The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-13

ter, that is, serum, which, of course is salty. Original meaning of the term rlleum was watery discharge or flow from mucuous membranes especially from the eyes and nose hence "a cold, catarrh." Some emf. nent dermatologlsts have attempted to define eczema as catarrhal ir1- fiammation 0 fthe skin originating without apparent external irritation and characterized earlier or later by serious exudation," that is, weeping
 This definition purports to distin. guish eczema from dermatitis. Der matitis, it seems, is skin infiamlna. tion which is apparently or presum. ably caused by some external irri- tant, such as poison ivy, primrose, seaweed, turpentine, orthoform, metol, anilin, croton oil, cowhage arsenic dyes and other dyes used for furs.
 Eventually I arrived at the con- clusion that there is no particular advantage in trying to distinguish eczema from dermatitiS. From a survey of the latest medical litera- ture I infer that if you have $150 1t is eczema, whereas if you have $500 1t is more likely dcrmatitis Whatever 1t is called, eczema, letter, salt rheum of dermatitis, 1t is evi- dently not a specific disease for which particular remedy is appli- cable, but rather the reaction of the skin to some external irritant, some chemical, drug, acid, lye, soap, paint, solvent, dye, or to frequent wetting of the hands with hot or cold water in some occupations; or to some ir- ritant arising from an abnormal condition in the body. For example, common cause of eczema in in- fants is excess of carbohydrate starch, ,dextrose, dextra-maltose or other sugar in the ready-prepared food which agrees" although 1t does not properly nourish.
 The original name salt rheui11, and the conception still current, that ec- zema is catarrhal inflammation of the skin, indicate that the trouble was one attributed to cold. At that 1t would be just as sensible to dis. miss a dimwit patient with the as- surance that his eczema or derma- titisis just a "cold" he has caught in the skin as 1t is to string along the victim of a respiratory infection that way-as plenty of popular prac- titioners do.
 Weak Women
 Three sisters and all suffer about the same for Q day or two each month. It. often keeps me in bed and my salary stops then of course, (H. s. O.
 Answer--Neglected physical edu. cation in school. Send stamped en. velope bearing your address ana ask for monograph on Menstrua. ton.
 days when an attack is on.
 Hair
 My hair is falling badly. Does cutting the hair close to the scalp held any? co. T. RJ
 Answer - Cutting never affects growth of hair. Send stamped en- velope bearing your address, for monograph Care of Hair and Con- trol of Dandruff".
 Intermittent Limping
 subject to trouble you deScrlped as intermittent limplng--sort Of cramp comes on when I walk 9 few blocks, and have to sit and walt some time for 1t to passp (R. w. M)
 Answer-Carry small vial of ni- troglycerin tablets, 1-200th grain. Take a tablet whenever an attack impends or whenever ycu start out
 Allergy
 Please inform me what medicine you mentioned that persons subject to allergy can take? (F. R .B)
 Answer-Calciun lactate, five grain tablets, two tablets three times a day after food for period of six or eight weeks. Optimal ration of vitamin D daily. Flve-grain cap- sules of whole pancreas-take four or five capsules after meals for few Copyright 1887, John F. Dille Col