The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-10-15

Democrnt.)
 Good thing O. w. Holmes, M. D. was a poet when he remarked that if the whole materia medica could be sunk to the better for mankind and all the worse for the fishes. I'll bet his doorbell didn't ring much after that, except at night when the good doctors were not at home. Even in our times such comment is dangerous. I advise young doc tors by all means to read the Au- tocrat and the Professor sketches, but not to say anything except Five dollars, please" until they have had at least ten years of practice. If any of you medical fellows have anything on your chest that needs saying, let me know-if 1t is printable maybe I can get it over without risk to your practice.
 One of the most treasured books in my library is notebook in which I began making entries when I was an intern, and continued for about twelve years, tho with steadily dim- finishing faith and enthusiasm. In the earlier years most of the notes were data on remedies, prescriptions or methods of treatment; latterly they seemed to deal rather with diagnosis, prognosis and etiology or causation. One by one the tradi- tional specifics had disappointed. Quinine, calomel and digitalis were no longer the formidable weapons I had been taught to believe, and as for the bewildering array of shotguns and blunderbusses in our armamentarium, well, I felt there was more than poetry in Dr. Holmes's wisecrack.
 Blaud's pills Otherwise known as ferruginous pills, chalybeate pills griffith'sche pillen, Neimeyer's pills and in prescription latin Pilulae Terri Carbonatis) were big medi- cine for anemia in those days. ] believe the wiseacre laity still has some regard for readymade concoc- tions bearing similar name. But the genuine old pills were always freshly made by the pharmacist and probably remained more or less soluble for ten days or two weeks The mixture of iron sulphate, po- tassium carbonate, sugar, traga. can1h, althea, glycerin and water oi wfich these pills are made under goes a chemical change which rend- CTS the iron quite insoluble ane probably inert in that length oi time.
 However, it. didn't seem to matter what form of iron or in what man. ner it was administered, it proved as disappointing in practice as die qufnine, calomel and digitalis. NJ doubt my experience was not diff. ferent from the experience of phy. sic:ans in general. That would ac. count for the innumerable forms o iron and the ingenious ways, some. times painfully ingenious ways O administering it.
 Iron is perhaps as essential a! calcium or phosphorus in the hu' man economy, but it is no longer O paramount importance in the treat met of anemia. The diet is of pa ramount importance. Recent ad vances in our knowledge of nutri tion indicate that the diet mus provide an optimal ration of vita mir B and G particularly but fai amounts of all the vitamins as the. occur in mature.
 In any case of anemia an excel lent diet includes plain wheat a the main item, supplemented witt milk and eggs, if possible witt meat, fresh vegetables and greens and fresh fruit in season.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 X-Ray for PrOstatic Enlargement
 Please advise whether X-ra treatment is of any benefit in en largement of the prostate. CT. M.)
 fnswer-X-ray treatment has n effect on the size of the gland bu in some cases. gives prolonged re lief to the symptoms.
 Calories.
 How many calories in an ordinar drinking glass of sweet cider? Ho, does it compare with grape juice orange juice, tomato juice and milk in calcries and vitamins? (F. S. Answer-Capacity of glasses va ries. Ordinary glass will hold abou 8 ounces, but may be served al ou- zee or more shy. Grapejuice con tains "A calories in the ounce, mil 20, orange juice 12. tomato juice { sweet cider 10. I should place to mato juice first in vitamin con tent, next milk, then orange juice sweet cider and grape juice loves of all.
 Fifteen Per Cent. on Thank you for your Design fo Dwindiing". I followed your in structions implicitly for 10 week anl lost 23 pounds. Tn the pas three months have not varied nor than | pound or two from my nor