The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1937-03-02

| OOCCOTS WHO TeCelVeU ttlelT Whu"
ing in the past twenty years base
their diagnoses and treatment more
upon pathological physiology, study
of the disturbed functions, recog-
milton Of the significance Of symp-
toms.
Organic disease interested the old
timers. Functional disease well,
they were inclined to dismiss that
as Of little Importance.
A fact which our medical train
ing did not sufficiently impress uopn
us old timers is that there is no
sharp dividing line between health
and sickness. Most persons who
have demonstrable organic disease
have been ailing months or years
before the diagnosis Is made. For
instance apopleXy Cerebral hemor-
rhage, stroke Of paralysis) and
angina pectoris are not the sudden
or instantaneous seizures they seem
to the casual observer; the arteries
clerosis or hardening Of the arteries,
Of which these are but manifesto
tons, has been developing for
years before the damage In brain
or heart eventuates In such dread
full manner. Unfortunately the earl
Ter functional" symptoms Of AFTER
iosclerosis or OVID (cardiovascular
degeneration, heart-artery wearing
out are ignored by the patient or
misinterpreted and treated with
various nostrums. Unfortunately,
too, physicians do not have much
opportunity to study the earlier
stages Of CVD for the very reason
that patients do not consider med
ical examination, advice or care ne
cessary at this stage. So the dag
nosis Of this most common disease
Is seldom made In time to prolong
the patients useful life or to pre-
vent premature nervous break
down" or whatever euphonious
name the victims friends may
please to give the advanced stages
of CVD.
Likewise there Is no abrupt Dor
derline between good health and
Interpretation from, say, multiple
neuritis, tpoyneuritiS, beriberD
Only year or two ago some of
our foremost American clinicians,
observing that outspoken beriberi
is rare In this country, recorded
their opinion that few If any
Americans ever suffer in health
from moderate deficiency of Vita
min B (severe or total deprivation
of vitamin B Is the cause of poly
ncuritis or beriberi) These doctors
were old timers, still skeptical of
disease which has not yet pro-
crossed to the organic" stage but
manifest itself only by functional
weakness. Contemporaneously other
clinicians who have had a more
modern training record their exper-
fence which shows that partial de-
ficiency of vitamin B in the daily
intake is factor of the heart
breakdown that brinSg many pa
tients to hospital wards for weeks or
months. 1t is now well recognized
that insufficient vitamin B is a
common cause of bradycardia (slow
hearD and weakness of the heart
muscle.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
I0dln
| Please give complete instructions
how 10 take "iodin," as you call It.
MRS. Z. C. b.
| Aanswer-Send stamped envelope
bearing your address, for Iodin Ra-
ton, as I call 1t.
POstm0rtem
After our family had practically
consumed hen we discovered q
thigh bone and q breast bone
honey combed and enlarged.
MRS. II. M
Answer-co Cooking made the meat
safe 10 eat. sothere Is nothing 70
worry about.
An0xla
Interested In your article about
lack OF oxygen as a cause OF angina
pectoris. Like particulars how Oxy-
gen can be applied, so can gel
some sleep. Have arterloselerosis
III. ID
AnsweF--Only o physician can I'D.
minister oxygen. Best method " By
injection OF nascent oxygen from
apparatus known rs OxyRenat0g
(which any doctor can carry IN III
emergency bag 10 use In the enler.
gency.
copyright 1881. John v. Ollie Col