The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-08-26

Tn a recent article you said more salt should be taken in hot weather (writeS 8 reader). I understand that one loses weight when perspir- ing. Isn't that weight regained when you take salt or salt tabletS2 If I want to lose weight shall I take salt anyway? (B. R.)
 The amount of salt one should take daily depends one the amount of sweating, Remember 1t is not sweating that makes one uncom- fortable, it IS the heat and humidity. The humidity, or degree of satura- tion of the air with water vapor, interferes more or less with the evaporation of the sweat. The phy- siological purpose of sweating is to cool the body. So the greater the humidity the more difficult to cool the body.
 When you work, play Or exercise hard in very hot weather your body tends to become overheated unless sweating Is profuse. You should sweat perhaps pints during every hour of such activity in very hot weather or, say, working in a boiler room or at any job where there is extreme heat.
 Remember, too, that sweat Is composed practically entirely of water and salt, the traces of other componentS being insignificant so far as physical well being goes.
 Under ordinary conditions an adult excretes half an ounce of salt a day, mainly through the kidneys but also through the skin. So ap- proximately one-half ounce of salt a day is necessary in the food daily, although in some experiments men have kept in good condition on 8 daily allowance. of only two grams (about one-half teaspoonfuO of salt, and physicians sometimes pre- scribe salt-poor diets in the treat ment of dropSy and similar condiA tions, restricting the salt, intake to even less than one-half teaspoonful. Foods which naturally contain con- siderable salt are meats, eggs, milk, fish. The vegetables and fruits and cereals are relatively poor in salt. Of course 3 large part of the daily salt intake in the average diet is salt added to season the food. When sweating is profuse 8 large amount of salt is excreted, and the normal salt content of the blood and tissues may be depleted below the level of safety. That state favors the occurrence of violent muscular cramps and heat-Stroke or heat ex- haustion. From experience 1t has been shown that men doing strenu- ous work in extreme heat and drink ing 8 great deal of water are far less likely to suffer such cramps or exhaustion if they take with each drink of water enough salt to re- plenish the body's supply. The ex- perience of many individuals who work or play in very hot weather shows that they are more refreshed by water if they take 8 good pinch (perhaps five grains) of salt witt each glass of water. Try 1t yourself and you will see that it is so. 1 Any weight lost by sweating t usually regained within twenty -foul hours when the water balance i restored. But most overweight per. sons habitually consume too mucl salt, and it is advisable to avoid Sucf excessive intake when trying tt reduce.
 QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
 Dearth of Data
 One of my eyes is almost perfec while the other is quite poor. VII it weaken my eyes if I don't wea: glasses? Will 1t lead to blindness (B. O. Answer-You give no data ol which may base an opinion. Gen erally it is wise to leave to tn !; eye physician the question of glass es.
 Putting On Weight
 If 1t is possible I want to pu on twelve or fifteen pounds weigh before the end of October. I am tha much under the minimum and 1, come up for examination aboN then. (M. T.) z
 Answer Send stamped envelop bearing your address, for pamphle : Gaining Weight"
 Constipation
 :. I am anxious to get anything yo g may have on the subject of consti l patton, with which have Suffere l all m life. GA. s. W)
 ol Answer Send stamped envelop bearink our address, and ask fo