The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-24
NUTRITION AND
ND
 OTOSCLEROSIS

NUTRITION ANU
 OTOSCLEROSIS
 OtoSclerosis is growth of spongy bone in and about the hammer, anvil and stirrup in the middle ear, producing progressive deafness which first develops, as a rule, after the individual has attained adult age. The condition runs in fam flies. Based on extensive statistics the following advice has been given regarding this type of deafness:
 Under all circumstances 1t is ex- ceedingly dangerous to marry 8 blood relative, no matter whether the relative is deaf or hearing, nor whether the deafness of either or both or neither of the partners is congenital, nor whether either or both or neither have other deaf relatives besides the other partner.
 That advice applies as well in re- | spect to deaf-mutism as to otoScler- osis. Either condition may be re- cessive, that is, hidden, not mani- | fest in some of the children of deaf or deaf-mute parent, but still be passed down in dominant or manifest form to the next genera tion.
 So far I have given the prevail ing scientific view of Otosclerosis or | progressive deafness. There is no absolute proof that it is inherited, but just a belief based on the free | Quent occurrence of the condition in two or more generations of the family. Now this may be perfectly sound reasoning so far as deaf nutism is concerned. But when you apply 1t to otosclerosis 1t seems pretty frail, for it fails to account for the first thirty or forty years of normal hearings in the history of many of these cases of otoscler- osis. It raises the question whether some r1utritional deficiency may not l be the essential factor, rather than an inherited defect.
 In about one-third of the cases of otosclerosis, along with the slowly increasing deafness, patients corn- plain of vertigo or dizziness and of tinnitus or head noises. There is no inflammation or infection of the ear. The best biologists hold that the less local treatment of the ears the better. Of course, this does not mean that patients may not use whatever hearing devices they pre- fer.
 Some victims of otosclerosis have apparently. experienced considerable improvement from an optimal daily ration of the apocryphal vitamin A, AVH nFHl Ail Nka cIN oil, Rr in such natural foods as raw fresh milk, cream, butter, egg yolk, carrots, watercress, escarole, or anges, bananas. liver, etc. say apocryphal, because that's what believe about vitamin A. In my opinion all of the effects attributed to the apocryphal vitamin A may in fact be ascribed to the real vitamin D (which was formerly confused with A and named vitamin Al Not that the apocryphal vitamin can do any harm. but If I had otosclerosis I wouldn't fash myself at all about 1t: instead I'd make sure to get about 5000 to 10000 units of vita min D. daily, to promote normal calcium and phosphorous 1netabol- ism. Likewise, and for 8 similar reason, I'd make sure to get my iodin daily-you know, a regular iodin ration. If you don't know, send 6 stamped envelope bearing your address, and I'll mail you in- structions for taking an 1odin ra- tion.
 Dampness
 This time of year it seems chil- dren are worse than at any other time about wetting the bed. Our two-boy aged six and girl aged 4 would go for weeks in summer without wetting, but with cold weather they wet lnearly every night. (Mrs. M. O.
 Answer-Send stamped envelope bearing your address, for mono- graph on Bedwetting.
 Home Canning
 Sister, diabetic, relies on home canned tomato juice to provide vit- amin o in her restricted diet. (Mrs. O. L. B.)
 Answer-1t may provide some, though not so much as factory canned tomato juice does. Grape fruit, oranges or lemons are allow able in, most diabetes patients diets and are good sources of vitannin 0. Copyright 1887, John P. Dille Col