The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-12-29


questions Of general interest
only, and then only through
his column.
Is foredoomed TO a certain amount
of i'll health automatically, just
as an erect square-shouldered,
flat-abdomen, athletic type is
bound to escape many Of the ills
that the flesh is heir to.
Three types of posture have
been classified. the kangaroo, the
normal and the gorilla type.
The kangaroo type of posture
appears in a person who carries
most Of the pivotal structure Of
the body IN front Of the legs and
the rest behind the line Of gravity.
The chest is carried forward and
puts a strain on the spinal liga-
meDts and muscles. In order 10
compensate, the individual sticks
out behind, which adds to the geU-
eral strain on the leg, abdomen
and S.-e joints
Gorilla Type Posture
The gorilla type of posture is
one where the head is thrust for
ward. there is a rounding of the
shoulders and the knees tend to
bend. The arms are long and
swinging and all the internal or
gans are more or less crushed
down into the pelvis. This puts a
strain on the spine and also on the
functions Of the internal organs.
A normal, or in other words the
best type Of, posture is one in
which the line Of gravity passes
through the important pivotal
parts Of the body: the middle of
the ankle. the middle of the knee
joint and hip and the base of the
spine at its junction with the head.
If you will take a string and
attach weight to it and hold the
string exactly at the opening Of
your ear, you can see which type
you are.
Both the kangaroo and gorilla
types tire easily. In these there
IS muscle instability, a tendency to
dyspepsia, colitis. constipation
and digestive disturbances gener-
ally.
An old friend OF mine used to
talk about painful people: peo-
pie who were constantly having
vague pains and aches, muscular
and abdominal. Posture certainly
is related u this.
Methods of Treating
There are Two methods Of treat
Ing incorrect posture: one is
stronE-willed determination TO
correct it by standing straight and
pulling the muscles back into their
proper relationship to the rest Of
the body. This has to be continued
until it becomes involuntary and
unconscious.
1t can be helped by various me-
ehanical means: the kangaroo
type should have somewhat higher
heels than for a person of normal
posture, and corsets can be con.
structed which will pull the trunk
backward and push the buttocks
forward.
The gorilla type needs to have
lower heels, or fiat heels and cor
set which tits the hips backward
and pushes the abdomen in.
Few physicians examine people
stripped, and they lose a great
many fine points Of this kind in
chronic patients by not making
records Of posture and measure
ments Of the position of the Shout
ders in relation TO the hips, waist,
etc.
The old prejudice against cor
sets was justified when the wasp
waist was desired and corsets
were drawn in tightly. Modern
corseting, however, is much more
sensible and for a great many peo-
pie is a real necessity. II is unfor-
tunate, perhaps as a habit, that it
IS so largely confined to the female
sex, because many men would be
much more comfortable with a
corset than without one.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
". T.: /. What causes scarla-
tina and is there any preventive
for it? 2. What besides tubercu-
losis causes the splitting Of blood.
particularly after rising in the
morning? Is splitting blood one Of
the symptoms Of cancer Of the
stomach or ulcers Of the stomach?
Answer: /. Scarlatina is the
technical name for scarlet fever.
It is possible to prevent it in a
large number Of instances with a
vaccine. 2. Splitting Of blood may
come from Tyorrhea. sinus infec-
ton Of the nose. chronic Dronchi-
It's. congestive heart failure with
congestion Of the lungs and a num-
Der Of other things. Neither can
ce.s nor ulcers cause splitting Of
blood but they may cause vomiting
Of blood.