The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-06-19
Your Health
 By Dr. William Brady

Signed letters pertaining to per
 soual health and hygiene, not ~
 disease. diagnosis of treatment,
 will be answered by Dr. Brady IT
 A stamped self-addressed envelope
 is enclose. Letters should be brief
 and written in ink. No reply can
 he made to queries not conform
 ing to instructions. Address pr.
 william Brady, National News
 paper Service 320 West Madison
 Street, Chicago. III.
 WHY SUPERSTITIONS THRIVE
 In an essay on Superstitions suo- mitted for our school paper twrlteS d Canadian reader I maintained that changes of weather, rain or snow. dry or wet, have little or nothing to do with infections or the respiratory tract, and so one of the most odious superstitlons lS harbored by even educated men clergymen, doctors of philosophy, masters of art and science ana doctors of medicine. Such a man walks into the classroom and says. "Close that window, boy l don't want YOU lads catching cold or the clergyman cautions people that 'The wind is so cold and raw, fear you will catch cold"
 First my composition teacher, then the superintendent of schools objected that this portion of my essay was not scientifically true. cited articles of your on Proven ton of Pneumonia and the little lesson Call it Cri" The judge dis missed your theories as incense ouential. Some of the teachers cackled that your newspaper col umn is mainly an old ladies gossip column. They concluded that you will have to change your opinion to accord with scientific 1nvestlga- tions.
 I asked what scientific investiga- tions, and they told me it had been proved recently at McGill that peo- pie catch cold more quickly in 8 draft than not in draft, that after all there are always some microbes in the system or in the nose or throat, and slight chilling of the body in draft lowers re- sistance.
 Sir, what am I. a student who is weak" who gets low marks, to do against men with degrees.
 You and I are disqualified at the barrier, Lauren,-our theories, con- cepts. notions or beliefs are not scientific, whereas those of the old timers are scientific.
 That the experiments conducted at McGill proved anything as op- posed to the experience of polar eX- plorers, soldiers in faxholes in this war and in the trenches on the first World War, and countless hunters, fishermen, woodmen, veyors, sailors and other folk who know what exposure to cold, wet and sudden and extreme changes of weather means, is silly, l should say.
 It will have no weight with the old fossils, but If anybody cares-to know I say that so far as have learned there is no evidence to sup- port the notion that ''resistance,S whatever that may mean, is adver. sely affected by change of weather, dampness, draft, etc. It devolves upon any one who argues to the contrary to define what he or she means by resistance" so that we may know what he or she is talk ing about.
 As for immunity against respir- atory infections, certainly there is no scientific. statistical or empiri- cal evidence that cold. dampness, drafts or sudden change of wealth CT lowers any immunity onet hap pens to have against any known respiratory infection, be 1t pneumo- nia diphtheria or measles.