The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-11-13
run OLD FOLKS SEEMED
 so OLD

@AMNA ABA&AH V NHA4A@NN e4N4@eAtA@4@F
 so OLD
 A lawyer asks how I account for the fact that our fCrebears Of the last generation who never heard of vitanins, dld not have dentistry done, did not have daily baths, In fact had none of the modern aids for health, nevertheless lived to an average of ninety years of age, but now with all the modern improve. lnents and scientific advantages all elia ct the average of eighty years of a0o or become incompetent and re- Qlilre the care of relatives, friends Or an instltution9
 In the same mall was q clipping telling of Q "vitarnin revolt"~a medical man described as ''oae Of the best known clinicians in the country again demonstrates his skill in getting publicity for him. sols by bursting forth with the ''vlta. min craze," citing statements that Q diagnosis Of vltAnaln deficiency was made In only III cases in three years in c Massachusetts hospital, in only i70 eases in ten years in Q Maryland hospital, etc. One wot- ders how many cases oS mild pellae gra escaped recognition in the Mary. land hospital In the course of the ten years. Trouble with tho big shots Is that they haven't yet learned to recognize the early signs and symptoms Of vitaxnin deGelency --they arc stu looking for 2ull- fledged herl-beri, pellagre, sclltvy. Fiekets-mueh a some old timers looked for advanced consumption and failed to recognize incipleht tuberculosis when they SEW it.
 People with mild vltamin degl. clencies, such as occur in thls couS- try, seldom enter hospitals fer treat~ ment anyway. A good many og them do not even consult physicians, but drift along, trying this and that remedy or treatment for what they imagine ais them.
 The attorney arrived ct his cone cluslon that our forebears attained the age os ninety years and people today live to only eighty years by the simple process of tracing sev. eFal family histories.
 Truth is that the average expect Ancy of life today iS ct birth about co years for females and @ years for males.
 Fifty or sixty years ago the aver. age expectancy of life at birth was around A% years.
 . True, our forobeArs knew nothing about vltaInins, but they got 'eui. all right. At least they got an adequate daily ration Of vlsamln D complex, which most peopletodAy do not got. AS Prof. Norman jolllae points out:
 "It seems, therefore, that 6 e6 per cent fraction ot the calories in the American diet oe 1890 contain. Ing 6 minimum Of GOO anteFnas tA0nAl units og vitam In Bi has been replaced in the contempo- raneous American diet by c like fraction containing only about SO international unita"
 Of course he referred to the re. placement of whole wheat flour hy white flour, and crude sugar and n1olasses by refined sugar and syrup.
 One vltamin perhaps our fore. bears did not get as readily or az regularly as we do today-vitamin 0, lack of which causes scurvy. Otherwise, although they did not know it, their nutrition was superior Co ours.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 Deafness
 Two, years ago I wrote about deaf. ness and head noises. You kindly sent your monograph on the subject. l followed the instructions and have been practically cured. Three friends who have been taking vitamin ID complex and doing the facial exes- cises also experienced great improve ment ia hearing. (AGiss T.)
 Auswer-Thank you. am glad to