The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-05

Thanks For The Suggestion
 A query and reply published irl this column recently was as follows:
 Insignificant Lumps
 Two small Jumps in breast. They move about under the skin. Older women said l. should have them removed as they may become can- cerous in time. I am 31. (M. K. B)
 Answer-Su Jumps, if they are freely movable, not attached to the skin or to the bone, are insignifi- cant. Consider having them removed only if they amount to a blemish or if they grow to a conspicuous size.
 My motive in printing that re- ply was to prevent unnecessary worry. Perhaps leaned too far backward-I feared so when I saw the item in print. After ail, I'd rather scare a hundred readers un- necessarily than encourage one to procrastinate in such circumstances
 Sure enough, shortly after the item appeared in print I received the reproach I deserved in 8 com munication from a young woman who writes:
 Dear MT. Brady:
 May a "layman" offer a sugges- tion? Not truly a layman, because I'm engaged in medical research and some day hope to write M. D. after my name.
 In your reply to M. K. B. you engaged in a very dangerous prac- tice-you put the diagnosis of the lump or growth into the inquirer's own hands. Fearing a diagnosis oi cancer any woman can imagine 8 lump in freely movable and con- sequently insignificant" To my mind, the thing to do is to advise the woman to have biopsy made at least.
 Let us interrupt here to explain that biopSy means immediate mi croscopic examination of wee portion fo the lump, tumor or growth to determine whether it is benign and harmless or malignant -cancerous. Of course when this is undertaken all concerned should be prepared to proceed with the radical surgical removal of the growth if the biopsy (which takes a few seconds only) indicates it k malignant.
 The reason I feel so strongly is because I know a young woman who was faced with similar prob- lem. Several eminent physicians had assured her it was nothing to worry about. Still, a relative oi hers insisted on removal of the lump, and subsequent pathological examination brought the report highly malignant"
 You can well imagine the disas- trous effects that young woman would have suffered had the growth or lump gone untreated. Her con- dition seems excellent now, after a course of radiation therapy.
 Please forgive me for this. I re- spect your judgment at all time
 ~. R)
 Radiation therapy, we had better explain, means X-ray treatment 8 valuable aid both before and af- ter operation in most cases of can- cer.
 ' not only forgive the cores pondent but thank her in behalf of the well being of thousands ot readers who may have such Jumps to deal with one day.
 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
 Wheat Germ
 found what is called matted wheat germ, in one-pound cans, on sale at 69 cents. Mrs. E. M
 buy germ at a health food store at 20 cents per pound. (H. M. Al
 We buy wheat germ once a week from a mill here at three cents a pound. (S. O.
 Answer-Most of our readers should have the monograph Wheat to Eat" It is available on request if you enclose a three-cent-stamped envelope bearing your address Wheat germ does not keep long and hence should be procured fresh every week or so. It is the richest natural food source of vitamin B complex which includes vitamin B, vitamir c, and several other entities mol so clearly defined. In my opinion sunshine vitamin D and the vitamin B complex are the vitamins which are deficient in the diet of most Americans. Deficiency of these vit- amins is a factor of vast amount of poor health.
 Tuberculosis and Marriage Tuberculosis of hip five years ago. Hip now stiff but the tuberculosis