The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-09-15


Many have been operated on sew
eral times, and still aren't well"
SO writes my friend DR.. Alva-
rez, Of the Mayo Clinic, about the
group Of people he says have con-
stitutional inadequacy. He says
they are getting raw deal from
the medical profession.
Over and over again they go to
some medical institution 10 have q
thorough overhauling", and al
ways a consultant finds some little
defect that he views with alarm
and has fixed, and the poor victim
thinks he or she is going TO get
better, but never does.
Favorite diagnoses on such peo-
pie just now are colitis. spastic
colon, chronic appendicitis, mild
endocrine gland disorder, low
blood calcium, vitamin deficiency.
and low blood pressure.
The fact is that some people are
put together in a way that makes
them onstitutionally inadequate
20 take the hard knocks and do
the hard work of the world. Their
muscles are thin and weak. Their
digestion is under par. Their alb
dominal organs are dropped. The
muscles of the bowel are weak.
Easily Infected
They take cold and get other
infections easily. Physicians
should recognize this more fire.
quently, DR.. Alvarez thinks, and
tell these people frankly they are
never going to be cured in the
sense that they will have bloom
ing health. Their fundamental
condition is ineradicable and they
should adjust their lives to lower
level of energy expenditure.
In most cases the doctor should
be able to recognize these patients
on their appearance. Certainly
after listening to their story.
They are chemically fatigued,
they have had much disability,
much treatment, they are under
weight, the muscles are thin, they
sag in some degree or other.
At other times it is not so evil
dent-when the patient is big,
well-muscled man, or a straight,
tine-looking woman. But then the
history makes things clear-fre-
quent severe disablements after
every little infection, accident or
emotional crisis. Dad may look
big and strong. bit let him get a
pimple on the nose and he'll be
laid up for two weeks"
As to treatment DR.. Alvarez
believes that they should be told
frankly that no spectacular treat
ment is going to make husky"
Of such a person. There is a kind
Of prejudice against such frank
ness on the grounds that it dis
courages them My experience,
however, is that it really is a re-
lief - and that they get what
amounts to a cure by adjusting
their lives to their body's capacity.
Darwin an Example
Many Of them have done great
work in the world-Darwin was
a typical example. He could only
work an hour or more a day, a trip
TO London would upset him for q
week, yet h, lived to be 70.
Certainly much Of their trouble
comes from emotional upsets and
these the physician must help
them 10 control - they get into
fuses with street car conductors,
clerks in stores, relatives. They
waste their energy on foolish
thinking, worrying, conscience
searching, jealousies, fare-ups-
all Of which exhaust them physic-
ally.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Mrs. G.: Does splitting Of blood
come from any other cause than
tuberculosis? This has happened
twice within a month and a half.
II does not come from my gums.
| am 81 years old.
Answer: At the age Of 81 blood
in the sputum is not likely to be
tuberculosis. At a younger age
yes, but at 81 more likely TO B.
liberation around a tonsil. hron-
chitis or congestion Of the lungs