Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-12-29

One doctor says ! have bru-
cellosis and another says I
haven't. In addition to feel
ing sick I have the problem
Of being a patient whose con.
dition seems to be stumping
my doctors. Any suggestion
whatever will be welcome.
Mrs. G., Maryland.
/ KNOW WHAT you mean
having been in the middle
Of similar problems myself.
BrucellosiS (undulant fever)
comes in many guiseS and
often befuddleS US doctors
when 1t comes to ,spotting 1t.
In one patient the only
symptom Is nervousness
which seems to come from
nowhere. In others, there is
weakness, sweating, fever,
rapid pulse, depression, head
ache, muscular pains. back
. ache or chills (singly or in
combinationl.
A positive diagnosis can be
made when q blood culture
shows the actual brucella or.
ganisms. Unfortunately this
does not occur in all cases. !
This may be your trouble,
Mrs. G. Perhaps your doctors
are forced to rely on the re-
suits Of skin tests and what
We call serum agglutination
titerS" to establish the dag
noSiS.
Sometimes these are positive
in the absence Of the disease:
and at other times may give
negative reactions even when
the patient has undulant
lever. -
Whatever the picture, the
doctors should always be sus-
piciouS Of undulant fever In
q patient with one or more Of
the symptoms I have men,
toned. Otherwise. he will
overlook this sneaky disease.
In some persons the acute
attack is over in a few weeks
and there is no more trouble.
In others. it can annoy and
Illustrate both patient and
doctor for months or years.
There is no specific treatment
that will guarantee cure. But
vaccines. antibioticS, cortisone
and many other remedies
often help.
- -
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: I
have a four-year-old daugh-
ter whose hair hangs below
her waist. I have had peo-
pie tell me that long hair
will take the strength from o
child. Is this true or Is it an
old wives tale? I wouldn't
want anything to hurt my
child's health. Mrs. NJ,
Maryland.
THAT'S A SWITCH-if I
ever heard one-on the Sam
son and Delilah yarn. I know
Of no scientific reason why
long hair should cause any
weakness.
I recall q patient. over so.
who has beautiful tresSes
that fall almost to her knees.
Yet, she is one Of the most
dynamic, energetic women I
have ever met. Length Of
hair doesn't seem to inter-
fere with her health or vigor.
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: Will
you explain the difference
between secondary and per-
nicious anemia? How does q
doctor decide which one O
patient has? Mrs. s., Mis-
souri,.
SECONDARY ANEMIA, as
the name implies. is due to
some other condition in the
body. For example, loss Of
blood due to q severe hemor-
rhage may cause secondary
anemia. So can gradual loss
due to bleeding hemorrhoids.
It may be due to unsupported
loss of blood from q tumor.
Some people get it when
they have insufficient nour-
ishment and lack Of iron and
vitamins. I have seen pa
tients with low thyroid ac-
tivity whose anemia cleared
up after thyroid treatment.
There are dozens Of other
causes Of secondary anemia.
The treatment Is to remove
the cause.
AS for pernicious anemia,
this is due to lack Of certain
important secretions from
the stomach glands. For that
reason we prescribe liver ex-
tract and vitamin BIZ to
make up the deficiency.
The differential diagnosis
between those two types of
anemia is made easily by
examining blood smears,
stomach acidity, and by bone
marrow studies.
4 i
DR.. Steincrohn'S IenfLet.