Evening star., 1945-08-22
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trace7Deu
ARLINGTON, Va

Dear sir:
After reading your article this eve
ming about your correspondents cat
with eczema, I only wish I knew their
name and address so that I could tell
them what cured my cat of eczema for
good and the cat was nearly IL years
old.
"I think I suffered more than the cat
seeing his red-skinned, bleeding flesh
and not knowing what to do to relieve
it.
I'VE took the cat to the veterinarian
and he painted the flesh with some
purple liquid, and, of course, the cat
licked 1t OF as soon as he reached home.
If eczema Is a skin disease, 1t Is in
the blood and the blood has to be puri-
fed to be rid Of it. No ointment in the
world is going to do any good.
Il started on my own giving the cat
yeast, the kind sold in pet shops for
dogs. Almost at once there was i'm
'provement. In short time the bare
spots had all cleared up and hair started
to grow on the bare spots.
From then on our cat was never
without his-yeast, and he never had
recurrence. Won't you please let this
person know for me about it?
Il love all cats, and do not like to
see them suffer needlessly. My interest
in cats started from an article in your
column written a good many years ago.
I have now three cats and try to keep
them we'll.
Sincerely yours. D. L. c."
X Il
Yeast is really form Of the vitamin
B complex, and certainly is well worth
trying in all such cases, whether Of dog
or cat.
There are some persons who believe
that the pure natural form Of the COM
plex Is better than the synthetic. Other
experts, as one might suppose, do not
agree with this.
What is the use Of being an expert
unless you can disagree with some one?
Both vitamins B-1 and b. have an
effect on the skin of experimental ami
mails, as the guinea pigs and others are
called, which are used in laboratories.
Various other vitamins, members of
the B complex, influence skin respira-
ton, that is, the amount of oxygen
utilized.
No doubt other influences extend In
many obscure ways, to be found in later
experiments, both on animals and hui
man beings.
Publication of the blood is very old
idea, one which had some merit. but
which left a lot unexplained. It was
one of those ideas suited to the Law
mind, and one which has always had
an enthusiastic reception on the part
of the general public.
tfp1Irifviy,u tho h1noJ1 coax.,n x,~v,, = . -.
The Indians understood what you meant
when you used 1t. The blood is the life,
isn't 1t?
There is more to it than that, how
ever. In recent years biochemists, life
chemists, have studied all the compo-
nents of the blood, and the various en-
zymes, vitamins, hormones, etc.
All this is a vast chemical study COM
plicated by the fact that it deals with
life, which, like the atom, is not as sim
pie as it used to seem.
1t is true that if the seat of a skin
disease lies in diSordered blood, no
ointment or other remedy applied from
the outside is going to cure. But it may
help.
The purple liquid" mentioned by our
correspondent was one of the dyes, such
as gentian blue, used as germ killers.
Each patient is q new one, with diff
ferent reactions. It Is possible that
what cures one will not cure the next.
Small animals suffering from what
appears to be incurable skin diseases
now have the advantage of sulfa drugs,
which are always worth trying. under a
vets" orders, Of course. Some of the
recent gern-killing molds might be
tried, If they could be secured for ami
NAL use.
The chemistry Of the blood Is one OF
| the most amazing things In the uni
verse. Any young man or woman who
has the inyestigational turn Of mind
would be well advised to take up its
study. In the years to come. two spe-
cialists are going to rule the world
investigations Of the blood and coal tar.