The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-27

cause they deal with diseases Of
such rarity that they would not
be of general interest, or new
treatments that only the physi-
clan should be allowed to pre-
scribe, and to present them to the
public would be only to pander
70 a morbid curiosity.
But this week ! find that the
boys have been discussing the
latest thing and it must be be-
cause it is right on the first pages
of the Journal of the American
Medical Association. 1t is also
something ! can let my public in
on, because it is something you
all know about, or ought to know
about. For this brand new subject
that the boys have been discussing
is that they want TO know what
rest is.
You would think that doctors
would know what rest is. They
say TO about every third patient
"Well, you go home and rest and
eat light diet, and take this pre-
scription. What you need is a
good nights sleep and some rest"
Yes, they have been saying that
often enough so you would think
they knew what they meant. But
here they turn up and want to
know what rest is.
Rest and Suppression
Then they think that rest has
been very much abused. We have
nsed too much of it in the past.
The cardinal advice to a patient
with heart disease was always
plenty of rest, but here the lead
off article is about the abuse of
rest for such patients and advice
tint graduated exercise is a good
thing for them.
If there has been any one thing
that has been impressed on the
American people since the days Of
Wier Mitchell it is the advantage
of the rest treatment for nervous
invalids. But here comes my
friend, Dr.. Karl Menninger, Of
Topeka, in very sensible article
and says that such suppression is
the worst thing that can happen
to many patients whose nervous
ness is just an attempt to find an
outlet Cor their personality.
DR.. Menninger has some good
news for middle aged to elderly
people who perhaps are labelled
"high blood pressure" and pro-
coed to be laid on the shelf Oy
their doctors and families and
business associates. The "rest"
that is prescribed for these people
DR.. Menninger thinks is poor
judgment; that what they need is
TO be allowed to satisfy their ag-
gressive tendencies as much as
possible. All of which, as | say,
seems to me very humanitarian
and sensible. In my experience as
a consultant | have rescued many
an old reprobate from the mini
STATIONS of a too conscientious
younger colleague, from, in his
own words, "this blankety blank
bed, and this blankety blank vet
Urinary and this blankety blank
frustrated female who kept CIV
ing him nothing but a glass Of
blankety blank milk every
blankety blank hour"
Research on Rest
But all ! have .ot TO say now
that | have retired is that if any Of
these high pressure boys get the
steam up and give way to their
aggressive tendencies hope it will
not be in the cafe where | am.
Well, when the boys got
through abusing rest they began
to ask just what rest really is
physical and psychical. And DR..
Menninger suggested that next
year they renew the symposium
and start out by defining rest.
Well, / can help out on that SYM
postum to the extent Of telling them
where rest isn't. 1t isn't anywhere
near any hospital known to me
with the motor cars and street
cars beginning at FIVE a. M, and
the loud speaker blarring for "Dr.
Johnson" and the nurse coming
in at seven a. m. and putting her
clammy hand under the nice warm
covers to grab your wrist and take
your pulse! And those sponge