The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-08-10
sO YOU,RE ON A DIET?


 I can't eat any sugar or starch on account of gas no meat as my system is full of acid can't drink milk because it forms mucus .. weight has gone from l58 to 112 pounds -. mouth so dry intestinal tract must be all shot :. many colon irrigations :. unable to work for past month i. co. H. Al r.
 Your piece on fiathlency not be- ing dangerous z. am awake until all hours with gas in all parts of my body gas forms in stom- ach, then presses on heart can it affects the heart seriously . on a diet. but have been for years :. stomach specialist sanitarium Y. many X-rays ... they can't find out :. (Mrs. H. M)
 These letters are chosen at ran- dom from a constant stream of sim- liar letters from people who, on the one hand, assure me under stand their trouble better than the doctors specialist and trek headers mostly the last-they have tried; and, on the other hand, inform me, firmly but gently, that when it comes to gas, indigestion, diet, aci- dosis, etc, eat, obviously I am in error, as is evident in their own eases.
 Assuming the purpose of these people in describing their symp- toms is to enable me to make 8 long distance diagnosis and pre- scribe, suggest or recommend the proper treatment-not necessarily medicinal treatment, but surgical, dietetic, psychotherpeutic, whatever remedy or treatment a physician may consider "indicated"-I hereby suspend the rules printed regularly with this column, just long enough to say that in my judgment the majority of these people would be decapitation-if only we had method of decapitation that would not be so messy and so permanent. Seriously, if these sadly misinform- ed and grievously exploited Wise acres could forget for six months or year all they think they knew about digestion, starch, diet, auto- intoxication, nervousness, acidity, gas, and be free from the gratuit- ous advice of well-meaning but ig- norant friends, most of them, I'd stake my reputation( ah-ah, wait, till I f1nish) as Glass A bowler, would regain most or all they have lost, in flesh, strength, nutrition. health and vite, by the time we would have to put the stupid old head back on again.
 A hypochondriac is a hypochon- driac. I'm telling you what I think about it. That's what you expect me to do when you describe your symptoms, isn't it?
 The result of all this mischieyous dieting in great many instances IS simply a grave state of malnutri- ton. Most cut and dried diets re- strict the daily intake of one or more essentials to subnormal lev- el and if the diet is followed for weeks and months nutritional defi- ciency is inevitable, regardless of what ailed the victim originally.
 QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
 Dry Eyes
 My eyes have no tears and aI- ways seem to dry. When I cook onions and cry some they feel better. Would this be sinus trouble? (Mrs IT C1
 Answer-It may be form one thing or another, but the first thing to make sure of is that you get enough yitamin A. Try taking couple teaspoonfuls of fish liver oil daily for a few months, or if that IS .repugnant, take capsule of na- tural vitamin A (25, 1000 units) twice daily, after food. If this proves what you need, you should notice relief within a week, but, as in nearly all cases of vitamin therapy, you can't discontinue the vitamin when the trouble seems toured" !" unless you are content to drop back into the same nutritional defi- clency state. One doesn't stop talk ing bread, meat or vegetables when ones appetite is satisfied and hun ger appeased.
 Sun Exposure
 I've heard that exposure to the sun is a cause of skin cancer.
 (E. B.
 Answer-You have? If I were you, young lady, I shouldn't let that deter me from absorbing all the sunshine could endure short of Sunburn.
 Copyright 1945, John F. Dille Co.)