The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-05-20


dustrial plant, this amount is used
just the same.
| knew a little pstient-s boy
Of nine-who, on a visit TO a farm,
was seated on a tractor where he
was right over the exhaust. He
became quite pale and anemic dur
ing his vacation and undoubtedly
the condition was due to the gaso-
line fumes which he inhaled. When
he was at home in the city riding
in his fathers car, he was protected
from the escape.
Drowsy and Dull
Studies show that men exposed
TO 1000 parts Of gasoline get
drowsy. and dull and some may
even develop numbness in as little
as five minutes. Within an hour
they are dizzy, suffer from a lack
Of muscle control and experience
slight nausea. When the amount
of gasoline is upped TO three times
that amount, the same symptoms
appear, but more quickly. When it
is shot up TO 1000 parts Of gaso-
line, the men are intoxicated within
FIVE minutes. Animals die very
quickly in fumes above 10000
parts per million.
The parts of the body which are
most subject to assault from gaso-
line fumes are the nervous system,
the lungs and bronchial tubes, the
blood and small blood vessels which
may break, causing hemorrhages
into various organs.
The nervous system of a person
in air heavily laden with gasoline
or poorly ventilated may 60 bad
in very few minutes or hours.
The victim may fall unconscious
and die Immediately, or within q
short time. II death is delayed, the
lack Of consciousness may be less
rapid and may resemble acute al
coholism, with a brief period of
incoordination. Delirium and in
coordination lasting for hours or
even days may follow. The type
Of Inconsistencies depends on the
kind Of gasoline used.
Naphtha Jag
One form of intoxication is
known as the "naphtha jag" The
sensation may not be unpleasant
and people have been known either
to drink or inhale gasoline fumes
to get this effect.
The intensity of poisoning de-
pends on poor mixing, poor igni-
ton and poor vaporization of gsso-
line and air. Too rich a mixture,
or incomplete fame propagation,
causes gasoline vapor in exhaust
gases.
There is also a chronic form Of
the condition, although how fire.
quent this is is debatable. The
chronic type occurs after exposure
TO low concentration over a long
period. Severe symptoms, such as
are found in acute cases, occur.
The Importance of the chronic
cases is probably not very great as
they are not especially frequent.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
X. Y. T.: Please describe the
difference between psoriasis and
scabies. What are the causes? How
do you treat chem? Is there a posi-
tive cure? What parts Of the body
can be affected?
Answer: Psoriasis is a skin
eruption Of unknown cause, for
which there is no positive cure
although there are many treat
ments. Scabies is a skin eruption
due 10 the infection Of the skin
with the itch mite. II can be effec-
lively treated with sulphur oint-
ment. The clothes and bed clothes
must also be disinfected. Both
psoriasis and scabies affect all
parts OF the Dody.
J. F. L.: Will you please explain
what dropped stQpseh is and what
can be done about IL.
Answer: There is no definite
normal place where the stomach
should be. II we examine one hun.
dred people with the X-ray, we
will find that no two Of them have
the stomach in the same place.
Tall, thin. linear people are likely
TO have a stomach fairly low. Also
after an abdominal operation or a
pregnancy. the abdominal muscles
are weak so that the stomach 10
low. Only a very small percentage
Of these cases Of dropped stomach
cause any digestive trouble or dis
ability Of any kind. When there is
any disability, the best Treatment,
is 10 temper the wind TO the shorn
lamb and give the patient small
meals that will not sag the stomach
and which are easy TO digest. Half
hour rest periods after meals are
advisable. II is also possible 10 hf'
the stomach with an abdominal
belt or a properly fitted corset.