Evening star., 1936-11-14
Mary Cleer Reads All
With Hope She'll
Find a Cure.
BY PHILIP H. LOVE.


wi that has bafied more than
4 4 a dozen doctors. sat up in
bed in her Fort Myer nome today
and, between sneezes, pored over her
latest batch of fan mail'-letters
and post cards suggesting every imag-
Unable method of stopping the strange
paroxysms by which she has been
shaken day and night for more than
q month.
i've heard from about 80 people
in all parts of the country so far"
Mary Margaret said, shutting through
the pile of mail on her bed. Nothing
that they've suggested has done my
sneezing any good, but I still pick
up every letter and card with the hope
that it's what I've been praying for
real cure"
Along with the messages, Mary Mar
garet, who has been sneezipg con-
stantly since october 9, has received
a generous supply of snuff, mag
netic" note to be pinned beneath her
clothing, a special inhalor" and a
radio" device guaranteed to purify
the oxygen" in her blood.
Thought it a Cold at First.
Mary Margaret, oldest of the four
children of Thomas Cleer. Arlington
County filling station attendant, be-
gan sneezing while in class at Wash
ington-Lee High School. where she is
an eighth-grade pupil.
II thought she had a bad cold COM
ing on" said her mother, 80 put
her to bed. When the sneezing didn't
stop I had doctor examine her. He
didn't know what the trouble was, and
neither have any of the others that
I've taken her to since-and there
have been at least IS, including a
chiropractor"
At first, the sneezing was almost
continuous. I'VE kept count one
night" Mary Margaret said, "and I
sneezed 81 times in a minute" More
recently, however. the sneezes have
become less frequent and considerably
more violent.
That's why I stay in bed" the
blue-eyed, golden-haired child ex-
planned. IT feel all right, except for
some irritation in my throat, but the
sneezes shake me up so, just can't
control myself. The only time I get
out of bed is when I go to the clinic
at Children's Hospital-several times
a week"
Mary Margaret's mysterious all
ment was brought to public attention
through publication of stories in The
Star and other newspapers through
out the country on October %.
Shortly thereafter, the "fan mail" as
she calls it, began pouring in.
Advice From Alabama.
From Goodwater, Ala, a man
wrote:
Keep the eyes open and press the
upper lip just under the nose. To
pass the time and make you alert
mentally. repeat the alphabet back
ward. Also, transpose the alphabet in
1884 order, like this-ACBD, EGF
H, IKJL. MONP, QSRT, UWvX, w.
Do this forward and backward, and
in this manner-CX, DIV. EV, Flu.
CT, HIS. IR, 10. KIP, LA, Mz.
THE results will be nothing less
than miraculous, and you will amaze
both yourself and your friends"
A Washington man advised:
Take a small paper bag, such as
is used in a grocery store, hold the
open end closely around the mouth.
so no outside air can get in, and
breathe into it deeply few times"
The writer. Mary Margaret was as
sured, had stopped sneezing in this
way" on several occasions.
Colored Cloth Offered.
Another letter from the District.
this one from a woman-inclosed
scraps Of rayon in variety of hues,
with the explanation that studies in
color harmony" might help. The best
way to carry on such studies, the
writer implied, would be on National
Capital Parks outings; but, that being
impossible, the pieces Of material,
"left over when my mother and sister
made me some underslips last June"
should prove satisfactory substitute.
ITO focus the attention" the woman
counseled, practice as If looking at
the bridge of the nose, single-eye as
it were, helps to exclude the distract
ing. When I am studying q photo
play sometimes, make binoculars
with circle of thumb and forefinger
to exclude that which detracts from
close vision"
The radio" contraption-a muci-
iage bottle containing q whitish fluid
and rugged up with several wires
also came from the Capital.
"a nice old man brought 1t to me-"
Mary Margaret said. "He told me to
attach one part of it to radio, put
another part between my toes and
rub my nose with another part. He
said this would purify the oxygen in
my blood and make me well. tried
it, but-well, 1t only tickled."
Magic Letter Received.
The magnetic" letter was sent by
o woman in Hornell. N. Y. with the
warning. Don't handle this any
more than you can help" Mary
Margaret was advised to "let your
mother lay this on your flesh, under
your clothes, and pin it SO 1t viii
stay open. This" thesnot concluded.