The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-12
LITTLE LESSONS IN PHYSIO-
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 4. So You Know Better?
 The individual who has been a lifelong student of almanacs, tes- timonials and quack doctor bait knows a good many things about physiology and pathology which ain't so." One day he called me into his sanctum and informed me that my teachings about catching cold were too radical. He, for one, was certain to take cold if he even walk ed few blocks on a wet pave ment without his overshoes. Instead of answering as Ben Franklin ad- vised, I tried to reason with the man, and presently found he could worry along without my help. A good many victims of the in- terference habit reject the teaching that "autointoXication" does not happen, because they invariably suffer from malaise, headache, heavy breath and coated tongue whenever the usual evacuation is delayed for few hours or day or two, The prompt relief of these symptoms which follows an evacuation, how ever brought about, confirms them in their conviction.
 All of the symptoms mentioned may be produced by distension of the rectum with an inert substance an inflatable rubber bag or cotton It is more reasonable to infer that the symptoms are produced by pres sure and not by absorption of any poisonous material.
 The almost immediate relief of such symptoms following an evacu- ation is further evidence, that the symptoms. are not due to auto intoxication," for if enough poison were actually absorbed into the blood to cause the Hines or indis- position it would take some time after the removal of the source of the poisoning for recovery to occur.
 Furthermore, if there is a delay of several hours or a day or two in the function of defecation the contents of the bowel would be drier and harder than usual, and that state is less favorable for ab- sorption of putrefactive products than is the normal state. In fact a soft or liquid state of the bowel contents, as in diarrhea, is most favorable for the absorption of any toxic material.
 Finally, it is a well known fact that many individuals who are sub ject to obstinate constipation rarely or never suffer with any of the symptoms attributed to "autoin- toxication."
 These are not merely my notions. I am quoting almost verbatim from three or four of the most authori- tative textbooks on physiology.
 Anxiety about the action of the bowel is enough to cause headache in some instances. For that matter, depressing emotions such as fear, anger, worry may suppress the nor nal periStaltic movements and cause constipation itself.
 Fear of this bogey of "autointoxi- cation" is major factor of the con- stipation habit, for its keeps people taking laxatives who might easily break the habit II they were not so afraid of the imaginary evils of a few days. readjustment.
 Economy
 Would it be more economical to take calcuim lactate than quart of milk daily at fourteen cents a quart? How many tablets would be equivalent to quart of milk? (N. FD
 Answer-A quart of milk contains approximately 20 grains of calcuim. If that were all it might be cheaper to take four five grain tablets of calcium lactate, but milk also con- tains perhaps g grains of phos- phorus per quart, and if it is fresh raw milk or certified milk it con- tainS vitaminS which promote the assimilation or utilization of calcium and phosphorus. It is never eco nomical to try to get along with less than quart of milk or its equiva- lent in butter, cream, buttermilk, cheese, etc., every day.
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