The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-30


n. u. too tired TO eat and
digest his food prop
erly may be keeping his weight low
just as can a youngster who doesn't
get outdoors ut all. and has no appe-
tite for his food. Infected teeth or
tonsils, a nose that is blocked and
preventing proper breathing. round
shoulders. and other physical de-
fects all prevent proper growth and
development.
DR.. w. r. p. Emerson i'm AR
chives of Pediatrics' says: THE es-
sentials for good nutrition and nor
NAL physical and mental develop
ment are: W freedom from physi-
cal defects, (2 adequate food, (3)
free air, az sufficient exercise. and
(5) proper rest. From q survey OF
q large number of children OF pre-
school (thrce to six years) and
school ages it was found that each
child had an average OF AZ physi-
chi defects and g faulty eating hab-
its. OF a group OF 1000 children
only 2 per cent GO in the whole
,OOO) were found to be free from
physical defects.
1.-THE most frequent defects are
obstruction of the nose. bad teeth.
diseases OF various organs. and pos
tural conditions Ground shoulders.
sway back, spinal curvature). which
were either the result or partly the
causes of the underweight and un-
acknowledgement"
Physicians are agreed that attain
ing the proper weight for any young
ster's particular type OF body or
physique will mean Improvement
in mental development. increased
efficiency. and increased resistance
to disease"
The treatment of underweight in
children then should be from the
various standpoints outlined above
which means, first. the removal OF
defects and bad health habits. and
second, plenty os fresh air, plenty
of good food and plenty OF rest.
The Family Physician.
There was q time when the out
standing" doctor of q community
was supposed to be very silent. very
gruff, having no patience with the
patient who wanted to tell him all
about his sickness. II was felt that
he knew SO much that just a glance
at his patient and the taking Of
pulse and temperature was all that
he needed to know what was wrong
and how TO treat 1t.
Fortunately the real family physi-
clan was not Of this type, but real
all-round friend of the family who
had all the affairs of the family on
his mind and tried to help whenever
and wherever possible.
And then came the hospital
type OF physician who took samples
of blood, urine. sputum, used the
X-ray and other types OF examiiia-
ton possible in the hospital. and
after waiting the hours and days
necessary for these examinations to
be completed. told the patient and
the patients family exactly what
was wrong.
Now il is only good sense for the
doctor to get all the help possible
from the hospitals laboratories, be-
cause this will be of help TO the
patient; but the up-to-date doctor,
the successful physician now real
ICES more than ever before that
more than a knowledge OF medi-
cine, more than the findings from
the laboratory are necessary IL the
patient is to get the best possible
treatment.
Humanism Is Needed.
DR.. Oscar Klotz in addressing the
Toronto Academy OF Medicine
states: "In the practice of medi-
cine the physician is called upon to
use his every effort and equipment
TO learn the cause OF the ailment and
its treatment. He is often called
upon to strain the last resources
known to science TO attain salts
factory result. But over and above
all these scientific endeavors, aided
by all the available skill, there is
need Of q very commonplace at
tribute of man best spoken OF as
humanism-love and understanding
OF your fellow man. There is need
OF sympathetic understanding
which serves TO support the courage
OF the patient, an appreciation OF
the mental and spiritual reactions
OF the sick, often determined by
their surroundings and made worse
by the poverty and distress of other
members of the family. The full
understanding Of 'humanism' in
medicine is acquired through vary.
ing circumstances of life and is at
tanned in greatest measure by the
family or general physician. rather
than by the specialist"
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