The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-10-19

and although | deplore-as we'll as
the rest Of the medical profession
home doctoring. | am inclined to
look on the bright side of it.
There are several bright sides.
In the first place, the stomach is
the center Of nearly all human
deyiations from the smooth way of
life-it is the alarm clock of trou-
bic. If you are tired, you have no
appetite. If you hear bad news,
you are sick at your stomach. If
you lose your job, you have diar-
rhea for few days. None of these
things mean anything serious, but
the condition excitcs sympathy
and gives Uncle Henry or Mother
or Aunt Lucy a chance to try some
remedy on you and before long
you are better.
Stomach Remedies Harmless
Besides, and this is an advan-
tage to the home doctor, all the
stomach remedies are pretty harm
less. You start monkeying around
with heart remedies or nerve rene
dies, headache remedies or pelvic
remedies and before long you are
going to find yourself with a poi
soning case on your hands. But
you can't get into much trouble
with diet or sodium bicarbonate or
pepsin.
The only class Of digestive drugs
that you might get into trouble
with are the cathartics. There
have been some cases of poisoning
in children from eating n whole
bottle of little sugar-coated cap
sules containing a drastic purge.
Danger of Cathartics
Then there is one other danger
of the amateur prescribing a cath
srtic-a danger | have mentioned
before in this column, but which
bears repetition. That is giving a
cathartic in the presence of a pain
OF discomfort The discomfort, no
matter how trivial it feels, may
be appendicitis, and a cathartic is
likely to rupture diseased appen-
dix and cause a spreading peri
tonitis. Cathartics are all right If
there is no pain in the abdomen
and there hasn't been any action
for several days, but beware of
them when someone comes to you
and says, Say, I've got a belly
ache. What kind of salts would be
good for it?"
But good old bicarbonate of soda
- what a wonderful household
remedy. When you're feeling a
little nauseated in the morning. or
things are not just right, or that
meal you got at the lunch counter
doesn't sit the way it should, take
down the bottle. One tablet, or one
half teaspoonful in a glass of
warm water. Stir well. Hold to
the light to see that it is completely
dissolved. Then when ready-taste
1t. Don't gulp it. Sip it - small
swallow by small swallow. And
after each swallow say, "Ah!
that's the stuff" Before the glass
is gone the discomfort is gone, and
no matter what is the matter with
you, it won't do you any harm.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
D. G.: In your Questions and
Answers" you state that ''long
exposure to a high degree Of mira
red or ultraviolet light is the only
form Of light or heat which will
cause cataract" Could the use Of
a sun light for 10 or Is minutes
every day cause cataract?
Answer: In my column from
July 10 TO so, l did not even men
ton cataract or violet light.
If you read it there it must be a
misprint. Ultra-red or ultra violet
light will cause Inflammation Of
the conjunctiva, or outside layer
of the eye. / would appreciate
your sending the clipping to which
you refer TO DR.. Logan Clenden-
ing, l247 West 56th Street. Kansas
City, Missouri.
D. NJ. f.: Docs going without a
hat in summer weather cause
badness?