Evening star., 1963-01-08
STOP KILLING
YOURSELF
By Dr.. Peter J. Steincrohn

BY Dr.. Peter J. Steincrohn
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: For
the past year I have been
having gall bladder attacks.
The past six months have
been miserable. with constant
pain and nausea. One set
of X-rays showed a nonfunc-
tioning gall bladder, but no
stones. A month later an
other X-ray was taken; 1t did
not show stones and the gall
bladder picture was normal.
I had another gall bladder
attack and had to be carried
into the doctors office. Now
my doctor is undecided about
surgery due to the fact that
one X-ray did not show
stones and the other was
practically normal.--Mrs. B.
YOU KEEP SAYING you
have been having gall bladder
symptoms and gall bladder
attacks, yet you do not get
positive evidence to back up
your symptoms on the X-rays.
From personal experience.
I'm sure you understand how
important 1t is to make the
diagnosis. Without 1t, treat
ment, as in your case. can
not be instituted with any
degree of confidence.
Therefore, my opinion is
that you must have the di-
agnosis. Has your doctor
called in another good dag
nostician in consultation? /
think he should. Is 1t gall
bladder disease? Is 1t ulcer?
Is 1t hiatal hernia? Is 1t cor
onary disease or other evi-
dence of heart failure?
My inclination? If I could
rule out the other condi-
tions I have just mentioned,
and If you still continued to
have indigestion and pain as
before, I'd suggest surgery. I
have seen a number of pa
tients with symptoms whose
X-rays didn't show up too
much, yet their gall bladders
at operation we're distinctly
diseased. Some contained
stones that didn't visualize
on the X-ray plates.
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: What
are Zoonoses?
THEY ARE diseases which
are transmitted from animal
to man. For example, trichi-
nosis. by swine; brucello-
sis, by cattle. sheep, goats;
psittacosis by parrots; @ fe-
yer. by goats. cattle; and
anthrax, by cattle and horses.
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: What
Is the main use of the drug
called "iSoniazid"?-Mr. B.
1T is ESPECIALLY useful
In the treatment of tubercu-
losis.
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: If
you had a sprained ankle and
your doctor told you to walk
around on it, what would you
think OF him? - Mrs. D.
IF HE had ruled out the
possibility of fracture by TAX
ing X-rays, I doubt that I'd
think less of him. 1 have
talked to a number of COL
leagues who are orthopedists
(bone specialists) who believe
that early walking promotes
quicker healing. Either you
trust your doctor or you
don't. Where there is any
lack of confidence, I always
suggest consultation for the
purpose of getting another
opinion.
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: I
pride myself on having
brought up four children with
this philosophy: Spare the
rod. Yet my children are not
spoiled and have grown up
into fine parents themselves.
What do you think?-Mrs. A.
1 THINK your kids have
been lucky - and wish the
rest Of us parents might prac-
tice the same philosophy. The
trouble Is that temper often
gets the best Of us. There
are other ways - as you
know of raising children sue
cessfully than by taking them
out to the woodshed.
tBell Syndicate Featured
DR.. Steincrohn's Ieatlet,
Get the Snooze Habit" tOiH
be mailed on receipt of a
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uelope and 10 cents in coin
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Stetncrohn in care OF The
EUenin0 Star.