The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-05
EVENTUALLY IF NOT NOW

EVENTUALLY IF NOT NOW
 A mother says her three-year- old daughter has never had sick day, not even cri (and thanks to one correspondent for emitting the quotation marks or an explana- ton of the worO. Believing over- dressing is as bad or perhaps worse than underdressing, the mother dresses the child the same the year round-cotton shirt, pants, dress and short sox. Mother feels that in 8 furnace heated house there is no need to put on more or warmer clothes than the child wears outdoors in summer. The child has always slept with the window open no matter what the weather, and gets outdoors for a while every day ...
 All regular enough so far. Noth- ing to write to or Doc Brady about, particularly. But wait mo- ment. Here comes Mrs. SumSey, who has collected the consensus of neighborhood opinion of the scan- dalous goings-on and is bent on remonstrating. Now let the moth- CT continue her narrative-not that there is anything original in it., but how faithfully it conforms to the stereotyped formula - ". I have been critized by mothers who claim I do not dress my daughter warmly enough. They think she should wear petticoat and long stockings, some even in- sist she should have wool shirt on. They claim her bare legs will result in rheumatism in later years. try to explain to them that children are warmer blooded than adults and can stand more cold. Am wrong about this? I wouldn't for the world abuse my daughter in the slightest way. I ask for your advice. I respect your opinion greatly. CMrs. L. L. M0 P. s. When I mention that my daughter has never had cri they say her resistance" is not the result of hardening" but rather that she is naturally immune. What do you think?"
 I think any child other than an idiot knows enough to indicate that he is not comfortable if he has in- sufficient clothing or cover. As long as the child is apparently comfortable and enjoying himself. let the busybody neighbors do all the worrying and threatening about the child's scanty clothing
 That quaint allusion to rheuma- tiz some day if not now is some thing for a sane mother to chuckle at-to herself, of course. No use making the neighbors angry. Just look dumb or coldly indifferent, and let 'em rave. You'll get a loi of fun out of it, and it will be something to tell the child about when she grows up.
 This is what I, or Doc Brady, think. It may not coincide with what a lot of old fogies in the medical profession think, but the mother asked what I think about it.
 This mother is right about chill dren being warmer blooded than adults; that is, children manufac- ture and must eliminate or get rio of more heat in proportion to body size; hence they are comfortable under conditions which may not feel quite warm enough for adults.
 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
 Health Department Malpractice
 Boy tried to coax dog out of yard with lollypop. Dog jumped for lolly- pop and scratched boys face. Board of health, police and school doctor insist boy have Pasteur treatment. co. F. S.)
 Answer-You give insufficient data. If the dog is still alive two weeks after the boy was bittsn oi it is just plain malprac- tice on the part of the health de- partment. police and school doctor who want to subject the boy to un-