A Doctor Who Tells

Evening Star, Issue 26139, 28 June 1947, Page 10

A Doctor Who Tells

The Diary of

THOSE WINTER COLDS Monday, June 23. “ AH well at home? ” 1 asked Mrs Grant as I handed her the receipt for the payment of her account this after- “ Not as well as I’d like,” she replied. “ The children have started getting those winter colds. 1 suppose they’ve just got to have them. “ Not necessarily,” I said, “ though, admittedly, schools and, in fact, any place where children gather can’t help being sources of infection. “ Can’t 1 do anything to stop colds? ” asked Mrs Grant plaintively. “ Yes,” I said, “ food, fresh air, exercise, and adequate, rest are the four important things that build up resistance in young people.’ “ I always give them the best of foods,” said Mrs Grant. “ Vitamins play an important part in protection from infection,” i said. “ I’m always in favour of young people having cod liver oil or something similar at the beginning of winter. Fruit juices, especially oranges, give vitamin C in abundance and they’re useful in winter.” ' '•* You mentioned esercise and rest,” said Mrs Grant. “ Yes,” I said, “ man is a muscu- . lar animal, and his muscles need exercise for him to be in perfect health. Rest is similarly important. Early • man, who knew not artificial light, went to bed when the sun went down and rose when light returned to the earth.” “ Primitive man and woman did a lot of things I wouldn’t care to do,” •jsaid Mrs Grant crisply. “ And I don’t know that he lived to any very great age” “ You’ve got something there,” I said, “ but I still feel that rest is one of the most important things in building up our resistance. Or put it another way—fatigue has a marked effect in lowering our resistance.” 44 I generally get a headache after I’ve done the washing and ironing.” said Mrs Grant, rather out of the blue. “ Anyway, when the kiddies get their winter coids I supoose you’ll say I ought to keep them in bed.” “ The most commonly given and least followed advice is to spend the first 24 hours of a cold in bed,” I said. . Facial Pains May Mean Bad Teeth. Tuesday, June 24. When David Bryan complained of “ neuralgia of the face ” last night, 1 , asked to see his teeth. “ My teeth are supposed to be perfect.’’ he said, flashing an Adonis-like smile. “ I’ve never had a toothache in my life—touch wood.” “ I don’t like the look of one of those back ones,” I said, after looking carefully round his mouth. “ And one of two or those front ones have doubtful spots. I think you’d better go and get them X-rayed right away.” David looked a little hurt, and reiterated that he’d never had toothache. “ That’s not always a guide,” I told him. He rang to-night to report that the X-rays had showed that at least eight of the teeth wanted treatment. “ The dentist said that one’s so bad he’ll probably have to extract it.” said David., “ I hate the thought of losing teeth at my age. I’m only 26.” I told him he was lucky to have kept all his teeth up to this point, adding that it was said that the average ! person had lost four teeth by the age of 25. “That means false teeth before you’re 50,” said David. ' “ Oh, no,” I said. 1 suppose the average person has lost a dozen or so by the middle 40’s, and maybe a couple more by 50.” “ You moderns shouldn’t lose your teeth at all,” 1 continued. “ You should know all about correct diets, frequent visits to the dentist for checking purposes, cleaning morning and evening, and, last, but not least, the value of a slice of apple before going to bed.”

“ Can I be sure that my neuralgia will go if the teeth are "fixed up?” asked David. “ Pretty sure,” I said. “ Facial pains are frequently related to dental decay.” Some Cancers Can be Cured. Wednesday, June 25. 1 passed old George Ryan in the street to-day, and asked how he felt. “ I’m wonderful, doctor,” he said. “ I just can’t believe 1 was starving to death six months ago.” “ How’s the throat?” 1 asked. “ Don’t know there’s been anything wrong with it,” he replied. George had a cancer of the throat. It was wiagnosed early and appropriate treatment given. We are all looking for the surecure for all forms and all stages of cancer. Meanwhile let it be known that many forms of cancer, external' and internal, are already curable if advice is sought early and treatment given immediately. Any lump, sore, pain, or bleeding that continues needs examination by a doctor. Many such conditions have nothing to do with cancer. Some of them are not so fortunate, and the earlier they are treated the greater the chance of cure. Differenr Kinds of Ringworm. Thursday, June 26. “ Would you mind calling in this morning?” asked John Wright on the telephone. “ The whole damn family seemed to have picked up a skin condition. I’m all right, thank goodness, but everyone else has. it.” Molly, aged nine, appeared to be the first one to be affected, and she was closely followed by her brother, aged 11. After that the infection showed up on the mother, and finally an elderly aunt who was staying with him. “ It’s about three weeks since it started,” said the mother. “We didn’t take any notice of it at first, thinking it was just one of 'those things that children get. When it attacked me 1 got an ointment that’s always been pretty good in the past in clearing anything up. But when aunty got it 1 thought it was going too far. And its now on young John's head.” “It’s ringworm,”. 1 said. “If Molly was the first to have it she may have caught it at school and then infected her brother.” Late this afternoon Mrs Wright rang up. “ I thought you’d be interested,” she said, “ we’ve just found out the next-door cat has ringworm and Molly’s very fond of playing with it. 1 suppose there’s no doubt that a cat can infect a child.” “ There are different sorts of fungus disease,” 1 said. “ You know that ringworm is a fungus? ” “ Yes,” said Mrs Wright, “ but I didn’t know there were different kinds.” “ Some of them are only found on human beings, but, others affect dogs, cats, and other animals as well,” I replied. Mrs Wright' wanted to know how soon it woqjd be before they were all cured. “ Just a few days, I hope,” 1 said, “except in the case.of young John. He’s got it in the hair, and 1 think we’ll have to have it all removed before the ringworm will clear up in his case.” Six Views on Smoking. Friday, June 27. From this week’s reading . . varying views on smoking. King James the First: “A custom loathsome. to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs . . .” Oscar Wilde: “ A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite and leaves one unsatisfied. What more can you want?” Kipling: “A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.” Anon : “ To smoke a cigar through a mouthpiece is equivalent to kissing a lady through a respirator.’’ Smokers: “A smoker is someone who the more he fumes the less he frets.” Soliloquy: “ As the cigarette said to itself— ‘ I hope I don’t get lit up to-night and make an ash of myself.’ ” (Names in this Diarv are fictitious— Copyright.!