Show Your Health Cause o of Mans Man's Oldest Disease Arthritis Still Is Unknown By James W. W Barton MD M.D. Notwithstanding the fact that rheumatism arthritis is the oldest oldest oldest old old- est disease known cnown to man the thereal thereal real cause remains remains re- re f. f mains unknown cnown t rl h ht although m most o 0 s t arthritis specialists special- special believe there there J J Jis is some specific t I J. J r or special cause 1 s sI I have spoken before of a specialist specialist in charge r of the arthritis clinic of a large A Abel city hospital who bel believes i eve s that Dr Barton some infection caused by a tiny organism a virus is the cause of all cases of arthritis and also of another specialist in charge of a large military hospital arthritis clinic who believes that only a certain kind or type of arthritis is caused by Infection In four attacks of arthritis from which I have personally suffered three were caused by infection teeth and amI tonsils and one by injury The removal of the infected teeth and tonsils and wearing a brace for four years cleared up all attacks and none has occurred in the past 20 years yeats Specialists Disagree Although one of the commonest infective organisms the streptococcus streptococcus streptococcus is present in many cases of arthritis in joints and in the tissues surrounding the joints arthritis specialists are not agreed that this particular organism is the first or primary cause Thus Dr Mervyn Gordon St. St Bartholo Bartholo- I mews hospital London England i in the thc Lancet states that while the effects of the arthritis cause definite changes in the tissues the actual cause and how it attacks attacks at at- tacks still remain unknown Because the ordinary organisms causing infection are not always present during an attack of arthritis Dr Gordon and others believe that a virus which is much smaller than the streptococcus and other organisms often is the cause of arthritis Because a virus is not visible isible by the ordinary microscope microscope microscope micro micro- scope scope and is able to push itself through the walls of a porcelain vessel it has been very difficult to show it as a cause of arthritis Good Insurance However by the use of vaccines made from elementary bodies containing viruses which helped to fight attacks of arthritis specialists specialists specialists believe that a virus is almost certainly the chief infective agent in rheumatic fever the dangerous type of rheumatism So preventing preventing- and removing m infection ice ice- tion teeth tion-teeth teeth gums tonsils sinuses gall ball bladder bladder is is good insurance against rheumatism Chronic Rheumatism and Arthritis Sufferers from chronic rheumatism rheumatism and arthritis will find many helpful suggestions as to diet heat massage and other aids in Dr Bartons Barton's booklet entitled Chronic and Arth Arth- To obtain it just send lOc and a stamp to cover cost of handling and mailing to The Bell Syndicate in care of The Thc Salt L Lake lc Tribune-Telegram Tribune Home Service Bureau Salt Lake City 10 Utah and ask for or your copy |