The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-08-03
WHAT! NO MASK?

WHAT! NO MASK?
Even before you stop to think
about 1t, there's something tricky
in the saying that what you don't
know will never hurt you. thought
of this when the barber opened his
monologue by complaining that In
spite of the fine weather and all
he was just getting over the worst
head cold he had had in years. OF
course the barber wore no mask.
1t isn't being done in such estab-
liShments, because the local health
commissioner or health officer and
his staff Of specialists by their pub
lie announcements pooh-pooh the
idea and by implication at least
encourage BARRIERS, hair dressers,
beauty parlor attendants, mani
curists, nurses, dentists, and doctors
whose views are what they believe
to be popular, that the treacherous
changes of weather, drafts, damp
ness, wet feet and the like are the
important factors in the spread of
diseases or minor ailments which
are responsible for three-fourths of
an illness, and for great deal of
absence from work and school.
Few if any physicians or health
officers today have the presumption
to say that such respiratory infec-
tons as scarlet fever, diphtheria
and infantile paralysis are due d.
rectly or indirectly to cold, damp
ness drafts, wet feet or chilling.
But thanks to the gullibility of the
Wiseacres a good many physicians
who muff the diagnosis of these in
fections in the early stage of the
illness contrive to cover up their
diagnostic incompetence by vague
hints about the "clod' the victim
had at the outset.
Just between ourselves and not
for publication I have muffed the
diagnosis in the early stage of such
respiratory infections as the next
doctor, only in my case / can only
give mel can't very well NUT
blush and hope the people will for
ter in my beard about this change
able weather.
But if I were the health car of
America I'd see that the laws COM
PEELED every one purporting to have
any kind or degree of cold" to
wear a suitable mask whenever
within conversational spray dis
lance of any one else.
At first sight such masks on
BARRIERS, hair dreSsers. cashiers,
statesmen and saleswomen in shops,
teachers, pupils. dentists, nurses,
physicians, stenographers, bosses,
conductors, bridge lizards, editors,
reporters, clients, patients, cops but
of course not robbers, might fright
en- the uniformed or uneducated,
but so did the first kerosene lamps.
In the office of a busy head special
list (all-around specialist in dis
eases of eye, ear, nose and throat.
or what have you) we'll trained
young woman, wearing a get-up
suggesting that she might be
nurse took hand in the treatment
of many patients who hadn't the
gumption to object to such quack-
cry. explained to one cranky Gus
toner who manifested uneasiness
about it that she herself was suffer-
ing from a wicked sore throat
but she wore no mask because the
doctor did not want to frighten
customers away. The cranky GUS
toner was frightened away then.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Eating Ctarnh
Have habit of eating laundry
starch. Started eating 1t when I
was pregnant and can't seem to
stop eating 1t whenever I see 1t
I eat about one-half pound a week.
Is 1t fattening?
Comparatively harmless.
1t is as fattening as the same
weight OF potato or bread would be.
Perhaps If you will keep some plain
wheat on hand and chew a mouth
full of the kernels when you feel the
desire, 1t will really benefit your
health and nutrition.
Resistance
Please make 1t clear In your col
umn that taking vitamins does not
insure that a person will have
great resistance to colds" Un-
scrupulous purveyors of vitamin
nostrums have made many laymen
believe this. "a. w. FO
Answer-In some instances prob
ably increasing the intake OF vita
min A improves the condition OF the
mucous membrane lining the re-
spiratory tract and so renders 1t
more efficient in preventing invasion
by bacteria. But there is no basis
for the idea that vitamins have
anything to do with the state OF
immunity.
Painting
Want to varnish kitchen floor and
do some other paint jobs, but friends
say it may make me sick or cause
miscarriage. (Mrs. P. j. W0
Acknowledgements Go ahead and
paint all you like. Send ten cents
and three-cent stamped self-ad-
dressed envelope for booklet Pre-
pairing for Maternity"
Copyright, 1913, John F. Ollie Co..
vival in peace of the national jeal-
ousies and rivalries that are the
seeds of the national jealousies and
rivalries that are the seeds Of war.
~