The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-17
MEAT AND HIGH BLOOD
 PRESSIJRE


 MEAT AND HIGH BLOOD
 PRESSURE
 Unfortunate woman 45 years old applied for life insurance and was rejected because the examiner found her blood pressure above the normal range for women of her age. Thereupon she consulted a doctor. she says. suspect she consulted near-doctor or a queer-doctor, not doctor of medicine.
 The doctor" subjected her to several weird tests or analyses and gave her mumbo- jumbo "diagno- sis" which doesn't mean anything, but 1t seems to suit the unfortunate woman well enough, for she is greatly impressed and not at all worried over the fact that no urine examination was made.
 The unfortunate woman is now "on diet" and the diet, as she de- scribes it, might have been written by a nineteenth century quack. She must take no meat and no eggs, but she may take chicken once a week but only the white meat (the poor woman prefers the dark meat) and so on.
 Even if there were reason to be- lieve the patients kidneys are in- volved, that is, nephritis (Bright's disease), there is no reason why she should not have meat, light meat or dark meat.
 Fifty years ago Dr. Osler wrote: T am more and more impressed with the part played by overeat- ing in inducing arteriosclerosis" (hardening of the arteries). Among the better classes in America chronic Brights disease is very common, and is, I believe, caused more frequently by over- eating than by excesses in alco- hol. Some believe excessive use of meat is injurious, since 1t in- creases the materials out of which uric acid is formed :" In Osler's time the uric acid the ory was popular among physicians, but 1t had little scientific founda- tion, and today it is nearly oboslete. Even gout is rarely heard of, now that precise chemical tests of the amount of uric acid in the blood of the patient SO readily prove the mo- tion wrong. do not believe the eating of ordinary or reasonable amounts of red or dark meat or beef or any other food which con- tains materials out of which uric acid is formed has any more to do with arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure Brights disease, "rheu- matism' or arthritis than has any other good food.
 If I had high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, Bright's disease (nephritis) or arthritis I'd continue to eat meat, light or dark, as freely in proportion with other kinds of food as do now.
 I say this woman is unfortunate she has selected a quack instead of a physician, and her diet is likely 1 to do her more harm than good. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 How old Do You Look and Feel? I am 29, I look 39, and feel 59. Your column makes more sense than $50 examination I paid for re- gently. Please send me your "In- struction for Taking an Iodine Ra- tion." OM. D. To
 Anwer-It's on the way, but why not get yourself a hunk of vite? Booping your iodine intake is one of the keys. Send twenty-five cents and stamped envelope bearing your address for booklet "The ' Keys to Vite.'
 Get the Kids Into the Puddles We consider your column a good tonic and wouldn't miss 1t for any, thing. On the strength of it per- mitted my seven year old to wade in puddles after a storm the other day, and no "cold" appeared to plague us-this after four years of bronchial troubles.
 /? (Mrs. J. H. W.
 Answer-Are you the boys grand ma or his great grandma? Don't tell me you're his nom and Have kept the poor kid from playing in the water whenever he likes! How can an intelligent parent be so be- nighted? All kids please take notice. If anybody forbids you to go in wading or swimming whenever you like, tell me about it and I'll try to reason with the old timer.
 Iron Ammonium Citrate
 Druggists here will not sell iron and ammonium citrate by the ounce, only in capsules. (Mrs. O. R. Eo
 Answer-Im sorry the druggists in your community take that atti- tude. Good druggists everywhere can and do sell any one who asks for 1t iron and ammonium citrate (garnet red or brownish scales by the ounce or pound. I think 1t is unwise to take 1t in capsule or pill. Copyright, 1943, John F. Dille Col but also screen of cruisers and destroyers. Not even the sturdiest fullback can score a touchdown without delft interference; the most