The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-11-17

for thirty-five years. At the age oR 71 years the man found he had lost four inches in height and seemed to be shrinking back to boyhood stature. At the same time his bones were becoming very brittle - so brittle that he suffered fracture of the spine one day just from bending to pick up something heavy.
 The effect of the constant feed. ing with salts was to convert a considerable part of the. soluble calcium in food into insoluble cal- cium sulphate (gypsum) which was lost in the evaGaiations. Had 1t not been for this the patients diet would have supplied all the cal- cium he neede6-in Denmark the people generally make freer use of the high calcium foods = milk and cheese and other dairy prod- ucts, fresh vegetables, eggss-than we do in America. AS soon as the misguided man stopped taking salts his disease was checked. On course 1t was not possible to rec store the lost stature, but he again became able to move about freely without fear of any more patho- logical fractures.
 Although one does occasionally hear of person who seldom or never takes any kind of laxative, "liver or bowel regulator" it is prob- ably true that more people still are subject to the physic obsession than to any other that concerns health. The moron population seems Sus- ceptible to tho propaganda that 8 brisk dose of salts in one form or another removes or remedies the bad effects of an excess in eating or drinking. Of course there is no substantial ground for this fancy the clearing of the system" is purely imaginary.
 The last lingering indication or excuse for giving anybody cas- tor oil at any time is the notion that after 1t is all through nauSeat- ing, irritating, griping and purgng it seems to exert binding influence and hence it Is suitable to sweep offending food or food residues from the bowel and give a little rest in cases of acute diarrhea. This notion may sound logical and good, but in actual practice I have never been much impressed by its effect. In my opinion the human race will get along as well or bet- ter If castor oil is discarded from use as internal medicine. can find no better justification for castor oil as physic than there is for using calomel as physic. However, I am only 8 doctor and naturally I wouldn't know much about these things.
 QUESTIONS q ANSWERS
 WiggIe Your Ears
 can follow all the instructions for facial exercises as you recom- mended to help poor hearing, but I can't wiggle my ears. (Mrs. c. P)
 Answer-So yours is "dead pam? No matter where you can wiggle your ears-just keep trying and eventually you'll recover control, all right. Meanwhile, wiggle them, or draw them backward and upward in imagination, as part of the reg ular seance, and you'n derive bene- fit.
 Tomato and Orange
 Custom to have a glass of home canned tomato juice each morning at our house, alternating with orange juice when oranges are not too expensive. What do you think of this and what benefit has 1t for health of the system? ~. D.
 AnSwer-It is as healthful as any other food or beverage, if one likes 1t. T think 1t is more healthful, however, to eat the tomato or the orange-except for invalids or toothless individuals.
 Unpleasant People
 Friends declare infantile paralysis usually affects the patients nervous system and brainS. Is there any truth in this statement? (R. F.)
 Answer-No. Infantile paralysis affects the mind no more than ton- sillitis or toe itch does.
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