Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-15
Doctors Find
Tongue Best
Health Clock
Scoffers Of 10 Years Age
Change Their Minds
By DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING

TEN years ago you could hear
L the then modern. up-to-date
doctor making all kinds OF fun
of the older practitioners re-
lance on the appearance of the
tongue as an indication OF gen.
eral health.
Today even the most modern
graduate is by no means so
likely TO scott.
We have learned much of the
changes in the tongue in general
bodily health and i'll health.
A prom inent practitioner
states:
"The tongue II probably n
better indicator of internal dis
turbances than any other part
of the oral mucosa."
Our knowledge of changes in
the appearance of the tongue
is much more accurate than
was that of the practitioner OF
80 years ago.
WE MAY say that the tongue
w has quite characteristic APP
pearances in anemia, in many
vitamin deficiencies. in thyroid
conditions teither over-secretion
or under-secretion). in general
lied infections, drug eruptlonS
and uremia.
1t even is possible in aviators
TO make a diagnsis OF air en-
bolism, or bends" from flying
in too high attitudes, by look
ing at the tongue.
Raw. red tongue: raw. red
stomach" is an old saying which
probably has a good deal to it.
1t usually means also some
degree or form OF anemia.
Atrophy of the tongue with
smoothing out of the little
roughnesses is also an extremely
reliable sign of anemia.
The coated tongue is likely 10
indicate a poor state of diges-
ton. because II means the
tongue does not move around
the mouth as much. which 1t
would if the person were eating
plenty of wholesome food, -
In fact. the coating OF the
tongue which the older practi-
TONERS relied on depends simply
on the amount of moving the
tongue is doing.
4 COATING on one half of the
"A tongue occurs when half
the tongue is immobilized by
paralysis.
Professor Middleton. OF the
University Of Wisconsin, thinks
there is a relation between the
amount of coating on the tongue
and the amount OF acid in the
gastric juice.
OF a series of patients who
had coated tongues. only % per
cent had normal gastric juice.
The dryness or moisture of
the tongue is. according 10 an
eminent Boston practitioner.
the best evidence the doctor
has TO the state of hydration
of the body"
The state OF the tongue in
nutritional deficiencies, especi-
ally vitamin deficiencies, has
been very carefully worked out
In fact in two forms of
vitamin deficiency ribohavin
deficiency and pellagra the
principal changes appear in the
tongue. and the diagnosis can
not be made unless they are
present.
THE tongue in pellagra is sore,
Il red and swollen.
The return 10 normal. with
blanching of the tongue on the
use OF nicotine acid. is dramatic.
In ribof1avin deficiency the
tongue is not so much fiery red
as purple or magenta in color.
And the papillae are flattened
out, mushroom shaped. so that
the tongue has pebbled APP
pearance.
Thus your modern diagnos-
tician has even better reasons
for saying stick out your
tongue" than his predecessor OF
so years ago.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
A. w, St. Louis. Mo.-1s II
possible for something 10 be
embedded in the eye for a year
and if so could il be seen with
the ophthalmoscope? Can the
eye be X-rayed like any other
part of the body?
Answer-The ophthalmoscope
will reveal foreign bodies in the
eye. l never heard Of a foreign
body's remaining for any length
of time in the eye without caus-
ing infection. The X-ray will
show foreign body, but the
soft parts OF the eye throw no
shadows.
0efR6 k 0Es