The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-08
YOUR
HEALTH
By
Medical Advisory Beard

Exfoliative Dematitis (Rednesg
scaling and weeping of the whole
skim
G. B., writes:-"My brother, who
has a primary type of exfolistive
dermatitis has now been confined
to Kings County Hospital for about
six weeks. Before he entered the
hospital he had been suffering for
about a year and went to various
skin clinics where they gave him
salves and lotions, but this condition
kept on getting worse.
HE is twenty-eight years old,
five feet three inches, weighing
about hundred pounds. When he
entered the hospital he had lost
ten pounds in two months. While
he has been at the hospital, they
have not aided him in the slightest,
He was told when he entered that
he would be out in two months,
Now the doctors say he will have
to be there for at least five more
months. The doctors display an in
different attitude. Examina lions,
which should be three times a
week, are conducted when the doc
tors feel like it, which is about once
a week. The atmosphere is so de-
pressing, being in the old building
that it has had very bad effect on
his morale.
What am interested in knowing
is whether or not we can treat the
disease at home with any degree Of
success?"
EXFOLIATTVE dermatitis (redness
- scaling and weeping of the
whole skim Is a disease which may
be due to one of several causes. II
may be due to poisoning by certain
chemicals, or 1t may be a symptom
of certain disease of the blood form
ing organs. 1t is often difficult to
find out the underlying cause.
There is little that you can do for
your brother at home in the way Of
treatment, since the basic trouble
has not yet been found. However,
since little is being done for your
brother at the hospital in which he
is at present, you can take him
home for while to build up his
morale. Later, he can be taken to
another hospital or clinic where
conditions are more favorable.
Is HOdgkin's Disease Durable?
z. v. of Philadelphia, writes. -
1 Il have brother who has a
disease called Hodgkin's Disease.
What would like to know is if that
kind of a disease is curable?"
YOUR brother is suffering from a
disease which is considered
today as type of cancer. It is
unfortunately type of cancer that
is not durable. The average life of
a person after the disease is dag
nosed is from one to three years.
although occasional cases have
lived longer.
We are glad that he is able to
receive X-ray treatment, since that
is the one way known at present to
make the patient feel better and, 10
a limited extent, to p-olong his life,
For these reasons, we advise that he
should continue receiving the treat
ment at the hospital in which he is
at present being treated.
Children of Deaf Couple
G. s., of New York, asks whether p
" married couple who are both
deaf and dumb can have normal
children.
THIS depends on the nature of the
deafness in the couple. Did the
deafness follow some disease like
meningitis, mastoidS. scarlet fever,
etc? If so, then it would in all
probability be safe to have children.
On the Other hand, if the deaf
ness in the couple came on APP
parently, without cause, in child
hood, or if relatives Of either parent
suffered from such deafness, then
there is serious danger that the con-
dition is hereditary" that is, trans.
mitted from parents to children,
There are such families, in which
successive generations become deaf
at about the same time, for no APP
parent reason.
When young child becomes deaf
before he learns to speak, he Is UNI
able to hear people pronounce
words, and therefore, loses the
most important means of learning
to speak. That is why dumbness is
so often associated with deafness.