
 A diet-''it, includes 1 to ? pints o
 milk daily, 2 eggs. mammalian ny CT, green vegetables and carrots
 and cod Liver oil two, teaspoonfuh
 twice daily"
 not hold that disseminateq sclero'
 sis is caused by cvitamin dehciencS
 hut modestly suggests "that ths
 whole problem is worth a larger and more prolonged investigation
 fro mthis ,nutritional angle, fo'
 even 1.-the treatment only prevent:
 the advance of the disease ant
 brings about curative changes 1T
 early infammatory lesions, 1t wil
 be aHgreat boon." t QUESTIONS and ANSWERS.
 Sweating Done While You Wait Please advise about the benefits 1 or dangers of hot air or vapOl
 baths, portable cabinet and alcohol
 burner. Will thls help to prevent
 winter colds, pneumonia? Can | cause T. B.? (J. V. E.D
 | Answer know of no benefits ' NdTinsr falta AI1a 1sialr 2 IT fa rnfiaAifMf