Show 9 HEAL HEALTH TH SUPERSTITIONS SUPERSTITIONS-NO NO 7 WHISKY FOR SNAKE BITE 44 4 44 Old Idea Is Symbolic Magic Based on on- on Belief Liquor p WillA Will Produce Vision That Will Nullify Effects of Bite A A v I By DR MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Medical Association and of Hygeia Hygeia Hygeia Hy- Hy geia the Health Magazine The belief bellet that drinking two quarts of ot whisky will cure snake snakebite bite Is probably symbolical magic based on the Idea that the whisky Will produce the thC vision or of snakes and ana na that the vision will remove the effects of the bite The treatment o of snake bite In 11 inthis this his manner would have the ad advantage advantage advantage ad- ad vantage o of putting the person into a sufficiently Unconscious Stale to permit dissection of f the point at which the snakes snake's fangs penetrated and the application o of a tourniquet et etto to o pr prevent vent diffusion o of the poison polson throughout the body ody MODERN TREATMENT Modern medicine does not call callor for or the use of whisky y In the treatment treatment treatment treat treat- ment of snake bite In the m modern modern mod mod- ern various s. antiseptic substances nc s are are re applied directly to the he snake bite bae Including for example ex cx- ample mple solutions of if potassium permanganate per per- which has thi tilE the power powe of oxidizing and md rendering cus cus any of the snake v venom nom noni that it t may reach reach- It includes includes' also the Injection n nto Into the body of antivenins ins ins' insor or Poo substances prepared by Immunization tion o of animals against snake poison These substances have v the power of opposing the snake Poison in the body The Tho change chane represents transition transition transi transi- tion from empirical and symbolIcal symbolical symbolical symbol symbol- ical medicine of ot the pa past t to the highest type of ot modern specific scientific medicine The belief bellef t that at It Is dangerous to eat fish and celery at the same meal is one of th th popular food combination ideas ideS others being that It is dangerous to eat lobster lob lobster ster stel and cream creem strawberries and cream proteins and carbohydrates carbo carbo- hydrates hydrate pickles picklE's and peaches and indeed all aU sorts of other corn corn- bit tI nS according to individual notions The actual facts of the matter are that in the human stomach and andIn andin andin in the tle intestinal inte tracts food sub- sub are submitted very promptly prompt prompt- ly to the action of digestive ferments ferments fer fer- fer- fer ments meats and combinations are not much harder haider to digest than Individual in individual individual In- In substances substance BREAKING UP FIBERS In order for the substance to tobe tobe tobe be digested it must be thoroughly macerated so that the fibers will willbe willbe be broken up and so that the tho gastric and intestinal Juices will willbe willbe willbe be able to gain access to all aU portions portions por per of the food substances For this reason hard cheese and c celery lery should be be thoroughly chewed since cheese contains fat and it Is difficult for the Juices to to br break braak al through the fat layer and since celery contains a good deal de of fiber which may form forman an indigestible residue S Much of what is said by food fanatics relative to combinations o of protein and carbohydrates Is fallacy without any basis In study l I |