The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-07-07


only, and then only through
his column.
their poor health is the result Of
long process beginning in child
hood. This is particularly true Of
that group Of patients in whom
no definite organic disease can be
demonstrated, but who are OBJ
yiously chemically i'll on account
Of poor body mechanics.
The White House Conference on
Child Health thus defines body me-
chanics: Body mechanics is the
mechanical correlation Of the vari-
Gus systems Of the body with spe-
ciai reference to the skeietai, mus
cular and visceral systems and
their neurological associations"
which means the effects of bad pos
ture, movement and mechanics Of
the bones and muscles on the in
ternal organs and nerves.
Sources of Trouble
A mechanical engineer studies
a machine first to see how it is
made and then to see how near TO
100 per cent it is aligned to its
function. Thus, if the machine is
not properly aligned, the greater
strain will mean potential trouble.
The human machine is no excep-
ton to this and bad alignment or
faulty mechanics is a potential
source of trouble and should be
recognized by the physician as
such.
Probably the commonest pos
tural defect which results in strain
comes from the way the backbone
is held. This produces everything
from headache in the back Of the
head, pain in the neck, pain IN the
chest, indigestion, low back pain,
pain in the knees and feet, to q
general feeling Of debility.
These defects should be recog-
nized in childhood and corrected,
mostly by exercises which are
taught in two positions, one in the
recumbent and the other in the
erect position.
Exercise l.: The patient lies fat
on the back without pillow under
the head. The knees are hexed
with the feet fiat on the table. In
this position deep inhalations are
taken to expand the chest and then
diaphragmatic breathing is prac-
ticed. The lower part of the YER
tebrae and hip bones are moved
and raised so as to make the abb
dominal muscles tired. Next, in
the same position, the head alone
is raised until the eyes are looking
directly at the knees instead of
the ceiling. All of these are done
fifteen or twenty times, morning
and evening.
Exercise 2: The child stands
against the wall with the heels
about four inches from the wall
and the buttocks, shoulders and
back of the head touching the wall.
In this position exercises are taken
so that the entire back is fattened
against the wall. Next, in the same
position, one leg is lifted twenty
times, then the other leg is lifted
twenty times. Walk forward two
or three PAGES on the toes several
times and return, walking back
ward, to the wall. While doing
this, attempt TO maintain the
original position of the backbone
so that there is a hollow in the
lower part Of the spine and be-
tween the shoulders and the back
Of the head.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
z. C.:-Can ricketts, be cured in
a period of eight or nine months!
Is an unusually large stomach on
a l7-month-old child a symptom
of ricketts,? Should there be spe-
cial diet!
Answer: ricketts, usually yields
to treatment in a very few months.
The permanent deformities such
as bowlegs or deformities Of the
bone persist indefinitely. A pro-
tuberant abdomen is one of the
symptoms of ricketts,. A special
diet for ricketts, is that which con-
tains vitamin D, which is found in
cod liver oil and fish liver oils.
Ottoman Empire.
Gosh knows whether or not Milo
Perkins can pull off what Suleiman
fell down on.
And Confucius ?-another cele-
brated economist,
All right. Milo Perkins and Con-
fueius are and were economists,
too
They both fzzled.
Milo hasn't had a chance to do