The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-10
Your Health
 By Dr. William Brady

Signed letters pertaining to per- sOnal health and hygiene, not 70 disease, diagnosis of treatment, will be answered by pr. Brady 1T a stamped seIf-addressed envelope is enclose. Letters should be Drlet and written in ink. No reply can be made to queries not conform ing to instructions. Address pr. William Brady, National News pope1 Service. 32O West Madison Street, Chicago. Ill.
 ARSENIC AND DEAD FINGERS
 Young woman who had worKeo several years in flower shop con- nected with greenhouse developed obstinate, intense iching scaly erup-- ton on the back of her hand ana fingers which cleared up after a few months, but thereafter each spring she had recurrence of sim liar skin trouble on the hands each spring. Eventually the young woman found that from time to time when she was tired and got cold-say driving her car on a cola morning-several fingers would be- come numb and white and after 8 half hour or so when the cir culation returned gradually they were very painful. This happened even on summer mornings if 1t was at all cool.
 Dead fingers Is the common name for it. Raynauds disease is the medical name for it.
 The peculiar character of the skin trouble that this young Won1- an had before the Raynaud's di- sease developed suggested to her alert physician that chronic arsenic poisoning might be the cause. She had certainly been exposed to arr senic for years - the greenhouse conencting with the flowershop us- ed arsenical insecticides for spray ing.
 So the doctor gave the young woman an injection of one-half gram (about 7A grains of sodium thiosulphate (hyposulfte) into vein. This caused a marked in- crease in the amount of arsenic excreted in the urine in the next twenty-four hours. Normally there is minute amount of arsenic Tn the urine anyway, but such an in" lection of thiosulfate would not greatly increase the arsenic in the urine of the normal individual.
 Thereafter the doctor gave the patient similar injections of thlo- sulfate two or three times a week for several weeks. The patient no longer suffered from either the skin rash (which had long masq1eraded as ''eczema'O or dead fingers.
 Any one may take thiosulfate ln- ternally, in doses of, say, ten grains: dissolved in at least half glasstgul of water favored with syrup or sugar and fruit juice, twice a day after food, for, say, three days each week - preferably alternate days-for a period of six to ten weeks.
 The following manifestations may spell chronic arsenic poisoning:
 Chronic or recurring eczema" garlic-like odor of the sweat, red injected eyelids or con- stant irritation and itching of edges of eyelids, odd patches of tingling, numlbness or loss of sensation in the skin here and there, otherwise inexplicable att tasks of neuritis, odd weakening or paresis (partial paralysis of one or another muscle group. severe outbreaks of herpes ("cold soreS") or a peculiar Waxy pal Tor.
 QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
 How to Measure 7% Grains
 To save wear and tear, postage, time and everything, here is way to measure 71s grains: Put one- half ounce of the powder into four ounce vial or one ounce into half pint bottle, then fill the bottle up with water. When the salt or powder is all dissolved each teaspoonful will contain approxi- mately 71s grains. Of course thh would not be a satisfactory way to measure radium, but for ordinary chemical or medicinal salts it is practical-provided the chemical or salt is soluble in water.
 Alcohol Not for Children
 Would 1t be harmful to a child nine years old to let him drink a glass of beer at bedtime, as tonic?
 (Mrs. c. O.
 Answer-Yes. Beer, wine or liquor is as 'tonic" to child or any one else as a little carbolic acid would be. Give the child an extra glass of milk and a cookie or a banana or other fruit or little bread with jam or jelly at bedtime, if you want to improve his physical and men, tai development.
 Saireygamp
 Following your suggestion I have used lanolin and oil for my com- plexion for months and it has seem- ed fine, but now nurse where I work says lanolin will grow hair on the face. (Miss s. E.)
 AnsWer--The idea is absurd. Copyright 1945, John F. Dille Col