The Ypsilanti daily press., 1944-09-22

treat by tried and true household
medicine remedies. without even
consulting the doctor.
The first is putting iodine or
mercurochrome on cuts or skin
injuries and strapping them over
with sterile gauze. | think Mr.. and
Mrs. Average Citizen are right
about this and it is a sign Of prog
ress that they have learned how
to do 1t with good technique.
Second, most skin eruptions
treated with salve - zinc oxide
ointment, or, If on the foot,
whether athlete or not, Whit
fields ointment. | would score Mr.
and Mrs. A. c. about 90 per cent
on this. They probably do as much
good in the TO per cent OF cases as
the professional dermatologist
Home Use Of Cathartics
Third, cathartics. This is the
poor mans medical speciality. No
darn doctor can tell him when he
needs salts or senna. wouldn't
score him very high on this. He
does a lot Of harm, creates a habit
and Indigestion, and never knows
enough to lay off when there is
acute pain in the abdomen.
Fourth. colds Aspirin, quinine,
hartshorn liniment. Well, ne can
have that, so far as | am con-
cerned. Never call doctor for q
cold is just as good a motto As
God bless our home"
Fifth, sleeping medicines. Since
these cannot be obtained except on
a prescription from a physician in
most states, the practice has
slowed up, but not much. don't
think it does much harm.
Sixth, something for the nerves,
and this is a very curious situa-
tion. The medicine usually en-
ployed TO "sooth myself down
with is some form of bromide.
And it does a great deal Of harm,
partly because it is easy to obtain,
partly because large doses can be
taken without any obvious imme-
date effect, and partly because
bromide intoxication is not very
often recognized even by members
of the medical profession.
Bromides Harmful
Bromides are salts Of bromine
sodium, potassium, strontium.
Their pharmacological action is as
n sedative on the eortex of the
brain, particularly the motor
area. They were once the standby
and are still used extensively for
epilepsy. But by quieting motor
muscle restlessness they quiet the
nerves all over and induce sleep.
So they are the main ingredients
Of all kinds Of medicines used for
nerve. and hangovers, and It II
very easy for . nervous person
to get the habit Of taking them
without knowing what they con-
tain and without knowing that
they accumulate in the body and
cause true intoxication.
All doctors know that when
FULL bromide dosage occurs there
is a nasty looking pustular erup-
tion on the skin. But not all know
that before the stage OF erup-
tion appear a state Of mental con-
fusion, diminished power Of con-
eentration. unsteady gait, even
hallucinations and delirium may
occur from regular bromide dos
age. In one year in a small hos
pital 20 OF these cases were
brought in.
Fortunately the treatment Is
very simple and effective. 1t con-
sists in giving plenty Of ordinary
table salt-sodium chloride. The
bromides replace the chlorine
atom in the body tissues, become
fixed there and are eliminated only
very slowly. But the chlorides, IL
administered in good quantity,
drive out the bromides.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
p. F.:-What is pheno-barbital
and what Is il used for?
Answer: The druggists name