The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-02-12

jauntily steps out to her limou-
sine, falls on the second front step
and breaks her hip. The first thing
she says is, 81 should have known
better"
Or to get something from the
top shelf Of the closet, you stand
on a rickety chair and having &C
quired the desired object you fix
your gaze on it, step off the chair,
lose your balance, and fall and
break your wrist. . should have
known better"
1t seems silly for a health col
umnist to warn that this is the
season of broken hips in the
elderly-a very serious condition.
Everybody knows it. Or to say,
take care Of wet or slippery
days" Everybody knows that, too.
But the 81 should have known bet
ter" is a monumental warning
Know better and act on it. Take
all the precautions you can.
Carelessness Causes Accidents
! have long preached that most
accidents are due TO carelessness,
not ignorance. The tragedy Of the
roach powder deaths in Pitts
burgh illustrates it. Last year
said in this column that sodium
huoride is a good roach powder
because it is almost harmless for
man. Manufacturers wrote me
protesting. All sodium fuoride
should be labelled Poison" on the
can. Agreed! But naturally one
must assume that everybody will
realize that if sodium fluoride will
kill reaches, enough of it will kill
a man. Small amounts are not
poisonous, but in Pittsburgh ten
pounds were dumped in the -four
barrel.
Cases of roach and rat powder
poisoning are not due to ignorance
but carelessness. They should
have known better"
One Of the hazards Of modern
life during the winter and spring
months is carbon monoxide gas
pouring from the exhaust of a
motor IN a closed garage. Every
body knows this. They know It
takes very little, but still the ac-
cidents occur. They will warm up
the motor with the doors closed
before going out.
Conservative Drivers Safest
Safety councils have found that
most automobile accidents occur
with drivers of the age group be-
tween Is and 80. Their skill is far
higher than that Of the drivers in
the higher age groups. But it is
their very skill that leads them
into trouble. They take chances.
They want to show off. They get
impatient at the more conserva-
tive drivers in traffic.
The drivers between 80 and 30,
in fact up to 60 or over, show q
smaller accident record. They have
far less skill. But they realize
their deficiencies, and take fewer
chances. They are less likely to
be in a hurry and less likely to get
angry. They are wholesomely
afraid. So they get by unscathed
more often. "They know better
and act on the knowledge.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Mrs. R.: "Q) What vitamins
and foods are necessary for good
eyesight? ~ l take cold very
easily. What vitamins would
prevent this? (3) Would any
foods or vitamins help prevent
tumors?"
Answer-W The yellow-col-
ored vegetables, as carrots, corn,
spricots. contain carotene, which
produces Vitamin A in the body.
This is the only vitamin which is
certainly connected with eye
sight. Some oculists believe that
Vitamin B obtained in cereals and
Vitamin D obtained in cod liver oil,
will prevent astigmatism, but it is
debatable. ~ No vitamins that
l know of will prevent colds. Vita
min A is supposed to have some
thing to do with infection but
there is no certainty about it.
90 No vitamins have anything to
do with tumors and people should
not monkey with such foolish
forms of treatment and waste val
liable time.