The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-05-31
so YOU CAN'T RELAX?

so YOU CAN'T RELAX?
The popularity Of neurasthenia
WAS tremendous back In the gay
ninctics, although only those who
had gaBlight, hardwood rugs and q
refrigerator could afford ". The
common people still had nervous
prostration.
We don't hear so much about
neuraBthenia today. Instead the
hokum artists IN and on the fringcS
OF the medical profession give W.
modern pla1things TO keep our
minds off from the fact that they
don't understand what aiIS vs. 49,
such M inferiority complex, ObSes-
sion, neurosis, high tension, fatigue
toxins and the Ike. But no matter
how thin they slice ", II N the
same old baIoney,
No one since the novelist Weir
Mitchell created "ncuraBthenia" and
popuIarizcd the rest cure has ever
understood what ncuraSthenla Is,
except Mitchell himself, and he
never told Oh, perhaps he explain.
ed II well enough for those days. IN
hts monograph 90 pages Fat
and Blood; and How TO Make
Them"
Today In medical literature one
seldom comes across the word "neu.
rasthcnia" or the concept implied
by the word--that Is, nerve weak
ness lack OF nervous energy" Or
exhaustion OF nervous energy"
Unless doctor himself Is ignorant
OF physiology or believes his audi
cncc rs, he does not venture 10 dis
penSc that line OF malarkey. The
Omniscient Pooh Bah OF the Ameri-
can Medical Association, OF course,
Is an exception; when he warns the
dumb rank and file that patient
might be on the verge OF neuras.
thenia" they dare not laugh even
II they doubt IT.
Since there Is but one kind OF en-
ergy, strength or power In the body
recognized or measurable, namely,
physical or muscular energy, work,
heat, measured II calories, II Is
purely fanciful TO imagine nervous
exhaustion can occur independent
Of physical exhaustion or exhaus-
ton from hard manual work, exer-
else, effort.
Quite different, and consistent
with Our knowledge OF physiology,
Is the concept OF irritability, hyper
sensitiyity or excessive tone or ten
sion In the nerve-muscle inechan-
ism OF the body, which occurs
Enthusiastically In the state
known as tetany, IN ricketts, In child
hood and In less marked degree
in the years OF adolescence, due 10
deficiency In calcium intake or In
calcium utilization.
In justice 20 DR.. Mitchell and
others who adopted his concept and
treatment of "neuraSthenia" II Is
fair to mention that patients were
required to take O milk and egg
diet milk and eggyolk are the
richest natural food sources OF
both calcium and PHOSPHORUS, and
incidentally the richest food sources
OF sunshine vitamin ID which Is es-
genital for the assimilation and
utilization OF calcium and phos-
phorlis.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Heat Stroke
Would an ice bag on the head OF
an elderly person, applied often as
treatment for heat stroke, do any
harm? (W. H.
Ans.-It might retard recovery.
Heat prostration or heat exhaustion
or heat stroke Is generally a form
OF shock-the victim Is pale. surface
cool or cold and clammy. pulse thin
and. weak. breathing shallow OF
signing. consciousness clouded OF
lost so that response 70 questions
Is feeble II any. This Is precisely
the condition we call shock when
1t occurs In consequence OF an In
Jury. operation or fright. (Faint.l
Heat externally Is always benefit
cial. An Ice bag on the forehead
might be good treatment for sun
stroke. not for heat exhaustion. Ir
sunstroke the victim Is flushed
surface warm or hot. pulse stronl
and bounding. consciousness lost
breathing deep and stcrtorous o.
snoring or noisy as In stroke 81