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Show Treatment of Peptic Ulcer By DR. JAMES W. BARTON O Bell Syndicate. WNU Service. THERE are apparently fewer operations now for Btomach or intestinal ulcer in proportion to the number of cases than there were a few years ago. This is not because be-cause surgery does not give results in emergency cases, but because medical treatment treat-ment combined with treatment treat-ment of the patient generally (not just the stomach or intestines) in-testines) gives good results with less after-effects. The thought in the minds of physicians physi-cians now is that the ulcer patient is of the tvne who. if cured of one ulcer by medicine or surgery, sur-gery, is quite likely to simply go ahead and "grow" another ulcer unless he changes his habits of life. The patient with stomach or intestinal intesti-nal ulcer is usually of the nervous type Dr. Barton and slender in build. While this, in itself, may not cause ulcer, it predisposes to ulcer, so that it is like having paper and wood all ready to start a fire; the fire will not start unless j a match irritation, infection from teeth and tonsils or other causes, is applied. Individuals of different build or physique with the same irritation ir-ritation or infection would not be as likely to develop an ulcer as these slender, nervous individuals. Quiet Life Essential. Thus when the ulcer patient consults con-sults his physician his own history and his family history is learned before the usual tests, including' X-rays, are made. "An attempt is made to prevent, besides cure, peptic ulcer (as stom- ach and intestinal ulcers are -called). Patients with an irritable stomach or family history of ulcer should be advised to live a 'sensible' 'sensi-ble' life and be placed on a mild ulcer regime or plan bland diet, regular meals, thorough chewing ol the food, a short rest (lying down) before meals, and a short rest after meals either sitting up or lying down on right side." This quietness or calmness of mind means less disturbance of the muscular walls of the stomach, less chance of irritation and ulcer formation. for-mation. The avoidance of all infection infec-tion from teeth, tonsils, sinuses or elsewhere, may also prevent the formation or reappearance of ulcer. Tests for Diabetes. One of the best bits of work our insurance companies are doing is the free annual examination of their policy holders. One of the tests regularly made is for sugar in the urine, which, if present is a sign of diabetes in two of every three cases. If there is really no sign of diabetes present pres-ent drinking a great amount of water, wa-ter, and passing a great amount of urine it can readily be seen that an early diabetic would not likely have discovered that he had diabetes dia-betes had not the urine been tested by the insurance examiner. Many factors have been suggested suggest-ed as entering into the cause of diabetes. Heredity, overweight hardening of the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis), (ar-teriosclerosis), gall bladder disease, nervous strain, disease of the pituitary pitui-tary gland which lies on the floor of the skull, thyroid gland disease, and other conditions have been examined. ex-amined. Men and women should have the urine tested once or twice a year. Cutting down on starch foods should prevent overweight and the development devel-opment of diabetes in those who inherit in-herit the tendency toward it It should also do away with the need for insulin in early cases of diabetes. |