The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-27
ADVICE FRoM AZ ENonIEER

ADVICE from AN ENGINEER
A person who designates himself
as engineer" writes:
If you carried on . campaign
IN your newspaper articles on just
two subjects, one advising against
eating starches and proteins ct the
same meal, the other advising peo-
pie that II they do not thoroughly
masticate starchy foods before swal-
lowing they never can be digested,
you would accomplish two things,
first, you would save an awful lot
Of Ill health and misery, and Sec
ondly, the services Of Q great many
doctors could be dispensed with.
Yours very truly,
Engineer
Maybe you have something there,
Engineer. Why don't you take It up
with the Creator who grows starch
and protein in the staff Of life?
Nature provides starch combined
with protein In every cereal or
grain, in every vegetable.
You say II regret there isn't room
TO print all Of your letter. that
combining starch and protein In the
same meal can only result in the
starch fermenting, as protein needs
acid stomach, starches an alkaline
stomach, for digestion.
That is a quaint conception which
has long since been discarded. Ac-
tual scientific observation Of the
process of digestion shows that
starches and sugars 60 on digest
ing for from half an hour to an
hour or more untouched by the acid
gastric Juice, after the food has
been swallowed. At the same time
the digestion Of protein goes on.
In the acid gastric Juice, In another
part Of the stomach.
Moreover, II the starch digestion
Is not completed In the upper part
Of the stomach before the actdity
Of the gastric Juice stops the starch
digesting there, II will be more COM
pletely digested by the alkaline PAN
create Juice after the food passes
on into the duodenum beyond the
lower outlet (pylorus) or gateway
Of stomach.
For years I have carried on .
campaign here to teach people how
important good Inastication Is. In
order to masticate food well one
must have a full complement Of
masticating machinery. That Is the
burden Of my tiresome song-about
every aooth in your head, whether
It is your own or your dentists, be-
ing worth q thousand dollars at
least; about the loss Of any tooth
that Is not promptly replaced by q
functionally efficient denture short
ening your life expectation by q
year or two.
QUESTIONS q ANSWERS
Neuritis
Some years ago I suffered with
neuritis. Tried most everything. No
results. Then TOOK calcium as you
suggested. Cured In ten days and
no return Of trouble since. (WF.W.)
Answer-Our old friend, John J.
Coincidence, had hand IN that, all
right. Booping the calcium land OF
course vitamin D. intake can do no
harm In any case, may bring relief
to some conditions which the lay
man calls "neuritis''. But to the best
Of my knowledge calcium does not
cure or help neuritis. Let no read
er ask me what will cure or help
neuritis, then, for ] don't know
neuritis inflammation Of q nerve or
nerves. Is not q specific condition
and there can be no specific rem
edy for It. II you have neurttis or
any trouble you imagine may be
neuritis, you need the advice and
care Of physician.
Clippings Cause Confusion
In handling o tremendous volume
Of mail 1t is imperative that some
sort of system be used IN order 70
give every correspondent who COM
plies with the rules the best pos
sible service. The chief cause Of
confusion and delay In getting the
answers off to readers who write for
information or kdvice Is the practice
Of clipping parts Of this column ana
sending the clipping to me In lieu
Of a written question or request.
Correspondents who cannot or VIII
not put their questions or requests
in writing are not entitled to the
same consideration I give to cores
pondents who have consideration
for me. COZ Grumpy Doc Brady.
Never Go Barefoot
We have never allowed our chill
dren to go barefoot-a doctor once
said it is dangerous. mrs. SIM.
Answer-Your kids have my SYM
pathy, as have any kids who are
not permitted to go barefoot when
ever they wish. -