The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-20
PREVENTION or RHEUMATIC
 FEVER

PREVENTION or R4EUMATaC
 FEVER
 Defining rheumatic fever the other day I said it is acute lnfec- eious arthritls. and it was formerly known as inflammatory rheuma- sism. The term infectious means merely that it Is due to invasion Of the joints or other tissues involved by germs. It does not mean that the disease Is contagious. for of course rheumatic fever is not catching.
 We must regard this serious ill. ness of children and adolescents lsometimes it occurs tn adultsD, not as a joint disease-altlnough the affected joint or joints hurt artoct- ously-but rather as acute blood- poisoning, septlcemla. due Co inva- sion of the blood stream by Strep. tococci or sometimes Pneunlococci, which take of from a septic focus or beach-head in a toFsil. in ade- mold vegetations in the roof of the throat behind the soft palate tthird or pharyngeal tonxaD or perhaps Q neRlected tooth cavity.
 In most instances of rheumatic fever the victim has first had one or more attacks of acute sore throat. acute tonsillitis. quinsy or perhaps a recent attack Of scarlet fever-all Streptococcus infections --or in sonle inctances a recent at- tack of sinusitis or acute bronchitis -pneumococus infections.
 Precisely what sfactors or circum- stances favor such invasion Of the blooistream by Rclins from tiie lo- cal beach-head or focus. I. for one. do not know. To my ininc, hogeGcr. it only begs the question to utter generalities about lowered resist- ance," for no one can define "re- sistance" aside from specific iln- munity and I'm sure no responsi- ble physician pretends he knows any more about the factors or cir. cumstanees which increase or de- crease a given individuals inlmu- nifty than you or I do.
 Suppose a child has had several attacks of acute sore throat tonsil- litis or even quinsy tabscess around tonsiD. The tonsils remain en. larged or look pretty large between attacks. Some doctor is eager t0 remove 'en. Perhaps the doctor rec marke that by removing the tonsils now it may be possible to save the child frnm rheumatic fever. Is lC justllable t9 subject the rhild to the risks Involved in GaJoy anestlse- sia and a major operation?
 Candidly I'm afraid tO say what I think about this. Formerly be- lieved it wise to subject such chile dren to t0nsillertolny because I be- lieved the benefits to be gained Out- weighed in importance the risks in- v0lved. But that was an opinion based on Dniy hearsay--it was. I thought. the concensus Of medical opinion that certain serious ill- nesses of children and acolescents were prevented by tOnstllectoDly, But that concensus had been reached by rule Of thumb. rather than by precise scientific tabulation of the histories of any significant number Of children ill relation t0 tonsillectomy or lack of it
 Then came the patnstakine. pre- else. systematic and revealing re- ports published from time to time by pr. Albert D. Kaiser Of Roclles. ter. N. F.. in the medical press. ard in 1892 his hook "ChildTens Toncils Tn and Out" Iippincoft) from which ! shall quote some significant observations on the practice Of re moving t0nsils.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 .rady's Nonsense
 Have sneezing allergy t0 GOV hair. Local physician refuses to ny potas- sium chs0Fide-he just gr0gls when bring up the question and says "k0nsenss." ic. E, Ml
 Answer-Send stamped self ad. dressed envelope for pamphlet "ae- lief for Allerey." The truth is it isn't my nonsense, It is out of the medical literature and ] pass it along to the public,
 Arsenic Poisoning
 IS tt absolutely necessary 10 wash lettuce and cabbage, after tlle outer leaves have been removed. 10 pre- vent possible arsenic poisoning from traces Of spray residue on the inner leaYes7 fMrs. q. KD
 Answer Ordinary washing may not remove any such traces of Rr~ Renie, Washing the vegetable 0T fruit lthat has been sprayed with inseetleldesl with l per cent hydr0~ ebi0Tie acid solution, followed by gtnsing lp cleeF running wateT $ better, Characteristic symptoms of chronic 0r moderate arsenic p0iE0nv ing gre nansea. hellyaehe. diaT. yhea, itching and Fedness Of eYev llds, perhaps 2 gaglse'llke 0r Oni0p-like nd0Y 0D the breath, The l per cent hydT0ehl0rie aeid s0lns tian may be prepared by missing Q pint Of Dilute HydF0ebl0rle Acid us'P. wltb nine ptDts 0f elenF