The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-11-06
Your Health
By DR.. William Brady


Is enclosed. Letters should be brief
and written in ink. No reply can
be made TO queries not conform
ing TO instructions. Address DIR.
william Brady, National News
paper Service, 800 West Madison
Street, Chicago, Ill.
MEATLESS MEDICAL BUNK
According to Das Gupta, writing
in the Indian Medical Record c35)
z per cent of the natives in India
have "gout" and the natives are
largely vegetarians and teetotalers.
If that is so-and 1t Is probably as
| true as any Of the data on "gout'
in medical literature-it should
raise great doubt in the mind OF
any reasonable physician concerning
the nature of the ailment or all
ments that the old-timers called
"gout" and some medical authori-
ties today believe due to accumula-
ton of or deposits of uric acid"
(mono-sodium urate) in the affect
ed tissues. We can't stop here to
discuss "gout'-suffice to say that
I do not believe any ailment is due
to retention, accumulation or de-
post in the tissues Of any uric acid
salt or derivative; believe such
deposits (tophD are the conse-
quence Of disease or injury and oc-
cur regardless Of whether the In
dividual has eaten much or little or
no meat at all, or drank much or
little or no alcoholic liquor or bev-
erage-as for example in India.
But then, I'm not so far out OF
line as some Of the fuzzy old fell
lows who purport to be "authori-
ties" like to think when T deny the
entity Of "gout." Gone is the day
when these doughty gentlemen
could pronounce case thus and
so and no one had the temerity to
ask how come. That may explain
why practicing physicians today so
rarely venture to diagnose 'gout."
A query that hobs up day after
day in the mail indicates that, even
/ If "gout" is on the way out, good
many medical practitioners still
keep unsophisticated customers
aroused with "diets" excluding
dark meat or restricting consump-
ton Of meat to a minimum, with
the implied suggestion that too
much uric acid Is cause II not the
cause Of rheumatic, arthritis, high
blood pressure or whatever chronic
trouble the patient may have.
In my opinion, ladies and gentle
men and doctors, that is all bunk.
Mind, though, I know that
great many persons benefit mate
rally, whatever ails them at the
moment, by reducing their con-
sumption Of good, nourishing, easily
digestible food. But I insist that
in the great majority Of such cases
the. intake Of carbohydrate food
should be reduced, and only excep-
tionally Is 1t necessary or advisable
to cut down the individuals allow
ance of meat-4ight, dark or me-
dunn.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Foul Breath
I am thirty-six years old. Have
had all my teeth repaired by re-
liable dentist, and use good
mouthwash several times day, yet
have an unpleasant breath. Every
thing I eat seems to sour on my
stomach. (MrS. M. ID
AnSwer-Better than soda and
other alkalis commonly used to re-
lieve sour stomach, acidity. heart
burn and the like, Is precipitated
chalk, calcium carbonate, five or
ten grains being a fair dose-taken
in powder or tablet form or tea
spoonful Of compound chalk mix
ture (liquid favored with CHINA
NOM.
Home Made Ear Drum
For years have been wearing a
small piece of wet cotton in my left
ear, taking the cotton out before
going to bed. This has served me
we'll as an artificial ear drum, en-
abling me to hear almost normally
while I wear 1t. Used to wear
rubber contraption. but the last
time I wrote for new pair the let
ter came back marked Company
Out of Business" and also Fraud
ulent." So I had to develop the
wet cotton trick, and 1t does work.
(Mrs. B. b.
Answer-In the pamphlet on
Deafness and Head Noises
(mailed on request II you provide
three-cent stamped enveiope bear
ing your address, I suggest loosely
packing ear canal with wisp Of
lambs wool or ordinary cotton bat
ting-if you can hear better with
this, an artificial ear drum" So
called, may be Of some use. Wet
ting the cotton Is q new wrinkle.
Instead Of plain water, wetting it
with equal parts OF water and
glycerin would keep 1t moist
longer.
Kindly tell me what niacin amide
Is, and for what Is 1t given. I am
q graduate nurse, but have recently
returned to nursing after several
years raising a family, and I'm not
familiar with recent developments.
(Mrs. N. Z. F.
Answer-1t Is the newer name for
one of the B-complex vitamins
formerly called NICOTINE acid. 1t
Is the vitamin chiefly essential to
prevent or cure pellagra.
| 4NCUkAtkS
Do you recommend the same
treatment for neuritis as you rec
ommend for arthritis? (E. H.
Answer-No. Send stamped en-
velope bearing your address and ask
for pamphlet on Arthritis. If you
want the booklet 1.-THE Ills Called
Rheumatism" inclose ten cents
with the stamped addressed en-
velope. I know Of no treatment
! which would be advisable for neu-
ritis, without regard for the tndi-
vidual condition-you see, neuritis
may mean anything from optic
neuritis to sciatic neuritis, It Is not
a specific condition or disease which
calls for some specific remedy or
treatment.
Copyright, 1913, John F. Ollie Co..