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Show Released by Western Newspaper Union. DEMENTIA PRECOX The difference between the patient' who has dementia precox (schizophrenia) (schizo-phrenia) and a normal individual is that the normal individual is a part of everyday life in m.-i.vm school, the home and r ":SS the outside world af- ' fairs. The dementia precox individual on e other nand. V J ' whether he is natur-i natur-i ally breezy or quiet, X tJ f uves within himself I t and is satisfied with S. fi and believes that his t way of life is the Lb. jWJ right way. Dr. Barton The 1uiet or sensi" tive type is serious, shy, easily embarrassed and without with-out a sense of humor. In school or college he never takes part in "rough games." He may take refuge ref-uge in books instead of the companionship compan-ionship of others. Dementia precox seems to run in some families. Early symptoms are changes in the emotions and behavior, the patient pa-tient gradually losing interest in the things that formerly interested him. Then may follow a loss of interest in family and friends, after which silly talk or laughter may occur. There is lack of concentration and the patient jumps from one subject to another without a stop. In one case there will be delusions, delu-sions, in another hallucinations of hearing and of sight may be present. pres-ent. In the treatment of dementia precox, pre-cox, patients not helped by the usual methods were often helped by treatment treat-ment with insulin shock. Then followed fol-lowed treatment by metrazol shock, and, just a little later, electric shock. As some physicians have been losing los-ing interest in the insulin shock method, it might be well to study the results of insulin shock in 45 cases of dementia precox of various forms reported in Argentine Review of Neurology and Psychiatry, by Dr. A. P. Quaranta. There were 16 cases in which the symptoms had been present for six months or less, one year or less in 12 cases, and more than a year and a half in 17 cases. Of the entire number of cases in the three groups, 17 were cured. Of the first group (had disease less than six months), 10 of 17 were cured, three out of 12 in second group (had disease less than a year) and four of 17 of the third group (had disease more than a year and a half). The lessons we learn from the above are, (a) insulin shock cures many cases of dementia precox, (b) the earlier the insulin shock treatment treat-ment is given after the symptoms appear, the better are the chances of a cure. Food Essentials For Growing Child Some of the older men and women wom-en must look with astonishment at the increasing variety of medical specialists. In their youth a physician physi-cian took care of the needs of his patients, even doing much of his own surgery unless it was surgery of the brain, the thyroid gland, or some other special organ. There were neurologists nerve specialists in those days but no psychiatrists (behavior specialists). Later came baby specialists pediatricians, gland specialists endocrinologists, then allergists (finding special substance sub-stance causing hay fever, asthma, stomach upsetments) and lately geriatricians who treat the special ailments of elderly people. Physicians have been apt to think little about children 5 to 15 years of age for statistics show that there is less sickness at this age than at any other period of years of life. However, How-ever, physicians are finding that many boys and girls of this age, despite de-spite the fact that they are taller than their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, are not as rugged rug-ged as they should be despite the increase in-crease in height. Why? Dr. Philip C. Jeans, Iowa City, in the Journal of the American Medical Association states, "We have done reasonably well in nutrition nutri-tion for our babies but not so well for children past infancy. We have not learned ourselves, nor taught parents, the proper nutrition to prevent pre-vent dental decay." That three food essentials are not being given to children in sufficient quantities may account for increase in the strength of body not being in proportion to the increase in height These three essentials are (a) vitamin vita-min D, (b) proteins meat, eggs and fish, and (c) calcium or lime. QUESTION BOX Q. Why, after retiring, would I have cramps in my toes and feet? A. Cramps in toes could be due to poor circulation, some low infection, some change in blood pressure, lack of lime in system and other causes. Q. Does tea contain caffeine? If so, how much per cup? A. The average cup of tea or coffee cof-fee contains about two grains, more or less, of caffeine. If nsed to tea and coffee this much should do no harm. |