The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-08-08
THE BATTLE OF TRUTH AND
 FICTION

 FICTION
 In e gentle rebuke professor of English Literature who noticed a remark I made about flction-pro- tests that any normal, intelligent person should be able to read novels and to separate the chaff from the wheat.
 The professors point only strengthens my belief that reading novels tends to give the reader false ideas of life-except mystery stories which do not purport to carry a message or show how any class or kind of people live. If one runs out of mystery stories good enough to entertain, there are always biogra- phies or other interesting books available, books which convey knowl- edge of life, the world. history, sci- ence and not just the imaginations of romantic mind.
 Trying to analyze my dislike for fiction come at once on one reason the familiar trick of the trade, us- ing a brandy or whiskey flask to re- store the injured, the dying to life so the character can finish the chapter. This is just one trick of the trade. Another is not quite 50 common nowadays as 1t was generation ago, but 1t is as silly as the brandy flask trick-keeping the hero or heroine hanging fire for several chapters while languishing in the throes of brain fever' (So-called or not) which the moron reader must be- lieve resulted from shock or strain or other great emotion.
 could count scores of similar de- vices practiced by fiction writers and too often they get away with it. The use of such trickery makes 1t impossible to read such tripe, at least for me. Some extracts of a recent novel called Rain" or some such name, printed in a digest magazine, held my interest for several pages. Finally the author, carried away with himself, counted in with the ef- fects of 8 rain storm in California a number of illnesses and some deaths from pneumonia which the glib nov elist ascribed to dampness, wet feet, snow, cold or something of the sort.
 Perhaps the professor and look at the question from widely differ ent viewpoints. The professor prob- ably sees in such stories kind of art or skill which can't appreciate because 1t is beyond my comprehen- sion. And I stumble upon these ir- ritating tricks of the trade and toss the book away in exasperation, while the professor finds no fault with the author for tracing pneumonia to dampness, for to him that seems reasonable enough.
 I'd agree with the professors con- tention that normal, intelligent per- sons who are able to separate the chah from the wheat may derive no false ideas from fiction, but how can you be sure the book will be read only by such persons2
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Iodine for Soldiers
 Your splendid work evidently comes along to training camp with Us. It seems as though half the camp is taking your Iodin Ration and almost every day I hear some fellow telling of help he or one of his family has had from advice given by you (Sgt. F. s. ...). My trouble now is dandruff.
 Answer-Send stamped envelope bearing your address and ask for pamphlet on Care of the Hair and Control of DandrufY". People who take the iodine ration regularly as- sure me 1t prevents premature gray ing of hair. There is enough iodine in the new anti-gray hair vitamin compound to supply the daily re- quirement of the body.
 Just Quit
 I am thirty-Six, and since was eighteen, I have been taking pills, salts and other strong laxatives ey- cry night, sometimes two or three times the regular does. A year ago I sent for your booklet on constipa- ton habit. I read it twice, became convinced you knew what you were talking about. I just quit, and after the fourth day, precisely as you said. everything became regular and ev- erything has remained regular since