Milford chronicle., 1958-11-21
THANKSGIVING, 1858

Thanksgiving IN the year 1898 finds
Americans enjoying peace, abundance, and
freedom. 1t also finds the United States in
the role of leader of the free countries of
the world.
Since 1863, when Mrs. Sarah j. Hale
finally succeeded in her idea of a religious
observance late in November, Americans
have been blessed with fortune, and have
accumulated more blessings with each pass
ing year.
Now, ninety-fve years later, (Mrs. Hale
actually began her campaign for a day of
thanksgiving while editor of The Ladies
Magazine in Boston, in 1920, the average
American has more to be thankful for than
the citizen of any other country.
Americans should keep in mind the re-
ligious origin of the Thanksgiving Day OBJ
servance and give thanks to God for their
many blessings this year. Thanksgiving Day
has now grown to be an international cele-
brption, and many Old World customs are
attached to it in various parts of the world
and in the United States.
In ancient history many days of thanks
giving were celebrated annually over long
periods of time. The victory of Constantine
was celebrated in Constantinople for many
years on September oath. In Alexandria,
July 21st was observed for years as day
of thanks for the cessation of earthquakes
In England, the victory of the Black
Prince over the French in 1856 was cele-
brated for eight days, and special thanksgiv-
ing services were held in ST. Pauls Cathedral
after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in
4 1888.
Our Thanksgiving Day in the United
States, then, is relatively young, but it has
taken hold more firmly than in ary other
country, and has spread to the various cor
ners of the world.
It is one Of our most-enjoyed holidays,
! and colorful observances, and an inspiration.
To many Americans it signifies the coming
end of the year, the completion of most OF
the harvesting of the year, the end of the
hunting seasons.
ABUSING WONDER DRUGS
A new menace has developed in many
hospitals, and affecting all Americans, be-
cause of the wide and indiscriminate use of
wonder" drugs. This is the word from the
United States Public Health Service.
The menace, which is. in the form of mi
crobes resistant to many of the new wonder
"staphs" Staphs are actually microbes
which can thrive in the presence of such
drugsras penicillin
Where as the wonder drugs formerly kill
ed all known microbes these microbes have
developed resistant qualities and they have
been caused, In the opinion OF many doctors,
by the abuse of the wonder drugs and anti
biotics, by improper dosage, or dosage which
does not continue for the proper length of
time, and indiscriminate use of them.
1t is no secret that some people today de-
mand from their doctor a wonder drug or
anti-biotic every time they, or their children,
catch cold. This is generally thought to be an
abuse of these drugs, and the drug compan-
les, and others, have been busy developing
new strains of wonder drugs which will prop
erly combat staphs. 1t is the thought of some
that some of the new strains Of wonder drugs
should be held in reservoir the event of a
serious outbreak of infection.
These germs, which have been appearing
in growing numbers, are causing increasing
numbers of serious infections, and some
deaths, among babies and surgical patients
in hospitals. 1t is nothing alarming, although
it is a development worth reporting, and the
reader who has been guilty of the indiscrim-
mate use of wonder drugs should draw the
proper conclusions
@g@%%
NO CAUSE FOR CHEERS
Reports now indicate that this years
federal deficit will probably be well below the