The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-05-29

DR.. Clendening will answer
questions of general interest
only, and then only through
his column.
are that way because they have
dyspepsia, but it would be much
more accurate, from a scientific
standpoint, to say that they have
dyspepsia on account Of their
nerves.
Even dyspepsia due to organic
disease of the stomach, such as
ulcer, may fall into this class. We
certainly do not know all the
causes Of ulcer, but it is notable
that the victims tend to have q
nervous disposition, and a stom-
ach ulcer gets active under tension
and stress.
We might expect that war would
have an effect on such cases, and
there are plenty of records to show
that such is indeed the case. Eng
Land, having been in the war long
er than we have, has the most COM
plete set of case histories. Many
men we're invaded home from the
British EXpeditionary Force. In
one convoy of 238 men, % per cent
were suffering from acute stomach
ulcer, or from fare-ups Of old,
supposedly healed ulcers.
Later Report
In a more comprehensive, later
report It was recorded that in Is
per cent Of all men invaded home,
the cause was some form Of dys-
pepsia, real or nervous in type.
So burdensome did the situation
become that it was debated wheth-
er a history of dyspepsia, existing
over any length Of time, would not
be a cause for rejection for active
duty.
An illuminating experience is
that Of London hospitals during
air raids. The average number of
cases Of perforated ulcer per
month in 1887, when all was rela-
lively calm, was 20. During Sep
TENDER and October, 1910, the first
two months of heavy bombing. the
rate rose to so per month. The
probable cause of the increase was
anxiety" reads the report in the
Lancet.
Lawson Hospital Report
The United States Army has
had an equally serious experience,
even though the troops had not
been under gun fire. In the Law
son General Hospital Ian Army
institution 9 per cent of the pa
tients admitted from August /,
1911, to May /, 1852, were suffer-
ing from digestive disturbances
mostly ulcer or irritable colon.
Major Donald Chamberlain, who
makes the report, concludes: The
man with peptic ulcer is unfit for
military service"
Nerves is generally given as the
main cause, but Of course Army
food may play a role. The Army
diet is good, we'll prepared, well
balanced, and far better in quality
and quantity than the diets that
a large number of the inductees
had ever had in their lives" writes
Major Chamberlain. However it
is not a diet designed for special
needs. e., dyspepsia and ulcer.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
P. ]. Lis there any cure for
hysteria, and if so, what?
Answer: Doctors interested in
psychological medicine have good
results with psychic treatment
r. H. W.:-What Is undulant
fever? Is it contagious? Does
anyone ever get over it?
Answer: Undulant fever is
chronic infection, something like
typhoid fever, which is spread by
contaminated milk. Although it
often lasts a long time, complete
recovery is the rule in most cases.
P. MIS- it possible for bad
teeth, such as in pyorrhea, 10
cause stroke, or rheumatic
heart, or both?
Answer: There is considerable
difference Of opinion on this sub
ject- 1t seems likely that there is
more possibility Of focal infection
Of this kind lighting in the heart
muscle than Of causing a stroke,
but both, | believe, are possible