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JUNE 1973/50
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NATIONAL HEALTH JOURNA
Sunshine and You, Dear
Exercise: How to Begin
Is Soft Water Harmful?
Red Bird's Revenge
t
by E E_ CLEVELAND
D.
Dr. Cleveland, an internationally known pastor, lecturer,
and writer, has filled a longrecognized need in preparing
this dynamic book for today's
readers. He has reflected in
this exceptional volume the
deep longing of the human
heart for freedom and equality,
and emphasizes the still deeper
yearning for meaning and purpose in life. The author presents Christ and the Bible as
providing the only valid and
effective answer to these Godgiven desires of the human
heart. Beautifully illustrated
throughout in full color.
r
FRE E
Al
41
k Ik 1
Please supply
me with additional
information on
FREE AT LAST
Absolutely No Obligation
Street
City
State
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Zip
Mail
today to
Review and Herald
Publishing Association
Dept. L&H
6856 Eastern Ave., NW.
Washington, D.C. 20012
June, 1973
LIFE AND
HEALTH
NATIONAL HEALTH JOURNAL
89th Year of Publication
Volume 88, No. 6
FEATURES
Vacation 8
Mervyn G. Hardinge, M.D.
Some ideas to make that
vacation a memorable one.
Exercise: How to Begin 10
By Staff
Serious about getting
started? Here's how.
Is Soft Water Harmful? 12
Allan R. Magie, Ph.D.
An association
between some drinking water
and heart disease.
10
Red Bird's Revenge 15
Virchel E. Wood, M.D.
Another curse as a result
of drug usage.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul 17
Drugs and athletics.
15
Breadlove Story 18
Robert E. Romanelli
This story is guaranteed to
activate your taste buds.
23
Good Health the Hard Way 22
Marvin Green
Louise Price Bell
A chance to learn from someone
else's mistakes.
Sunshine and You, Dear 23
G. H. Hoehn, M.D.
Read this before you dash off
to get that summer tan.
DEPARTMENTS
4
Letters
Health High Lights
6
Your Health Questions 9
Your Wonderful Body 27
—The White Blood Cell
House Call 28
—The Ancient Complaint
Food of the Month 30
Children's Corner 34
—Denty Molar's Story
STAFF
12
Mervyn G. Hardinge, M.D., Dr. P.H.,
Ph.D.
Editor
Don Hawley
Managing Editor
Harold W. Munson
Art Editor
Don Flo!
Layout and Design
Lorene Forquer
Editorial Secretary
Richard Kaiser
Braille Life and Health Editor
Edmund M. Peterson
Circulation Manager
Joel Hass
Field Representative and Advertising
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE HO ME HEALTH EDUCATION SERVICE
Life and Health/June 1973
3
letters
Readers may address their correspondence to The Editor. LIFE
AND HEALTH, 6856 Eastern
Avenue NW., Washington, D.C.
20012.
Old keys a danger
li I
Get a
health checkup.
Find out
the lump
in your throat
is only emotion.
It's generally agreed that
one of the best things you can
do to keep yourself in good
health is to have a regular
health checkup.
The reason's simple. Cancer
—if detected early enough—
can often be cured. So even if
your regular checkup does
reveal a problem, in a way it's
a good thing. You've probably
caught it early enough to do
something about it.
But the fact is, your checkup
probably won't reveal anything
serious. Most people who have
regular checkups discover
they're in pretty good health.
So have a checkup. Now.
And regularly. Find out you're
in better shape than you think
you are.
It's a nice feeling.
We want to wipe out
cancer in your lifetime.
Give to the American
Cancer Society.
Life and Health/June 1973
4
In your December issue of Life and
Health, page 15, I noticed it was suggested that old keys be given to children to play with. I used to think so too
until one day when I was allowing my
small grandson to play with some keys
and a little later found him trying to fit
one into an electrical outlet. We never
permitted him to have keys to play with
after that.
Later I heard of a child not far from
here who was not that fortunate. It cost
him his life. I was glad to see the warning on page 12 of the same issue telling
of the danger a balloon can pose. Just
about a mile from me, one Christmas
Eve, a child playing with a balloon
sucked it down his windpipe and died
as the result.
Many times we do not know how dangerous some of these little objects can
be until we hear of some tragedy that
has resulted from allowing a child to
play with them.
I thought your article beginning on page
10 was very good, and of course all
the other articles. I try to read them all.
Mrs. Pearl Arthur
Bloomfield, Indiana
son (Life and Health, March, 1973) is
that when the head of a suspected
rabid animal is removed, the person(s)
undertaking that unpleasant chore
should avoid allowing the blood or saliva to come into contact with the skin.
Our health department tells us the
rabies virus could also enter the system that way if there are any breaks in
the skin.
Here in Idaho, at least, there is no
charge if you take the head of a suspected rabid animal in for checking.
Three years ago we had a suspected
(fortunately unfounded) rabid dog that
had been in contact with our three preschoolers and that could have licked
their scratches at any time before its
peculiar behavior was noted. It even
could have bitten them lightly without
our knowing it since they could not
talk well yet. We took the head, on ice,
to the Kootenai County Health Unit.
They flew it to the other end of the
State, Boise, where it was tested and
the results were returned to our family
doctor. Fortunately they were negative,
so our minds were put at ease and at no
cost to us.
Mrs. James E. Porter
Spirit Lake, Idaho
Checking for rabies
A point not mentioned in your article,
"Animal Madness Disease," by John-
A beautiful strawberry
Since all of our magazines are late I
Photograph and Art Credits. Cover, courtesy of Today's Food; pp. 6, 7, 23, Elfred Lee; p. 10, J. Byron Logan; pp. 12, 14,
H. A. Roberts; pp. 15, 16, Thomas J. Zirkle, M.D.; p. 17, Don Sterling; p. 19, Frank J. Miller; p. 21, Harold A. Lambert; p. 22,
Sidney Cleveland; p. 25, Frederic Lewis; p. 26, Moody Institute of Science; p. 27, American Red Cross; p. 29, Review Pictures; p. 34, Thomas Dunbebin.
OBJECTIVE: A family magazine featuring reliable health information. The official journal of the Home Health Education Service.
MANUSCRIPTS: LIFE AND HEALTH gives consideration to unsolicited manuscripts provided they meet certain requirements.
Submissions can be up to eight double-spaced typewritten pages; brevity is encouraged. Articles should be health oriented,
properly researched, and written in an interesting style for nonprofessionals. Emphasis is,on prevention. Only those articles
accompanied by a self-addressed and stamped reply envelope are returned.
ADVERTISING: LIFE AND HEALTH accepts a limited amount of advertising, which must be compatible with the aims and objectives of the journal. Readers understand that products or services advertised are bought entirely at the purchaser's responsibility
CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send to LIFE AND HEALTH, Circulation Department, 6856 Eastern Avenue NW., Washington, D.C.
20012. at least 30 days before date of the issue with which it is to take effect. When writing about your subscription or changing
your address, please enclose the address clipped from your copy or from a wrapper in which you received the magazine.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: U.S. Currency, U.S. and U.S. possessions, 1 year, $6.00. Slightly higher in Canada. Single copy,
50 cents, U.S A
LIFE AND HEALTH is published monthly and copyrighted
1973 by the Review and Herald Publishing Association. 6856
Eastern Avenue NW., Washington, D.C. 20012. Second-class postage paid at Washington, D.C. Vol. 88, No. 6. All rights reserved Title registered in U.S.Patent Office
am just now reading "Enough Is
Enough" in the November issue. Thank
you for the thought, "A beautiful strawberry is still a strawberry full of good
things for the human body."
Hazel Friend
Kailua, Hawaii
All hospitals aren't that bad!
Finding thirty or forty pleasant people in
one's everyday living isn't always easy,
but from the lady who filled out my admission forms to the gentleman who
checked me out, my recent stay at a
very fine Adventist hospital was a joy.
Surprises ranged from the young and
considerate Vietnam veterans—nurse's
aides they were, training for medicine—
who daily inspired and encouraged me
with their confidence in my physician,
to my larger-than-average bedroom and
picture window overlooking trees and
foothills.
The hot washcloth offered me early
each morning by the smiling young
nurse who was always cheerful; my
tasty, hot meals, so promptly served;
my dedicated, Christian surgeon, who
took his own precious time to explain
in detail enough about the operation
procedures to put me fully at ease—all
these good things, and more, convinced
me that I had enjoyed a far different
hospital experience than had Bertha
Kerr, who in the July issue of Life and
Health expressed her disappointment
with hospitals. I feel like kindly offering
her my opinion: "Bertha, all hospitals
aren't that bad!"
Orville A. Renkel
Los Angeles, California
windy conditions at near-freezing
temperatures. However, it did seem a
little out of date in a couple of respects.
In particular, it did not mention the
prison camp experiments carried out
by the Germans during World War II.
These showed that while fast warming
(e.g., placing the patient in a hot bath)
and slow warming (e.g., in a sleeping
bag) are both effective, an intermediate
rate of warming (e.g., in front of a fire,
or in a warm room) initially promotes
circulation of the cold blood near the
surface to the core, further cooling it.
Many deaths following rescue have
been attributed to this effect.
Although, as the article says, wool has
better wet warmth than most materials
available today, garments of special
synthetic "fiber pile" materials reputedly retain a much greater fraction
of their warmth when wet than wool
does.
One thing I found particularly frustrating
was that you did not identify the peak
in that magnificent cover photo. It looks
a bit like Patagonia.
John Atkinson
Sydney, New South Wales
Please send another copy of the January issue of Life and Health. I especially appreciated the article "Hypothermia: Killer of the Unprepared!"
There are articles all along that I can
use in helping our youth to understand
more fully the principles underlying
good health. It helps me too!
Dave Seibert
Castle Valley Institute
Moab, Utah
Alcohol—a legalized drug
Hypothermia
I found the article on hypothermia in
the January issue very interesting and
informative. It placed proper emphasis
on its insidious and sudden onset and
the difficulty of diagnosing it in oneself,
and on the particular danger of wet
Having read the guest editorial by Dr.
Marjorie Baldwin in Life and Health
(January, 1973) I am rather appalled.
Dr. Baldwin carefully refutes each part
of the Wine Institute's presentation. She
does so very scientifically and cannot
be faulted for it.
The serious and glaring deficiency in
her editorial is that she does not even
mention the term alcoholism. She fails
to note that there are those, 9 million
or so, who contract the disease of alcoholism as recognized by the AMA.
She might have mentioned "addiction"
instead of "slavery." She only confused
the issue by discussing the possibility
of promoting "peach pit use" instead
of alcohol. The two substances are
really quite different.
Dr. Baldwin might also have commented on the insidiousness of the
family aspect of the alcohol disease,
one which seriously affects another
36 million people or so. She could
have pointed out that half of the family
members are children and young people whose lives are so disturbed that
the effects may never disappear and
may lead them into repeating the same
behavior and attitudes they have
watched and experienced.
We are highly concerned about drug
use, abuse, and addiction in our country. Let us do all we can to recognize
alcohol for what it is—a legalized drug.
Then let us get on with the business of
how to deal with alcohol use and the
problems it raises for a quarter of our
population. An article more like "Unbottled Poison" by Ruth J. Buntain
(same issue) would be more like it.
Philip H. Person, Jr.
Rockville, Maryland
• We agree.
Worth reading
The article by Dr. Parrett, "You and
Your Garden," in your March issue was
the best I've read in a year. It is worth
reading and rereading, which I did and
then cut it out and put it in my scrapbook
for future reading. I wish you would
have something similar to it every
Nellie Taylor
month.
Angwin, California
Life and Health/June 1973
5
News items from the
fascinating world of health.
Good-by to poison ivy
oison ivy and poison oak plants
grow in abundance in almost every
part of the United States. Each year
these attractive-looking vines and
shrubs cause nearly 2 million cases of
skin poisoning serious enough to require either medical attention or at least
one day of restricted activity, or both. It
is estimated that skin inflammations
caused by plants are responsible annually for 3,730,000 days of restricted
activity, half a million days spent in bed,
and the loss of 333,000 days of work.
Although active, roaming youngsters
are the most frequent victims, no age
group and few individuals are immune.
P
from back yards, gardens, playgrounds,
and other recreational areas. Chemical
weed killers called herbicides offer the
easiest and safest method of control.
Those containing 2, 4-D, amitrole, silvex (WARNING—do not use where ivy
grows on trees as they may be damaged or killed) or ammonium sulfamate
(WARNING—can injure or kill a wide
variety of woody plants) are the most
effective. Spraying should be done
when there is little or no air movement,
preferably in early morning or late afternoon when the air is cool and moist.
Plants take several weeks to die and
normally two or more applications are
needed to completely kill a stand. When
using herbicide spray, follow directions
on the label and observe all precautions for safe handling, use, and storage.
3 Leaves Mean Poison Ivy. U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Office of Information, PA-839,
Slightly Revised, July, 1971.
A bad combination
combination of small amounts of
carbon monoxide and alcohol (the
equivalent of a double martini) produced
a "dramatic decrease" in driving ability,
according to studies conducted at the
Department of Environmental Medicine
at Milwaukee.
A
To identify and to eliminate are the
keys to poison plant control. Poison ivy
and oak plants grow in the form of
woody vines attached to trees or objects for support, trailing shrubs mostly
on the ground, or erect woody shrubs
entirely without support. They may
flourish in the deep woods or on the
most exposed hillsides. Plants are most
frequently abundant along old fence
rows and edges of paths and roadways.
Although they grow in a variety of sizes
and shapes and colors, poison ivy and
oak leaves always occur in groups of
three.
June and July are the best months to
eliminate all poison ivy and oak plants
Life and Health/June 1973
6
CO's effect on drivers studied. Am. Med.
News 15:11, October 16, 1972.
What's black and white and . . .
hat's black and white and rabid?
And is able to make an entire
neighborhood gasp for air with a flick of
its high-held tail? You've guessed it! A
skunk with rabies! Chances are that the
particular skunk trotting across the farther reaches of your back yard does not
have rabies. But it is worth noting that
64 per cent of all laboratory verified ra-
W
bies cases in the U.S. occurred in
skunks. No other animal, domestic or
wild, came anywhere near that high
percentage.
Rabies, a disease that destroys the
nervous system, is usually fatal and is
highly contagious. As the number of
rabid wild animals increases in a particular locality, the number of domestic
animals with rabies also increases in
that area. It is clear that the wild animals
infect the domestic ones.
Of the total 4,392 cases of rabies in
the U.S. and its territories in 1971, 46
per cent were in skunks, 15 per cent in
foxes, 11 per cent in bats, 9 per cent in
cattle, and the remainder in dogs, cats,
raccoons, horses, mules, goats, pigs,
sheep, and guinea pigs.
Rabies—United States, 1971. J.A.V.M.A.
161:212, 1972.
A common Infection in women
rinary-tract infections in women are
exceedingly common—more than
27 million women in the U.S.A. have had
this problem. Three weeks or less of
antibiotic treatment by a physician cures
most sufferers. But many who go swimming or take baths after treatment become infected all over again. The answer? Take showers—not baths!
Robert S. Gould. The cure of recurrent cystitis. J.A.M.A. 221:304-305, July 17, 1972.
Eggshell not best for the diet
A
lthough some people have wondered whether eggshell would
provide them with minerals and vitamins, ground-up eggshell, raw or
cooked, is not recommended as the
best item of the diet. A mixture of various calcium salts, ground eggshell may
be absorbed by the body—but only as
much as 20 to 25 per cent. It would be
better in the long run to provide your
body with calcium from a variety of other
foods.
F. J. Stare, M.D. Asking the tough questions.
Los Angeles Times, March 9, 1972, Part
VI, p. 4.
Preventing the drug problem
ecently a young man jumped to his
death after smoking marijuana.
The cigarettes were analyzed and found
to contain an unadulterated grade of
marijuana. But the paper was adulterated with LSD (lysergic acid diethlamide).
This tragic incident points up a growing problem in the treatment of adverse
drug effects. Street marijuana, which is
considered by many to be relatively
harmless, frequently includes other materials such as a powerful hallucinogen (dimethyltryptamine), opium, and
LSD. Street LSD may contain strych-
R
nine, atropine, and other dangerous
substances. Some drug users who fear
the genetic effects of LSD choose mescaline, another hallucinogen, not knowing that much street mescaline contains
LSD.
It is therefore most important that
physicians and other medical personnel
be well informed on the drug scene.
Since some drug mixtures are dangerous and even lethal, great care
should be exercised in giving medications to those who are suffering from
drug effects. If at all possible, the patient should be treated without drugs. A
knowledgeable therapist may be able
"to talk him down" from a "bad trip."
The best approach to the drug abuse
problem would be a program of preventive education. Studies show that the
medical profession is better accepted
by young people in connection with
drug education than is any other part of
the "Establishment." It is therefore important for the medical world to become involved in solving this vital health
problem.
ally are not made up at other meals. A
nourishing breakfast is a must! Its omission may contribute to fatigue and
even to unstable emotions.
Does your youngster have regular
and ample time for his meals? Does the
dinner menu take into consideration the
kind of food eaten for the school lunch?
Has your child fallen into the habit—
especially at school—of filling up with
candy, soda, pastries, and desserts,
thus decreasing or omitting more nourishing foods? Growing children need
protein, vitamins, and minerals selected
from all the four basic food groups, as
well as sufficient calories.
What—or who—influences your
child's eating habits?
F. J. Stare, M.D. Adults influence child's eating habits. Los Angeles Times, Part VI, Feb ruary 17, 1972, p. 18.
Edward A. Wolfsen and Donald B. Louria.
Prevention of drug abuse. Postgrad. Med.
51:163-167, January, 1972.
What Influences your child's
eating habits?
arents, is your elementary school
youngster getting adequate food
for his active life? If he gives evidence
of fatigue, check these possible causes:
Does he refuse certain foods? It may
be their strong flavor that turns him
off—or perhaps their texture feels
"funny" to his mouth. Fresh vegetables
and fruits may not look attractive to him
or may not be easy to eat. Or he may
be imitating another member of the family!
Is he skimping or omitting breakfast?
Nutrients missed at breakfast gener-
P
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&IF
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• • •
Did you know that adolescent boys
are generally more well nourished than
are adolescent girls?
F. J. Stare, M.D. Adolescent appetites soar.
Los Angeles Times, Part VI, Feb. 24,
1972, p. 5.
Life and Health/June 1973
7
editorial
.viewpoint
E That magic word conjures up
visions of family togetherness at
the beach, beside a lake or river, in
the mountains, or even in the desert when it blooms "like a rose"
in early spring. Vacations have to
do with walking, hiking, climbing,
swimming, rock hunting, botanizing, insect collecting, or just relaxing in the shade of a friendly
tree or in the sun between trees.
Some prefer to make their vacation a trip to see many places of
interest and beauty while they visit
relatives and friends along the
way, and maybe spend a week at
the ranch with grandpa and
grandma.
A change of routine
Whatever your plan, your vacation should be a respite from the
routine tenor of whatever occupies
your attention most of the year.
Doing something different from the
normal year-round activities is
generally considered beneficial.
Out-of-the-ordinary interests and
enjoyments have been shown to
give a person a feeling of renewal
and well-being.' This was the finding of the Atomic Energy Commission at the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory in Tennessee. As you
might guess, workers reported the
greatest benefits from vacations
that were free of tension, that did
not require too much driving, that
allowed time for more sleep than
usual, and that included some interesting activities. Two consecutive weeks gave more benefit than
two weeks taken one at a time.
On the other hand, of those who
did considerable driving during
their vacation period, half reported feeling improved in health,
more than one third saw no
change, while 14 per cent were
more tired than when they started.
Life and Health/June 1973
8
Vacation
A little planning can make the difference between
an ordinary vacation and an unforgettable one.
Those who were unable to leave
their tensions and worries behind
were also cheated out of much of
the benefit they should have experienced.
with the hurry tension that starts a
trip with irritation. Gather your
family together and decide where,
when, and how you can all have
the greatest enjoyment and bring
back the happiest memories and
the most interesting things to talk
about for months to come.
Should you wish to go on vacation and find that you don't know
where to go or how to get ready for
it, you can get information by
writing the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402,
for a list of government publications about national parks, camping and fishing areas, trails, monuments, and so forth. The list is
free, but the publications cost a little. You can also purchase guidebooks. Travel folders, brochures,
and other material that will give
you ideas can be picked up at bus
and railway stations. Auto clubs
provide maps and counsel to
members. And don't forget your
vacation-experienced friend or
neighbor. He will love to show
you his pictures and tell you the
good and the bad as he found it.
Remember, too, that your children
may have picked up ideas that will
be both bright and practical. Whatever information you can collect
will have to be sifted and sorted to
suit your personal need.
Don't overdo a good thing
But you don't have to drive to
get tired. You can wear yourself
out flying just as readily, or even
more so, if you cross many time
zones and repeatedly disturb your
biological rhythm clock. Imagine
now, that friends of yours, Tom
and Ruth in Denver, decide to take
their two weeks' vacation seeing a
bit of the world. Their first stop is
New York. They take a Staten Island ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and visit the Empire State
Building and then see as many
more sights as their tight schedule
permits.
Just in the nick of time they manage to catch the overnight flight to
Frankfurt. There they rent a car for
a trip to Berlin and, of course, the
Wall. That done, they race around
through Holland and France, hop
over to London to see a bit of England and Scotland. Finally, they
take off from Glasgow to return to
New York and back home to Denver. A thrilling two weeks, to be
sure, but it will take more than
two weeks to rest up from their
frantic vacation trip. Even their
biological rhythms will need a litVacationing at home
tle time to get back to normal.2
Of course, one does not have to
Good planning counts
leave home to enjoy a vacation, alThe best insurance for a vacation though if you live in a close neighthat is relaxing and really makes borhood, getting away is usually
one better fit to return to work is more refreshing than staying
good planning that begins well in home. However, many a family
advance of the event. A vacation gets together on a home project of
of fun and relaxation must be free common interest to its members.
of undue financial strain. Early There can be much satisfaction and
planning can negotiate many a fun, learning and laughter, in renhigh hurdle. It will also do away ovating your house or adding on a
your
health
questions
answered
Here are plain answers to some of
your health questions.
Send your inquiries to. Your Health Questions Answered,
LIFE AND HEALTH. 6856 Eastern Avenue NW Washington. D C 20012 Please enclose stamped, addressed envelope for your reply Names will be withheld on request.
room to more comfortably contain
everyone and his belongings.
Perhaps you can "get away"
a bit by taking mini-vacations over
long weekends. It is amazing how
many places of absorbing interest
there may be within a few hours'
or a day's drive from your home—
places you had missed on your
longer trips. Local history can be
as interesting as faraway places,
and perhaps more relevant.
The prime purpose of an employer-paid vacation is to make
you happy and bring you back to
your job improved in body, mind,
and spirit. The difference between
a vacation that will accomplish
this and one that will fail may
hinge on whether you planned
ahead and decided what you
wanted to do and when, or whether
you left that decision for the last
minute. May your vacation this
year prove to be the best you ever
M. ... 0.
had. ❑
REFERENCES
'Mary D. Owen. The contributions of vacations to employee health. Indust. Med.
19:190,1950.
2 G. F. Catlett. Circadian dysrhythmia: A
jet-age malady. Mod. Med. 38:37, 1970.
Did you know . . .
Did you know that washing down hot
food with cold drinks could cause the
formation of microscopic cracks in the
surfaces of the teeth?
Fast temperature changes can damage
teeth. Health Services Reports 87:520, JuneJuly, 1972.
Did you know that broccoli leaves
are much higher in vitamin A than are
the stalks or flower buds?
Conserving the nutritive values in foods
(U.S. Dept. Agriculture home and garden
bulletin 90), p. 4.
Rapid heartbeat
Q. Please advise the proper procedure for me to follow, as an electrocardiogram indicates my heart rate is rapid.
I've been given tranquilizers to take
three times a day, but family pressures
keep aggravating the condition. I am
44 years old. M.T.B., New Jersey.
A. From your inquiry it sounds as if
you have a condition called tachycardia.
This simply means that the action of
your heart is rapid. There are many reasons for having a rapid heart rate, such
as an overactive thyroid, certain nutritional deficiencies, and a relatively rare
condition called arteriovenous fistula
(an abnormal connection between an
artery and a vein). Other diagnoses
could be mentioned. It is not possible
for us to tell why your heart rate is rapid.
Your personal physician knows best
concerning the presence or absence of
these conditions.
One of the commonest kinds of rapid
heart action relates to the stresses and
tensions of life. The medication you
have been given would indicate that
your physician feels that stress may be
playing a role here. We would surely
recommend that you work closely with
your physician toward coming to grips
with problems in your environment that
tend to be upsetting and to rob you of
tranquillity. Here at Life and Health we
believe that the greatest, most rewarding source of tranquillity is an abiding
faith in God. This, coupled with ample
quantities of outdoor exercise, relaxing
recreational pursuits, a wholesome
diet, ample quantities of water, and
sunshine, is essential for health and
happiness.
Getting colds at nursery school
Q. Our 3 1/2-year-old began nursery
school and has already had two colds—
as many as in her entire lifetime. Some
say it is better she be exposed to in-
fections now than at school age, while
others say by 6 or 7 years children have
more immunity and suggest she should
be withdrawn from school if she continues to be ill a lot. In light of today's
immunizations against the common
childhood diseases, what do you recommend? (Name withheld by request)
A. Colds are caused by viruses and
your little daughter has been extremely
fortunate if she has not had more of
them. Most children and adults have
fairly frequent colds. We know of no
method of preventing the common cold
other than, of course, to be dressed
adequately in cold weather, to eat an
adequate diet, and to live a happy,
wholesome life—factors which seem to
help keep up the resistance of the body
to disease.
We realize that advice is sometimes
given to expose children to common
diseases, but this philosophy is not always good.
Having any disease is not a normal
part of life. We believe that whenever
immunizations are available they should
be given to prevent disease.
With some diseases, the older a child
is when he contracts an infection, the
better off he is. This is not always true,
however. Mumps, which can now be
prevented by vaccination, is one of
those diseases which can be very serious in adulthood, especially in men,
for one of the possible complications
is an inflammation of the genitals. It
may also be serious in the few women
whose ovaries become infected.
A smile a day . . .
Our heart goes out to the fellow who,
after the Surgeon General's report, quit
smoking and began chewing toothpicks
instead. He has contracted Dutch Elm
disease.
Life and Health/June 1973
9
There is today an increased interest on the
part of many in obtaining and maintaining physical fitness.
The number one health
question of many of today's fitness-conscious
people is, How much
exercise can I do and
how much should I do
to keep fit?
ERC SE:
ti
HOW TO BEGIN
BY STAFF
I People of any age who have not
maintained a program of physical activity or whose work does not require
moderately heavy physical effort on a
regular basis are out of condition or
"deconditioned." Everyone over forty
should be evaluated by a physician.
Even younger persons, especially those
who smoke, or are overweight, or have
a family history of heart disease, or
haven't really exercised vigorously
since high school or college need a
checkup before beginning their reconditioning program. Simple tests
that the physician can do in his office
have been prepared by a committee of
experts.'
An excellent suggested fitness program for apparently healthy persons
appears in a recent report from the
Committee on Exercise and Physical
Fitness of the American Medical Association.' If you're a sedentary person
you should start slowly and gradually
toward the desired level of activity or
fitness. Walking is without doubt the
simplest, safest, and cheapest form of
exercise for all but a few. Begin by
walking at a comfortable speed and
then over a period of days increase
first your distance and then your speed,
keeping well within your own limits.
Usually the exercise should produce
only such fatigue as a few minutes of
rest will relieve. Walk briskly, an average block in two to three minutes.
Gradually increase the distance but
keep your speed the same. When you're
walking one or more miles (a mile in
twenty minutes), accelerate until you
can do a mile in fifteen minutes. Later
you may wish to start jogging.
When exercising with others, set
and keep your own pace. Remember,
exercise should not be competitive.
Don't force yourself to keep up with
the group; it may get you into difficulty.
Ordinary weariness is to be expected
and should not in itself be taken as a
sign to discontinue your exercise program. However, if unexpected symptoms such as pain under the breastbone, a feeling of pressure in the chest,
anxiety, headache, or dizziness develop, stop exercising. If they do not
promptly disappear, or if they recur
with slight exertion, seek a medical
evaluation before resuming exercise.
Sore muscles and aching joints early
in your exercise program are common
but unnecessary. They are due to exercising too much too soon. Slow
down, exercise less, or temporarily
stop exercising, but don't quit. Do not
use your feelings as an excuse to give
up your fitness program. Temporary
discomfort is a small price to pay for
good health and physical fitness. Joint
pains may be due to ill-fitting shoes.
Try a change of footwear.
The type of exercise is not important
as long as you enjoy it and it produces
a moderate increase in your pulse rate.
In a well-conditioned younger person,
an increase in pulse rate to 140-150
beats a minute will probably maintain
a satisfactory state of fitness. In older
persons the pulse rate should usually
be kept at a lower level. Walking, bicycling, jogging, swimming, and gardening are all good forms of exercise.
A daily exercise routine is ideal but
some prefer a workout on alternate
days. Don't push yourself to better a
previous day's performance. Improvement will come as a natural consequence of consistent exercise. If, on
occasion, you don't feel up to it, refrain from exercise that day, but beware
of using such an exception as a reason
for abandoning your program.
One of the most common reasons
for a fitness dropout is lack of motivation as the routine of exercise begins
to pall after a few days or weeks. Many
find more enjoyment in group activities such as those at the YMCA,
YWCA, and similar organizations. But
beware of the competitive spirit.
These suggestions are for the apparently healthy individual. They are designed to improve health and maintain
fitness, thus avoiding heart and blood
vessel (cardiovascular) disease. If you
have had heart or blood vessel disease,
select your program under the continuing supervision of your physician.
Action is a law of our being; adherence to the best program for you
will pay off handsomely. ❑
REFERENCES
' Committee Report. Is your patient fit? I.A.M.A. 201:117,
1967.
Committee on Exercise and Physical Fitness. Evaluation
of exercise participation./ A.M.A. 219:900, 1972.
Life and Health/June 1973
11
We are all dependent
on the life-giving
properties of water.
But some water may carry
a substance that is
actually harmful.
■ For the past fifteen years scientists
have noted an association between the
hardness of drinking water and coronary heart disease. In certain areas it
has been found that the softer the water, the higher the death rates from this
disease.
Hardness of water is caused primarily by its calcium and magnesium
content. Other metals do not usually
affect hardness. In this article we will
confine our discussion to the effects of
naturally soft or municipally-softened
water, and not to water softened by
home water softening units in which
calcium is replaced by sodium from
the recharging salt (the same as table
salt).
The Consumer Bulletin' of March,
1963, in an article entitled "Hard Water Is Best for Health," went so far as to
suggest that a person with a family
history of heart disease should consider
moving to a hard-water area. Not all
investigators agree with this viewpoint.
A 1971 discussion of the problem
questions whether soft water is not
being falsely accused.2 Many health
factors operate simultaneously in any
given area. May it not be that instead
of being the cause of heart disease risk,
soft water is merely an innocent associate of the real cause?
The simple presence of a factor in an
area where a certain disease is prevalent does not identify it as the cause.
Imagine charging an honest man with
burglary just because he lives in a locality where burglary is common! The
fact that he was found there did not
make him guilty. Likewise, a finding
that the number of washing machines
manufactured in the United States
parallels the death rates of certain types
of cancer does not make washing machines carcinogenic!
Take the diagram above for an example of cause and effect. Consider
C to be a box to which balls A and
B are attached. If box C is raised or
lowered, what happens to balls A and
B? Obviously they go up or down
because they are attached to box C and
not because they raise or lower it.
Investigations have shown that softwater drinking is associated with death
rates from conditions aggravated by
high blood pressure-cerebral hemorrhage in Japan,3 deaths from strokes
and heart attacks in the United States 4
and Great Britain,6 hypertensive (high
blood pressure) heart disease in the
United States,6 and deaths from degenerative diseases other than coronary in Sweden.' The major minerals
in drinking water are calcium and
magnesium. These have shown no
consistent relationship to death rates
from any of these diseases, either in
lowering or raising them. And there
is no firm evidence to link deaths from
heart and blood vessel disease to water softness.
What other elements in water might
be at fault? Concentrations of iron,
lead, molybdenum, and chromium
are similar in both hard and soft waters. Probably none of these minerals
are involved, although the lead content
of human ribs in Great Britain was
found to be higher in soft-water areas.8
Soft water contains more manganese
and aluminum than hard water, while
the latter has more boron, iodine,
fluorine, and silicon. No consistent
relationship has been found between
these elements and cardiovascular disease.
An obvious error in the search for
the harmful water-borne factor has
been the practice of checking water
supplies at the municipal source be-
fore being delivered through a piping
system to the consumer. Since water
may leach minerals out of pipe metals,
its composition could change greatly
from the time it leaves the municipal
pool to the time it is drawn from the
water faucet in homes and other places
of consumption.
Hard water coats pipes with a layer
of insoluble calcium salts, thus preventing corrosion. In some hard-water
areas, pipes have to be replaced because they become so clogged with
mineral deposits that water flow is
hindered. Soft water (and municipally
softened water), on the other hand, especially acidic surface water, is corrosive and may pick up significant quantities of various metals from pipes composing the water system.
Instead of soft water being a cause
of heart and blood vessel disease,
might it not be merely the solvent that
dissolves some harmful substance out
of the water pipes that carry it to the
households and drinking fountains?
Four recently uncovered clues point
that way:
Clue 1: Sudden deaths from heart attacks are more common in
soft- than in hard-water
areas.9
Clue 2: A common cause of sudden
death from heart attack is an
irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).
Clue 3: High blood pressure could
aggravate this irregularity.'°
Clue 4: Small amounts of the trace
mineral cadmium in drinking water have been shown
to produce high blood pressure in rats."
In other words, could the chain of
events be (a) habitual cadmium intake,
(b) blood pressure increase, (c) susLife and Health/June 1973
13
ceptability to irregularities of the heart
(arrhythmia), (d) sudden death from
heart attack?
Cadmium is a constant contaminant
of the metal zinc that is used to galvanize iron pipes. It can be dissolved
by soft and acidic surface water. This
can be seen by letting lemonade stand
in a galvanized container. Within a few
hours a color change can be seen on
the sides of the container when the
juice is poured out. Enough cadmium
can be dissolved under these conditions to cause cadmium poisoning.
Why has cadmium escaped suspicion so long?
The small amount of cadmium present in drinking water accumulates
over a period of time. It was not discovered in earlier studies because analytical tests were not sensitive enough to
detect its presence. Investigators expected to find multiple causes rather
than a single factor and so overlooked it.
In many areas of the United States
and Europe copper pipes are now being used in new buildings in place of
galvanized iron pipes. If cadmium is
in fact the elusive water factor related
to cardiovascular disease, then there
should follow a decrease in death rates
from this cause. The difference in the
incidence of heart attacks would then
tend to equalize between the hard- and
soft-water areas.
So, although there is not conclusive
evidence to prove cadmium guilty,
you might want to have your drinking
water checked for cadmium content, if
you have heart trouble. Some people
will benefit from using bottled water
for drinking and cooking. When the
facts are all in we may find that soft
water, free from all contaminants, is
better for your heart and the rest of
your body too. Meanwhile, a good
course to follow would be to drink
abundant amounts of the best water
you can get, for water is still the best
universal medicine. •
REFERENCES
' Anonymous. Hard water is best for health. Consumer
Bulletin. 2:27, 1963.
2
G. W. Comstock. Fatal arteriosclerotic heart disease.
water hardness at home, and socioeconomic characteristics. Am. I. Epidemiology. 94:1, 1971.
° J. Kobayashi. Geographical relationship between chemical nature of river water and death rate from apoplexy.
Ber. Ohara Inst. Landw.Biol.11:12,1997.
Life and Health/June 1973
14
° H. A. Schroeder. Relations between hardness of water
and death rates from certain chronic and degenerative
ness and death rates in cardiovascular diseases. Acta
med. scandinay. 178:239, 1965.
diseases in the United States. I. Chron. Dis. 12:586,
° M. D. Crawford and T. Crawford. Lead content of bones
1960.
° J. N. Morris, et al. Hardness of local water supplies and
in a soft and a hard water area. Lancet. 296:699, 1969.
° T. W. Anderson, et al. Sudden death and ischemic heart
mortality from cardiovascular disease in the County
disease: correlation with hardness of local water sup-
Boroughs of England and Wales. Lancet. 280:860,
ply. New England I. Med. 280:805.1969.
1961.
H. A. Schroeder. Relation between mortality from cardiovascular disease and treated water supplies.
I.A.M.A. 172:1902, 1960.
G. Biorck, et al. On the relationship between water hard-
'o H. A. Schroeder. The water factor. New England Med.
280:836,1969.
M. Kanisawa and H. A. Schroeder. Renal arteriolar sclerosis in hypertensive rats given cadmium in drinking
water. I. Exp. Molec. Path. 10:81, 1969.
The small amount of cadmium present in drinking water accumulates over a period of time.
REVENGE
By
VIRCHEL E. WOOD, M.D.
Pictures by
THOMAS J. ZIRKLE, M.D.
■ The loss of fingers resulting from
the injection of drugs into arteries (intra-arterial) is becoming a common
picture among young people. A 21year-old man, for example, inadvertently injected Seconal (a barbiturate)
into an artery instead of a vein, and
lost all his fingers on that hand.
In one hospital in Denver, Colorado,
there have been six similar cases over
the past two and a half years. Dr. R.
Hare, a surgeon in Los Angeles, has
himself seen thirty-four patients with
Life and Health/June 1973
15
Dr. Virchel E. Wood is chief of Hand
Service and assistant professor of
Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
at Loma Linda University Medical
Center, Loma Linda, California.
These pictures are not pretty, but then neither is drug abuse.
the same problem during the past four
years. When one realizes that an estimated 100 million Americans use some
form of mind-altering drugs, it is no
wonder that the incidence of losing
fingers has been on the rise.
Actually a variety of drugs have
caused this complication. Reports have
appeared in the medical literature of
similar cases involving heroin, amphetamines, barbiturates, or Darvon.
When mistakenly injected into an
artery in the arm these drugs go directly
to the hand in such concentrations that
they cause destruction of the inside
layer of the small vessels of the fingers.
The arterial injury looks similar to
charred or burned tissue. The result is
gangrene and subsequent loss of the
fingers.
Even more frightening is some of the
Life and Health/June 1973
16
recent evidence produced by Dr.
Allen E. Inglis, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, showing that
people who use LSD may lose their
fingers for yet another reason.* LSD
(lysergic acid diethylamide) is a vasoconstrictor producing such a degree
of closure of blood vessels that even a
very small scratch may result in infection and massive tissue destruction.
Eventually amputation of the finger
tips becomes necessary. Loss of blood
(ischemia) to the extremities is particularly evident in people who have
an unusual sensitivity to LSD. In addition, if the individual is an LSD user
and a heavy cigarette smoker, the
chance of gangrene is further increased
by the narrowing of the blood vessels in
the hand, owing to the combined effect
of LSD and absorbed nicotine. The re-
sulting blood loss to the extremities,
lack of oxygen, infection, and gangrene
may result in the loss of the whole
hand.
Red devils, Goofballs, Pink ladies,
Red birds, downers, or whatever you
want to call Seconal or the other barbiturates account for a steady 3,000
deaths a year in the United States. People who turn on with barbiturates find
themselves turned off with brain damage, mental deterioration, psychosis,
convulsions, insanity, or an overdose
death.
Loss of fingers is only a minor complication compared to death, but it is
a new seriously disabling curse from an
old red devil. ❑
REFERENCE
* Hosp. Trib., Monday, May 1, 1972, p. 3.
Robbing Peter
to Pay Paul in Athletics
■ An ergogenic aid is something that
tends to increase an individual's work
output. Ergogenic aids may be
physical and mechanical, nutri.:onal,
drug-related, and psychological. They
have been used in athletics by
coaches who like to get the most out
of their players, even though many
ergogenic aids are merely psychological
in their effect. The British call such
use of any chemical substance not
present normally in the body and
not essential to a healthy person's
competing in athletics doping! And
according to a ruling of the International
Amateur Athletic Federation,
athletics should make use of no
agents that stimulate muscle and
nerves, that dull the sense of fatigue,
or that form drug dependence.
Of the physical and mechanical
ergogenic aids, oxygen increases
work potential, but must be given
during the exercise period itself if
it is to maintain its effect. Even
though oxygen may offer some
psychological help, the best scientific
evidence shows that it is of very little
real value—oxygen cannot be stored
and the increased oxygen effect
cannot last longer than two or three
minutes unless the person can breathe
it all the time.
Science gives no evidence that
ultraviolet rays, "negative ionization,"
and massage increase physical
ability or strength, but there may
be a greater feeling of well-being
(purely psychological) as a result of
their use. The best ergogenic aids
to date are most forms of physical
exercise, which increase strength
and possible work capacity in a direct
relationship to the amount of hard,
demanding, and persistent work done.
Protein and amino acid supplements
have been used as nutritional
ergogenic aids, but most scientific
evidence shows that a well-balanced
diet will supply all of the protein
and essential amino acids needed
by any athlete. In fact, a diet
continually stressing high protein
may be bad, because a high protein
diet requires as much as 5 per cent
more oxygen to burn the food.
Digestion and metabolism of protein
cause increased formation of acid
waste products which must be
excreted by the kidneys. As for the
use of vitamin supplements for
ergogenic aids, they are generally
overrated.
Some have used wheat germ,
minerals, and honey for ergogenic
aids. Wheat germ as a source of
vitamin E is excellent, but it is not
known whether or not people
actually benefit from it, and adding
minerals to the diets of athletes will
have little or no effect on increasing
muscular performance in one who is
already in good condition, eating a
proper diet, and getting sufficient
water.
Most dangerous among ergogenic
aids are drugs. Those of the
amphetamine family—widely in use
among athletes—impair a person's
ability to solve the more difficult
problems arising in problem-solving
sports such as football and have a
bad effect on pulse and respiratory
recovery time as well.
Other drugs which have been used
as ergogenic aids include caffeine,
camphor, cocaine, tranquilizers,
strychnine, digitalis, nicotine,
nitroglycerin, alcohol, benzedrine,
nitrites, thyroid extract, adrenal
cortical drugs, insulin, and the
androgenic-anabolic steroids, these
latter drugs having caused liver
damage and other serious
complications in the body, increasing
weight by fluid retention but not
increasing muscle strength or
quickness. ❑
Donald L. Cooper, M.D. Ergogenic aids and
drugs in athletics. J. Am. College Health
Assoc. 20:375-377, June, 1972.
Life and Health/June 1973
17
Warning!
You read this article
at the risk of becoming
dissatisfied with your
present way of life.
Breedlove
story
ROBERT E. ROMANELLI
• The little goats were frolicking
in the meadow and just across the
road in a sunlit pasture, where horses
grazed peacefully, the children, their
faces bright with wonder, ran through
golden fields of hay to meet the goats
halfway down the path to the woods.
Autumn colors flooded the sky when
the wind blew flame-red leaves into
the air, tossing orange and rust, yellow
and pale-gold magic over the lush
green grass that sprang up everywhere
on both sides of the rocky road. The
woods, edging close to the path and
near to the old farmhouse in which I
was living, dropped evergreen needles
and pine cones on the earth and scattered treasures from the spruces and
the firs across our paths.
On the front porch, tall yellow-hazed
cornstalks crisscrossed over bright
pumpkins and gourds, while a nanny
goat pulled at the bale of hay set on
the stair. From the door hung Indian
corn in vivid fall shades, along with a
copper bell, and some scarlet bittersweet that vied for beauty with the
firethorn that receded into the woods
across the way.
But from the house's open windows
there floated into the air the nostalgic
fragrance of homemade bread, an oldfashioned smell of goodness and
wholesome delight. Memories warm
and sparkling flooded my mind, images of Christmas bread and Easter
bread, of pumpkin bread on Thanksgiving and cranberry bread on New
Year's Eve, holidays deepened by family ties and brotherly love, by visiting
grandparents and cousins, by warm
sunny days in June with honeynut
loaves cooling on the back porch in
the shade, raised high on racks, awaiting a birthday party.
Life and Health/June 1973
18
As I looked up to the mountains, the
slanting rays of the late afternoon sun
—for I had lain on the grass several
hours that peaceful day—reflected an
aura of deep pink washed in far distant snow-capped jagged ridges set
in graceful silhouette against the deepening purple of the sky. The clouds on
the horizon filled suddenly with the
warm radiance, flashed brilliant gold
and, then, with the onset of evening,
faded into blue-gray wisps. Now the
mountains that once were pink against
a bluish backdrop had reversed in hue,
gone blue against a veil of darkling
pink, and then were seen no more as
the silent shades of night fell over the
hills and forest of northern Georgia.
I walked quietly back to the farmhouse. Inside, Emily and Bern, the
friends I had come to help for a few
months, were spreading sweet-smelling honey water on loaves of date-nut
bread that had just been taken steaming hot from the oven. "They are beautiful!" said Bern in his slight accent
that hinted of his birthplace in northern Germany.
"Sie haben recht!" I quickly replied. You're right! The room was
filled with the fragrances of fruit
breads and carob breads and loaves
boasting savory herbs.
"All these will sell like hot cakes,"
laughed one of the children.
"Wunderbar!" cried Emily, "I hope
so. We could use the money to buy a
dough hook!"
And so we did. The dough hook was
purchased the following week, for the
little business of selling homemade
bread, which Emily and Bern had
started merely as a lark, was blossoming into a full-fledged albatross! Indeed, there were many problems that
arose. The fame of the bread business
grew to such an extent that it was
necessary to buy several ovens to
keep up with the demand for good,
wholesome, homemade breads. Even
a local newspaper ran a story with
color pictures on the breadmaking
idea of the young couple with four
children who absented themselves
from their usual teaching positions to
try for a year to make a go of supporting their family by baking healthful
goods for the public.
The public were very appreciative
and couldn't seem to get enough of
the many different kinds of breads that
Emily invented. Our Daily Bread, as
the little home bakery was called, produced whole-wheat bread, wheat-germ
bread, date-nut bread, German black
bread (or Schwarzbrot), a multigrain
loaf, a protein herb bread, raisin bread,
rye bread, onion bread, potato bread,
and once, just for fun, something for
the children called bubble-gum bread
—minus, of course, the bubble gum.
When a television station from Atlanta came to film the bread-making
process—even the children helped
with the baking—Bern exclaimed in
despair, "Ach mein Freund! We will
have to get more people to help!"
And again—and so we did! For that
autumn there were many young college students returning to school and
as they drove by the town in which
Our Daily Bread was situated, they
spied the signs that Bern had put along
the highway and found their way to
our farmhouse, hungry and happy to
find a charming spot with food and
quaint atmosphere where they could
stretch out on the grass and make a
luscious sandwich with homemade
bread.
-
Eventually, one of these college
boys, when he discovered that the onetime teachers had a motive to. educate
the public in healthful living and natural foods, decided to spend a semester learning a less hectic way of
life in the practical school of breadmaking. And so we adopted Phil, complete with long hair and tousled blond
moustache and inquiring blue eyes,
into our family on a temporary basis.
Phil, with his semihippie overtones,
was nearly as much a public attraction as was the bread—and he was
very helpful too.
The happy atmosphere engendered
in the old farmhouse of a big family
working together and serving the
public appealed to the people who
came from the cities and from the rat
race of modern business hustle and
bustle. Often one would hear a married couple who had come to buy
bread say to Emily, as she shared
wholesome recipes using unrefined
foods with the visiting housewife,
"Wish we could do what you are doing—you and your husband—getting
away like this and making it on your
own and living healthfully. We've
often thought about getting ourselves a
little place in the country where we
could grow food and where our children could play in the fresh air and
sunshine, but we never seem to break
from the old routine—say, I bet the
water's better here too!"
And then one of the children would
bring out two tall glasses of cool
spring water, if it happened to be a
warm day, and as they enjoyed the
simple gift of water the people would
respond to that inborn desire in every
heart for something better, for a more
natural, more wholesome way of life,
for a return to good clean living and
simple recreation, uncrowded by the
tinsel and glitter, the pressure and
artificiality, of contemporary culture.
Sometimes someone would say to
me, "You must love living and working here with these nice folks, surrounded by nature. Why, it's so quiet
on the path in front of the house you
can almost hear the forest trees whisper among themselves."
Just about then, Jenny, one of the
nanny goats—the one that always
Life and Health/June 1973
20
gave me a kiss on the ear whenever I
milked her—would somehow get onto
the back porch and then make her
way into the house with four yelling
children running behind until they
managed to chase her right past the
nose of a customer buying bread and
out the front door. At that point I
would have to admit to our clientele
that it wasn't always as quiet in the
country as one might imagine.
As the year drew on, we found that
we were offering more and more of
what little advice we knew to help
people discover the joys of a happy,
productive life. We shared all the
knowledge we had. Emily instructed
several of the women in baking, explaining that it is best to allow the
freshly baked bread to cool for twelve
hours or more before eating it. When
people came to understand what was
good for them and what was not, they
eagerly anticipated adjusting to the
change in diet or routine. Emily would
explain that for bread to be wholesome it should be light and dry and
sweet, that is, it should not be made
from a dough that has soured. And, of
course, we used yeast to raise our
dough. Because we baked with primarily whole-wheat flours, we let our
dough rise twice before shaping it into
loaves in preparation for the oven.
Quite often, after some loaves were
finished baking, people would come
into the kitchen and ask, "What are
you doing with that paintbrush?" and
I would have to explain that we were
"painting" the loaves with a little
honey water to make them shine.
"Say,' someone would inquire, "is
honey really good for you?"
"Well," Bern would tell the listener,
"the Bible says in Proverbs, 'Hast thou
found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee. . . . It is not good to eat
much honey.' A little is good for you,
but the sweetness of honey goes a
long way—that is why we like it instead of sugar, because we eat less
sugar this way."
On another occasion I had an opportunity to share with a man—who
wanted to learn how to bake bread
before his wife learned—a "neverfail" recipe that my friend, Charlotte
Lang, in Tennessee taught me. The
method is easy and somewhat eliminates measuring the flour. All you
have to remember is that to every
cup of water (or other liquid, such as
tomato juice for tomato bread), you
add one tablespoon oil, one tablespoon sweetening, and one teaspoon
salt. The amount of yeast may vary
some. If you use a little more yeast,
the bread will rise faster. Try more
than one way until you find the
method you like the best.
Usually one-half package of active
dry yeast (about one-half ounce or one
tablespoon) is used per cup of liquid,
and that will make a one-and-onehalf pound loaf of bread, for which you
will use about three cups of flour. In
"... the nostalgic fragrance of homemade bread,
an old-fashioned smell of goodness and wholesome delight."
Charlotte's experience, two tablespoons of active dry yeast worked for
a batch of dough that made up to four
or five loaves of bread.
When the time comes to add the
flour, you can even begin experimenting a little. You simply add flour
until the consistency of the dough is
right to begin kneading. "Well," inquired the anxious husband, "how do
I know when the consistency is right?"
That question I had a little difficulty
answering, for in my case I was just
simply shown. So I showed him, too,
and we made a loaf of whole-wheat
bread together.
"Boy, that's easy," said the man
when he had finally gotten the idea.
"You just sort of tap the dough and
see if it springs back at you, not too
fast and not too slow—just sort of
rises back to the surface, nice and
steady."
That wasn't exactly the way it had
been explained to me, but since his
own definition made sense to him, I
didn't interfere. I just smiled and
said, "See, you're already an expert
baker." Then we let the dough rise
again and finally put it into the oven,
shaped in one-pound loaves. We
watched it carefully, and I explained
to my friend the baker that although
the standard is usually "bake at 350°
for one hour," the temperature and
time may vary considerably from
recipe to recipe.
When our loaves were golden
brown on top, we took one of them
from the oven, lifted it out of its pan,
and turned it over. Golden brown on
the bottom too! It was done—thoroughly cooked through—a sweet, dry,
light loaf. You can be sure the man
took that loaf home to show his wife.
In fact, his wife arrived at Our Daily
Bread the next day—for the second
lesson!
She asked a few more questions
than her husband had asked, but I
was feeling fresh and invigorated. Before getting a good night's sleep, I had
gone out to the meadow and lain on
my back in the grass and wildflowers.
Overhead the moonless sky invited
millions of stars to gleam and twinkle
through the night. Unobscured by city
smog, the tiny gems of silver light
filtered through the clean country air
and filled the black sky with a glory far
surpassing the splendor of crown
jewels or impressive skyscrapers. My
mind was put to peace, my thoughts
at rest. The serene sky formed a diadem of milkiways over my dreams of
tomorrow's breadlove story on the
other side of the dawning. ❑
ti7e
Goo
by MARVIN GREEN, as told to LOUISE PRICE BELL
This man learned the hard way.
You could take an easier route.
• Because I had always been healthy tioned me about my daily routine and
I paid little attention to the care I was my eating habits, I'll admit that I felt
taking of myself, especially after I got a bit red faced as I confessed to the
out of college and began working at a small amount of exercise I had week in
sedentary job, driving to and from the and week out, and I could tell by his
office, eating heartily, and developing serious expression that he wasn't
a real paunch. When I began getting pleased with my account.
short of breath every time I hit the
In my ignorance I added hopefully,
stairs or walked too fast, I decided it "Shall I start jogging? Some of the
was time to see my physician.
guys at the office are out jogging every
The results of a checkup didn't spin morning."
My physician explained that jogging
me up to cloud nine. I had high blood
pressure, and an electrocardiogram was much too strenuous for me, at
showed that I had developed angina least until I had worked up to it with
pectoris—heart pain because of lack of plenty of walking—and had also lost
oxygen to the heart muscle. This, the some weight. He told me to give up my
doctor explained, was causing my meats, gravies, potatoes, macaroni,
shortness of breath. When he ques- bread and butter, and switch instead
Bike riding is a pleasant form of exercise.
Life and Health/June 1973
22
to lavish helpings of fruits, vegetables,
fish, and green salads, with six glasses
of water a day plus fruit juices.
Setting the alarm clock thirty minutes earlier than usual, I began every
day with an early morning walk, coming home to a healthful breakfast of
fruit juice and cereal with fat-free
milk, instead of the usual griddle
cakes, maple syrup, doughnuts, and
coffee.
My first few mornings out, I
couldn't walk very far or very fast, but
in time I was able to walk one or two
miles at a lively gait! My doctor was
pleased the next time I presented myself at his office and even approved my
getting a bicycle. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the bike rides we began taking into the country. I also went
to the "Y" once a week for a swim and
could almost feel the pounds rolling
away.
It is now a year since my awakening
to my poor physical condition. I've
lost twenty-two pounds and walk at
least three miles every day. I learned
also not to be a slave to my car, and
decided that when I need something
at the neighborhood drugstore I would
walk instead of getting into the car and
driving the short distance.
All this readjustment would have
been unnecessary had I been wise
enough to have regular checkups. I
could have played tennis and jogged—
which I hope to do soon—but I'm
thankful I woke up in time to begin
eating properly and learning how to
take care of myself. I look like a different person, am firm-fleshed and svelte;
the paunch is gone. My friends tell me
I look wonderful, and the world seems
like a much different place from what
it did when I was sluggish, lazy, and
overweight! 0
Sunnshineis 0,#
ad Yo Os
DearG H
MEHN C?//0
If you want to stay looking young, this article is a must.
The jet has climbed to thirty-one thousand feet to get over a turbulent
area. A few cirrus clouds drift by. At this altitude the sun's rays are only
slightly broken up by dust, smoke, or smog, and unshielded human skin
ould not long endure the intense ultraviolet. Yet even here, there
enough fine particles in the air to make the sky a deep blue.
n the moon, lunar astronauts tell us, the sun is so bright they
annot look at it even with their tinted visors. Direct exposure
of the body would be fatal. So while earthlings rejoice in
the sunshine, without which life on earth could not exist,
they should not fail to be glad for clouds, fog, and
other water vapor which filter out enough of the
intense short-wave lengths which can be lethal.
A constant screen against the potentially harmful, very short-wave
lengths of the spectrum—the ultraviolet and still shorter lengths—
is oxygen, which absorbs these rays and forms ozone. 42 Ozone, in
turn, blocks out almost all the ultraviolet and X-ray wave lengths
of the spectrum so that 99 per cent of the solar energy reaching our
earth is composed of harmless infrared and longer rays. However,
the remaining one per cent can still cause a
person much harm under unwise exposure.
Although particulate matter in the
atmosphere protects us against excessive
exposure, the concentration may
become so great as to darken the
sky and cut out too much sunlight.
The smog which results from
motor exhausts, industrial
plants, and smoke
frequently becomes so
dense over large cities
that it hides the sun
Life and Health/June 1973
23
at noonday. Even a haze such as rises
from the Blue Ridge Mountain forests
may not permit sufficient sunlight to
get through, but it is certainly more
acceptable than the noxious smog.
Sunshine is such a delight
Sunshine is so delightful it is hard
to realize that too much can be
harmful. To stretch out and soak up
the warmth of its infrared rays rests
and relaxes your whole body. Your
cares and worries simply melt away.
But beware! This peaceful state can
lull you to sleep or make you
overindulge when you are awake
until someone warns you that your
skin is lobster red. Unfortunately,
you may be severely burned before you
know it. The pain and blistering begin
about six hours later.
How much is too much?
Dr. Hoehn was born in sunny Saskatchewan, Canada. Early in life he
became involved with researching new
varieties of grain for a nearby government experimental farm. In the late
dreary thirties he decided farming was
fun but he could hardly afford it. Now,
thirty years later, he has a "stump
ranch" as a hobby on Vancouver
Island. His children are busy during
the summer vacation planting and
caring for trees and flowers and a
large garden. He himself enjoys riding
around on a small tractor, knowing
that he doesn't have to wrest a living
from the soil.
A regular lecturer on dermatology
to medical and lay groups, Dr. Hoehn
has had more than sixty articles
published. By lecturing at "stop
smoking" clinics, he has helped some
two thousand people break the habit.
Dr. Hoehn is in private practice in
the field of skin cancer and skin
diseases in San Gabriel, California, and
is associate clinical professor of
dermatology at Loma Linda University.
Life and Health/June 1973
24
How much sun you can take without
harm depends on a number of
things.1,2 The amount of natural
pigment in your skin is the most
important. After that comes the
amount of acquired pigment or tan,
from previous exposures. For a certain
minority the tolerance to sunlight
may be affected by a number of other
factors such as certain diseases,
inherited or acquired sensitivities,
and exposures to various drugs and
chemicals. But if it happens to you,
that minority is a very important one.
How much can you stand?
It is hard to understand that for
some, just to walk out to the car with
bare arms—just a moment of exposure
to the sun—can cause them to break
out as much as a week later with a
ten-day itch and rash. They are like
photographic film; just a flash and
the chemicals in their skin have
changed. Some are so sensitive that
even the long light waves trouble
them.' The average individual will
never burn from an electric light or
from light that passes through
window glass; but these supersensitive
people may. Many common drugs
sensitize people.1-2 Among these are
medications for diabetes, water pills,
antibiotics, deodorant soaps,
cosmetics, tranquilizers, and many
less commonly known drugs. One
of the commonest of drugs, which is
usually taken without prescription,
causes a lot of sensitivity. That drug
is alcohol in any form—beer, wine,
or hard liquor. When patients
report to me that they burn at the
beach one time and not another
under similar conditions, the solution
of the mystery frequently turns out
to be the taking or not taking of
alcohol. Moral: leave it alone.
Those who burn easily and
repeatedly suffer the most damage.
Others, who burn only once each
spring, feel little concern over their
few days of discomfort and shrug off
the doctor's warning as not applying
to them. But if they burn once a year,
in fifty years they will have suffered
fifty burns, with probably some
extras, each having left its measure
of permanent injury to the skin.
The accumulated effect will become
more and more evident with the
years, and so will the liability to skin
cancer.3
Brown eyes are the thing
Blonde, light-complexioned,
blue-eyed people are much more
susceptible to sunburn and to skin
cancer than dark-haired, brown-eyed,
olive- or dark-skinned ones.4.3 From
a dermatologist's viewpoint, if you
have blue eyes and naturally red hair,
your safe time in the sun is so limited
it really allows nothing for sun
bathing. But a brown-eyed redhead
can probably stand as much sun as a
blue-eyed blonde. Surprisingly, an
olive-skinned, blue-eyed individual
may burn more readily than a
brown-eyed blonde. There are many
factors, however, which can upset
this rule of the sun. The only safe
rule is not to sunburn, whether you
have little or much safe time. Tan
lightly or darkly as you wish and
according to the response of your
skin, but avoid getting tender, if
possible.
Don't get old before your time
The concern of most people is the
painfulness of a sunburn. They
rarely think of the harm the skin has
suffered. In reality, the pain is the
least important. It will be gone
shortly. But the freckles, the sunspots,
the dryness, the roughness, the
wrinkles, and the aging persist and
tend to get worse with the years."
Cosmetically, especially for the
comparatively young, these are the
most important hazards of sunburn.
They are disfiguring.
Age gets blamed for most of the
damage done to the skin by the sun.
Actually, when biopsies are taken
from skin that has not been sunexposed, no aging changes can be
seen under the microscope up to age
fifty. However, biopsies taken on the
same person from the back of the
hands, the V of the neck of women,
and the face and ears show definite
changes8 on redheads by the time they
are nine and on almost everyone by
age twenty or thirty. So in your effort
to tan and look young and robust,
don't overdo it and make yourself
look old and weather-beaten before
your time.
You're just as old in one spot as in
another
Patients still comparatively young
come to me with badly blotched arms
and ask if I can rid them of their "liver
spots." I usually turn the arm over
and show them how clear and soft and
supple the skin is on the under surface
where it has not had much sunshine.
If the damage were due to the liver or
to aging, the spots should be present
on the covered skin as well as on the
exposed areas. There is no worthwhile
remedy once the damage is done. The
only effective prescription is
prevention.
Don't lose your curves
The energy of light forces some of
the rays through the outer skin or
epidermis, into the dermis or deeper
layers where it causes structural
changes in the skin.3 There is a loss of
collagen, a gelatinlike protein, a
reduction of fatty substances which
hide surface veins, cover bony joints,
and help give women's faces and
hands their feminine curves. Without
this overlying padding, the face and
back of the hands become angular,
knobby, and masculine. In hands that
are exposed much, the large veins
stand out and the tendons and bones
are covered with a thin, easily torn
skin. We think of this as a result of
aging, but most of it is solar damage,
unless seen in both covered and
exposed areas.
Unless you are trying for a big crop of freckles, have a healthy respect for exposure to
the sun.
Sunlight penetrates into the tissues
The cosmetic and aging effects of
excessive sun exposure are not the
only hazards. Most people think of
sunshine as merely caressing the
surface of the skin, but it goes deeper.
Reach over now and pinch or pick up
a fold of skin. Pull it, stretch it, twist
it, and it still holds intact and goes
back into place when you let go. This
is really a miracle. You were putting
stress not only on elastic tissue and
skin, but on capillaries, the smallest
blood vessels in the body that feed the
skin. Capillaries are fifty times thinner
than a human hair.' Their walls are
made of the thinnest and most delicate
material—not of muscle, but of a
single layer of flattened cells. Yet
these most delicate structures which
remain elastic and strong for a lifetime
can be so injured by sunburn as to
inflict permanent harm to the capillary
walls so that they lose their elasticity
and bruise and break easily.3 A bump,
a slap at a mosquito, or the scratching
of an itchy spot may be enough to
cause blood to seep out of the injured
vessel and make a large purplish
discoloration.
The skin-tanning phenomenon
Fortunately, the sun exposure that
threatens damage to the skin also
hastens its protection.5 The immediate
effect is an initial tanning of the skin
within a few minutes after exposure,
believed to be brought about by the
darkening of pale melanin already
present in the skin. In the next couple
of days the body moves melanin
granules upward from other regions
to the irritated surface. This increases
the darkening. If you were a
chameleon you could move enough
melanin to change color in a few
minutes, but as a human, you can
move only a little at a time.
True tanning, the production of new
melanin, is rather slow. Some
Life and Health/June 1973
25
the skin's main defense against
sunburn lies in its melanin content,
it has other protectors as well. One of
these is a horny layer of cells at the
skin's surface. This layer scatters and
absorbs radiation, and it becomes
thicker with repeated exposures and
so helps prevent damage to the deeper
layers.5
What can we use?
darkening occurs the first week, but
major results take about nineteen
days.5 If the cells are damaged, they
will put out a whole cloud of pigment
which will appear as freckles. If they
are permanently damaged, the spots
become permanent freckles or lentigo
or solar pigment plaques. But while
"If you were a chameleon you could move
enough melanin to change color in a few
minutes."
Fortunately we are getting better
sun protectants.2 The most widely
advertised are not always the best. The
latest group with the widest use is the
PABA (para-amino benzoic acid)
preparations. PABA is not effective in
cream or ointment bases, but you can
probably have your druggist mix 5 per
cent in rubbing ethyl alcohol. If you
prefer a commercial preparation, it is
sold as PreSun and Pabanol. There are
esters of para-amino benzoic acid that
are good, but not quite as good.
However, for many people they are
adequate. PABA should be applied two
hours before going in the sun so it can
soak into the surface layer of the skin
and not sweat off too quickly. Reapply
it every two hours when in the sun. It
is invisible and is like applying an
after-shave lotion. P ABA will filter out
the sunburn rays and will let you tan.
In fact, even redheads can get a tan if
they use this diligently and repeatedly.
The second group is the
benzophenones which filter out many
near visible light spectrums as well as
the ultra violet wave lengths. These do
not allow you to tan and are best for
people with a mild photosensitivity.
Popular brands are Uval and Solbar.
They are white lotions and are also
invisible. They taste bad if they get on
your lips. If you are swimming they
have to be reapplied after each swim.
The third group includes red
veterinary petrolatum (sold as R.V.P.)
with various additives to block out
all light if desired. They are greasy like
vaseline, which may be objectionable
to some, but they stay on longer than
others for water and snow skiing and
for other water sports. They provide
a base for a sun-protecting lipstick
(RVPaba sunstick) which can be used
on the nose and cheeks. It is excellent
for the person who gets fever blisters
or cold sores from the sun.
What is a sensible approach?
If you cannot tan, don't try. Avoid
the sun from 10:00 A.m. to 3:00 P.M.
when possible and longer if at the
beach. Wear clothing that is heavy
enough to shield you from the sun
when the weather is cool. Use a wet
suit when skin and scuba diving and
even when water skiing.
But if there is an event or sport that
you enjoy, cover all exposed areas
with one of the three groups of
preparations mentioned and reapply
frequently, depending on sweat and
water conditions.
If you can tan, be sure to go at it
gradually. Put PABA on the first time
or two until you are protected with
your own tan. Then just use PABA on
the ears, cheeks, V of the neck,
shoulders, and back of the hands
because these areas are out in the sun
so much they suffer damage the most.
If you stay in the bright sunlight for
hours, reapply the protection through
the day.
But for mowing the lawn and doing
garden work, one application in the
morning should protect you against
burning, but still let some sun get to
you. A farmer or outdoor worker
should use it at least morning and
noon.
A little sunshine is good, and
canoeing, boating, and water skiing
are a lot of fun. But don't neglect your
skin or you'll find you paid a high
price for your fun. Remember, you
want to enjoy life when you get past
your teens, so don't ruin your skin
now. Conservation is the thing today
—it will apply to your skin too,
tomorrow. ❑
REFERENCES
F. Daniels, Jr., J. C. van der Leun, and B. E.
Johnson. Sunburn. Scient. Am. 219:38,
1968.
2 I. Willis. Sunlight and the skin. J.A.M.A.
219:1088,1971.
3 J. B. Howell. Skin cancer. Skin 1:197,
1962.
4 H. S. Diehl. Healthful Living. New York,
McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1964, p. 207.
5 A. L. Lorencz. Physiological and pathological changes in skin from sunburn
and suntan. J.A.M.A. 173:1227, 1960.
6 A. M. Kligman. Early destructive effect
on human skin. J.A.M.A. 210:2377, 1969.
7 F. Kahn. Man in Structure and Function.
(Translated from the German by George
Rosen.) New York, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.,
1943, p. 191.
1
yur
o
wonderful
body
Fascinating facts about
that most wonderful creation—you.
MAN'S BEST FRIENDthe White Blood Cell
By CARROL S. SMALL, M.D.
This lifesaving powerhouse is
only 1/2,500 of an inch across!
W
hile blood contains several kinds of
white blood cells, this time I'd like to
talk to you about just one, the neutrophil. This tiny cell is only about 1/2,500
inch in diameter, but it does a heroic
job of befriending us.
When any irritating material such as
bacteria or a splinter, for example, gets
into your body tissues, a fascinating
process of defense begins. The small
blood vessels nearby open wider, and
for a time more fresh red blood rushes
through. Later, so many vessels are
open that the blood flow slows down.
Then the neutrophils leave the blood
stream and lodge like driftwood against
the blood vessel walls. Once lodged
there, like an aggressive salesman,
they put a foot in the door—quite literally. A small tongue of cell substance
called a pseudopod reaches out and
finds a crevice in the vessel wall and in
a matter of a few minutes squirms
through. Soon the whole cell, which is
as fluid as raw egg white, has oozed out
into the tissues nearby.
The neutrophil, once loose, moves
about freely. Indeed, many irritants
seem to have a strong attraction for it.
Eventually the white cell finds the
bacteria, the splinter, or other irritant
and is soon followed by many thousands
more. If the offender is a bacterial cell,
the white cell wraps itself around it,
thus swallowing the bacteria bodily. But
then what? Might not bacteria, which
can kill human beings, also kill the tiny
white cells?
The neutrophil cell contains tiny sacs
of fluid called lysosomes, or dissolvers.
When the cell has swallowed an offending germ, the sacs burst and literally
digest the germ and that's the end of
him!
Many white cells are overwhelmed
by superior numbers of bacteria, and
they die. "The blood of martyrs is
seed," however, and the very cell juice
of dead neutrophils stimulates the bone
marrow to make and release more such
cells, so the body's supply is maintained. Indeed, if the damage to body
tissue by the offending irritant is at all
extensive, the supply of neutrophils is
speeded up, and the number in the
blood increases greatly.
Anyone who has had surgery for
appendicitis, ruptured stomach ulcer, or
a similar critical situation probably
knows that a white blood cell count was
part of the diagnostic procedure before
the operation. The number of neutrophil
cells in the blood is a very sensitive
indicator of infections or other causes of
body damage. These white cells
normally number about five thousand
per cubic millimeter (a cubic millimeter
is about the size of a common pinhead).
In mild infections they may double in
number, and in severe ones, may increase six to eight times.
The motto of the Boy Scouts is "Be
Prepared." The neutrophil white cells
could well have the same motto. They
are always circulating in the blood,
always ready on a few moments' notice
to spring to our defense.
How do they move about?
How do they crawl through a blood
vessel wall and leave no hole behind?
How do they find the invaders of the
body?
How do they swallow the invaders?
How do the lysosomes work?
For exact answers to these and many
more questions, the best minds in
medical science are still searching. But
an all-wise Creator knew what we
needed for defense against trouble and
made it immediately available.
Life and Health/June 1973
27
house
call
The doctor advises on
some common
health problems.
The Ancient
Complaint
By FRANKLIN N. CRIDER,
M.D., M.P.H., T.M.
iarrhea. What is it? What does it
mean to you? Can it be disability,
disease, or death? It may be any or all
of these. Diarrhea is an abnormal frequency and liquidity of intestinal discharge. It can be both a disease and a
symptom. The pertinent question is
What can we do to prevent this common
complaint of travelers—and people
who stay at home? First, let us examine
causes for the disease.
D
Causes
Bacteria such as Staphylococci,
Streptococci, and Salmonellae as well
as other common germs cause diarrhea.
So do such parasites as the amebas,
found in water, and worms, contracted
through poor hygiene. Certain funguses,
such as molds and algae, and toxic substances in mushrooms, mercury compounds, and detergents do too. Emotional upset may bring on diarrhea and
so may food poisoning, at one time a
significant problem in the U.S. but far
less common today. Actually changes
in diet, excessive amounts of certain
foods, and nonbacterial contaminants
in others also cause diarrhea. Whenever
we get careless in our habits of cleanliness, we encourage the infections that
lead to diarrhea. It is important to wash
our hands after using the bathroom and
before eating, to bathe frequently, and
to avoid as much as possible places
where the sanitation is poor.
Traveler's trot
New and exotic food, water from a
different source with an altered mineral
content and sediment, and excessive
Life and Health/June 1973
28
eating and drinking may lead to "traveler's trot." When visiting a new area,
travelers should eat sparingly of light,
easily digestible foods, avoiding fats,
especially in warmer climates. Anything
you can do to facilitate travel, relieve
nervous tension, and get the proper
amount of rest is good treatment. If you
do not improve immediately, you are in
good company, for even scientists and
scholars have succumbed to "the disease" and graced it with such appellations as Bangkok Blues, Cairoitis, Delhi
Belly, Hong Kong Hopscotch, Aztec
2-Step, and Montezuma's Revenge! So
just imagine you have joined the company of the world-famous Globe Trotters.
"But," you say, "I am not expecting to
travel much, especially to those tropical
lands where there are amebas, worms,
and dysentery." Unfortunately, we also
have these things here, although hopefully seen more rarely.
Home diarrhea
What causes do you look for in home
diarrhea? First, you must consider who
has it. If all the members of the family
are simultaneously down with the complaint, it may be from food poisoning at
the family picnic, but if the inconvenience
is isolated to one individual, he has probably picked up a "bug." On the other
hand, if only the children have diarrhea,
worms may be at the root of the evil.
Prevention
Proper refrigeration and cooking of
food help prevent trouble, and in developing areas of the world scrubbing
fruits and vegetables with soap and
water is the easiest method of preparation. Any fresh vegetables to be eaten
raw may also be treated with iodine or
chlorine compounds to destroy the
troublesome bacteria and motile amebas, and then finished with a final
rinse of boiled water. Although this
method does not invariably destroy all
amebic cysts, it does relieve the mind!
If you cannot boil your water, the same
chemicals can purify it; use 2 tablets
of Globaline (iodine) to a quart or 2 tablets of Halazone (chlorine) per quart of
raw filtered water.
Control
What can you use at home for control
of minor diarrheas? Kaolin and pectin
are a popular mixture of clay and fruit
extract. Charcoal, mint tablet, or bismuth preparations also relieve minor
symptoms and soothe the bowel. These
medications do not automatically stop
the outflow of watery stool, which
within limits is a good thing, since this
is the body's way of relieving itself of the
offender. Most people in some areas of
the world, however, are so accustomed
to minor abdominal pains and extra
bowel movements that they are not
ready to do anything but wait and see.
It is fortunate that the majority of these
illnesses do clear up spontaneously. As
soon as the bowel throws off its "bug"
or poison, it settles back to its own routine.
If you do not soon experience relief,
by all means see your physician, who
will prescribe specific medicines. If the
sufferer is a baby, take him to the doctor at once. Do this for the elderly or
malnourished, who cannot endure the
losses of fluid and food. Go to the doctor whenever you have persistent nausea
or vomiting, when you are not improving and your movements have become
all water with little stool, or you see
mucus or the smallest tinge of blood.
Play it safe.
Actual cases
An interesting case is that of a group
of boys on a three-day campout in the
mountains, their immediate campsite
being well chosen for cleanliness, good
drainage, and sanitary waste disposal,
with a good deep pit latrine. When they
were on a long hike the boys drank from
A group of boys on a three-day csunpout
chose their campsite for cleanliness, good
drainage, and sanitary waste disposal—but
one error in judgment resulted in all becoming sick.
a crystal-clear, flowing mountain brook.
Unaware that less-conscientious campers upstream had polluted the water with
body wastes, they unknowingly swallowed abundant Salmonella germs and
developed queasy stomachs and the
urgency of repeated stops at filling
stations on the way home. They thought
less of clear mountain streams after
that!
A thundershower on an Indian reservation washed Giardia lamblia (a onecelled intestinal parasite) into the local
spring from ground water. One week
later several of the anthropology and
medical students visiting the reservation
developed gas and pains in the abdomen, and two of the group had mild
diarrhea, proving again that water that
usually is uncontaminated may become
unsafe when outside material is
washed in.
These two short illustrations point out
the unusual for most of us. Our troubles
arise from sandwiches made the previous night for tomorrow's wedding
reception, picnic roast someone forgot
to refrigerate, open-face pies that several people handled before being
served, and a special dessert that
gathered dust and invited flies during
the long preparation.
If you are careful and observant, you
may escape diarrhea and its consequences. If you do not escape, you may
at least try your luck at thinking up another new name for the ancient complaint.
Life and Health/June 1973
29
food
of the
month
Foods that are not only
but good for you.
Here's a food that
helps to "beat the heat"
By LYDIA SONNENBERG
Many varieties of melons
SUMMERTIME
IS MELON
TIME
There are many different melons to
choose from. You can begin with the
juicy golden cantaloupes, the first melons to appear. You should find them in
your market or fruit stand now. The
pale-green honeydews arrive a little
later. And everyone knows summer
has come when watermelons in abundance show up! What delightful summertime treats they provide!
In mid and late summer other melons
will be on the fruit counters, and you
will want to introduce your family to less
familiar but very delicious ones, such as
honeyball, crenshaw, casaba, and
Persian melons. Honeyball, part honeydew and part cantaloupe, is a small,
very juicy, sweet melon. It is green inside but has a creamy-white skin. The
Persian melon, a cousin to the cantaloupe, is fragrant and mildly sweet.
Even when ripe, it is green under the
netting.
The casaba looks more like a squash
with its wrinkled buttery-yellow skin,
but the interior is soft, creamy white,
and very juicy. You will find it in your
market in late summer or early fall. It is
at its best in October and November.
When you see a medium-sized, golddappled, green-skinned melon, it will
be the crenshaw, a cross between the
casaba and the Persian melons. The
crenshaw is juicy, sweet, and almost
spicy flavored. Remember to look for it
in late summer and early fall.
Whether you are a busy working
wile looking for quick, easy-to-serve
ideas, or one of the many cutting calories, or just interested in some real
summer eating enjoyment, melons were
made especially for you! They are low
in calories, can be prepared in many
quick and easy ways, and—best of all—
are one of the most delightfully flavored
and refreshing foods you can serve!
Life and Health/June 1973
30
But is it ripe?
How can you choose a ripe melon?
Even the experts admit it is hard to
tell, and signs of ripeness vary with the
different melons. Cantaloupe and watermelon must ripen on the vine if they
are to be really flavorful and sweet.
Horticulturists and melon men tell us
that there are several check points for
cantaloupes. To tell the degree of
sweetness look at the "net"-the corklike grayish marking should stand out
in bold relief against the green-tinged,
light-yellow background. This appearance generally spots a melon that has
grown and ripened properly and is
sweet with a good flavor. As the cantaloupe ripens, a slight crack develops
around the stem where it is attached to
the melon. When this crack completely encircles the attachment, the
melon is at the "full slip" state, ready
to be picked. To be sure you get the
best, look for a cantaloupe that has
this slightly sunken, smooth, well-calloused scar. Then, of course, choose a
fragrant melon-one that has that delightfully good cantaloupe aroma.
Watermelon is more difficult to judge.
The best signs to look for are good form,
fresh green or gray skin with yellow
underside, and a nice velvety bloom.
The "thumping" test is not always reliable: a ripe juicy melon gives a dull
muffled sound when tapped, but so
does a dry one! If you buy a cut one,
or if you can get your grocer to plug
one for you to sample, then you can be
sure.
As for the other melons, color, aroma,
and firmness are points to watch.
Honeydews and honeyballs should be
creamy yellow, casabas should be buttery yellow, and crenshaws will be light
green, splashed with gold. Only Persian
melons will be quite green under their
netting even though ripe. All these melons will ripen at room temperatures.
Ripe melons usually yield to gentle
pressure on the stem end. Of course,
unripe ones will also if too many "pinch-
ers" have shopped before you. Finally
the aroma or fragrance gives a clue as
to the flavor you are paying for, and
any melon worth buying must smell
like one. So the sniff test is a final guide.
Except for watermelon and casaba,
melons, when ready to eat, have a wonderful fragrance, typical of the particular kind you are buying.
Melons are good food
All melons are low in calories and yet
provide us with varying amounts of important nutrients. Several of them are
good sources of vitamin A and ascorbic
acid. Considering the low number of
calories they contain, melons carry
more than their share of other food essentials.
The nutritional composition of three
popular melons is compared in the accompanying table in two ways: first, by
weight, that is, the nutrients contained
in equal weights of each melon; and
second, by portions commonly used.
You will notice that the figures for watermelon in the last column are considerably higher than for either cantaloupe or honeydews. This, of course, is
because we usually eat a much larger
portion of watermelon. In fact, the figures used are for a weight five times
the usual serving of cantaloupe and
four times that of a honeydew.
To store ripe melons, dry them well
and then refrigerate. The cut surfaces
of partially used melons should be
sealed with plastic wrap. Keep milk,
butter, and other dairy products tightly
covered too, so they won't absorb the
melon odors.
How to serve them
There are many interesting ways to
serve melons. The following ideas are
not only easy to prepare and serve but
delightful taste treats too:
1. Serve cantaloupe for breakfast and
surprise the children by using the cantaloupe as cereal bowls-just serve
whole-grain cereal flakes in each half
with milk or cream.
2. Plan a cold, hot-weather entree
by topping a ring of honeydew melon
with your favorite luncheon salad,
which includes a protein such as
chunked Soyameat Chicken-Style*
or Nuteena.*
3. Serve a wedge of honeydew with
other fresh fruits and a scoop of cottage
cheese or frosty sherbet.
4. Top peeled honeydew circles
with chunks from a variety of fresh
fruits-peaches, bananas, plums, and
apricots; accent with cherries and sprigs
of mint.
5. Heap chilled cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon balls in lettucelined salad bowls; sprinkle a handful of
fresh raspberries over each serving.
6. Cut pieces of Persian melon into
bite sizes and toss carefully with fresh
ripe strawberries.
7. Serve chilled wedges of crenshaw, casaba, or Persian melons with
small bunches of grapes.
8. Place cantaloupe rings on lettuce
and fill center with diced fresh pineapple, halved strawberries, and honeydew
balls lightly tossed together.
Most often you will want to serve ripe
melons just as they are-either at
room temperature or chilled. But however you serve them, do take advantage of the wonderful season ahead for
plenty of summer enjoyment-with
melons.
* Products of Worthington Foods, Inc.
and Loma Linda Foods.
Corr pariso n of Melons by Weigh t and Porti ons Common ly Used
Portions Commonly U sed
Equal Weights
NUTRITIONAL
VALUE
Calories
Protein, gm.
Carbohydrate, gm.
Fat, gm.
Calcium, gm.
Phosphorus, gm.
Potassium, gm.
Iron, mg.
Vitamin A, I.U.
Thiamin, mg.
Riboflavin, mg.
Niacin, mg.
Ascorbic acid, mg.
Cantaloupe
100 grams
30
.7
7.5
1
014
016
25
.4
3400
04
.03
6
33
Honeydew
100 grams
33
.8
7.7
.3
.014
.016
.25
.4
40
.04
03
.6
23
Watermelon
100 grams
26
.5
6.4
.2
.007
.010
.10
.5
590
.03
.03
.2
7
Cantaloupe
1/3 melon 5" diam.
(or 1/2 c. diced)
36
.8
9.0
.1
.017
.019
.30
.5
4100
05
.04
7
40
Honeydew
2" wedge
61/2 " diam.
49
1.2
11.5
5
.021
.024
.377
.6
60
.06
.50
.9
35
Watermelon
slice
6" diam. x 11/2 -
156
3.0
38.4
1.2
.042
.060
.60
3.0
3540
.18
.18
1.2
42
Life and Health/June 1973
31
abstracts
Brief summarizations
of significant health articles.
Unexpected bonus
One of the apparently inevitable accompaniments of aging is an increasing
loss of bone. This accounts for the frequency of fractures resulting from falls
among older people. The loss begins
earlier and proceeds faster in women
than in men (age 35 to 45 in women as
compared with 45 to 65 in men). Recently F. R. Ellis, S. Holesh, and J. W. Ellis, of Surrey, England, studied 25 British vegetarians who used dairy products
but no animal flesh. Ages of the subjects
ranged from 53 to 79. The 8 men and
17 women were compared with nonvegetarian control subjects of the same
age and sex. Bone density (or concentration) in certain bones of the hands
was measured from X-rays which were
taken under identical conditions, so that
any differences would not be due to difference of technique.
The results were clear cut. The bones
of the vegetarian were denser than those
of the meat-eating subjects, with not
one chance in a thousand statistically
speaking that this difference just happened by chance! Another and unexpected bonus appeared. While the loss
of bone density was progressively
greater with increasing age of all subjects, this was less in the vegetarian
group, and the progressive loss appeared to stop at about 69 years of age,
whereas it continued among those eating meat.
Frey R. Ellis, Schura Holesh, and John W.
Ellis. Incidence of osteoporosis in vegetarians
and omnivores. Am. J. Clin. Nutrition 25:
555-558, 1972.
Life and Health/June 1973
32
Warning signals for parents of
potential addicts
"Must parents always be the last to
know?" is the question that was asked
by a Columbus, Ohio, father whose boy
had been arrested for possession of
narcotics and addiction. Fortunately,
the answer is No if the parents are willing to keep their eyes and ears open to
observe the telltale signs that indicate
possible drug addiction. Be concerned
if your youngster is becoming moody,
careless about his appearance, and
uninterested in the opposite sex.
Other symptoms include drowsiness
or sudden loss of interest in school and
sports, excessive laughing at things
other people do not find humorous,
looking off into space, apparent intoxication with no evidence of the use of
alcohol, staying out late at night and
evading questions as to his whereabouts, avid reading of books and materials on the drug scene, loss of appetite with loss of weight or an increase in
appetite with wild raids on the refrigerator, recluse behavior such as locking
himself alone in a room for hours at a
time, and a desperate need for money.
When you are suspicious of possible
drug use by youngsters, remember to
keep your eyes on their eyes. If their
sometimes wide-eyed appearance and
other times opposite appearance cannot be accounted for by changes in
light, it may be time to sit down with
your youngster and have a talk with
him. "Talk, but don't pressure him" is
the advice of John Finlator, former
deputy director of the U.S. Bureau of
Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Do
not be abusive in your discussion nor
violent in any way—and do not threaten
the youngster with the police!
The important thing is to show the drug
user that you understand his problems
and are willing to talk about them. As
long as you keep that line of communication open, there is hope that he will
respond to help, but if you are unkind, he
may turn you off and thus destroy the
only means by which he may be reached.
Among the many agencies that offer
help to the drug abuser are the National
Coordinating Council on Drug Abuse
Education and Information at Washington, D.C.; the Bureau of Narcotics and
Dangerous Drugs, Washington, D.C.;
the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare's National Clearing
House for Drug Abuse Information at
Rockville, Maryland, and the many
local drug information agencies.
Parents urged to learn basic drug abuse signs.
Health Insurance News, August, 1972
Did you know . .
Did you know that the skin has among
its defense mechanisms a surface film
(sometimes called an acid mantle), the
ability to dehydrate or dry up organisms
that would harm the skin, the ability to
peel off unwanted surface areas, and
the capacity to make its own antibodies!
Hans Behrendt, M.D., and Marvin Green,
M.D. Patterns of Skin pH from Birth Through
Adolescence, Springfield, Illinois, Charles C.
Thomas, Publisher, 1971, p. 29.
news
notes
Bite-sized bits
of news
concerning health.
Viral hepatitis
Until recently it was generally believed
that viral hepatitis was spread exclusively by some form of injection directly
into the blood stream. An Australian
form of the disease has now been
shown to be transmitted orally as well
as by injection. For many years viral
hepatitis has occurred mainly in children under 14 years of age. However,
in the past decade, although the frequency of the disease in those less than
14 has remained approximately the
same, the disease in 15 to 29 year
groups has skyrocketed. During this
same period, among the older age group
drug use has become common, along
with coupled and crowded living conditions and poorer hygiene and sanitation. Among those suffering from the disease about one in five uses drugs by
injection. It is suggested that the remaining 80 per cent may have contracted the
disease by contact with others.
Ronald R. Roberts. Australia antigen and
viral hepatitis. Calif. Med. 116:53, 1972.
Shop talk optimism?
In spite of the fact that the American
food industry is the most advanced food
industry in the world, improper handling
of food—from farmer to housewife—
affects the quality of the food, resulting
in shrinkage, a drop in profits with a rise
in consumer prices, and the potential
of harmful bacteria.
To better conditions in the handling,
storage, and distribution of food, and to
educate retailers, wholesalers, and
shoppers to work together to this end,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
the National Association of Retail Grocers are jointly sponsoring Project Consumer Concern for "improving the
processes of food distribution and helping achieve a quality environment in
America."
Food and the environment. Service, USDA's
Report to Consumers 102:1, July, 1972.
Cholesterol problems in the
dairy state
Tests of more than 500 children ages five
through fourteen from both the Monroe
area of Wisconsin and Huixquilucan
County, Mexico, revealed that cholesterol levels of the Wisconsin children
were nearly double those of the youngsters from the rural Mexican area, where
incidence of heart disease is low. The
higher cholesterol levels of Wisconsin
children are established very early in life
and seem to change little during school
years.
High cholesterol levels can increase in
adult life and lead to heart disease,
according to Rjurik Golubjatnikov of the
University of Wisconsin Madison Center
for Health Sciences. Cholesterol comes
primarily from foods with saturated fats;
these are fats that remain solid at room
temperature. Keeping active, however,
fights cholesterol build-up.
American children are sentenced to a
sedentary life at a very early age, attending school for nearly one fourth of their
lives, then obtaining sedentary jobs and
eating quantities of food high in saturated fats and sugars. On the other hand,
in rural Mexican areas, children lead
more active lives, eat less food, and
consume less saturated fats and sugar.
Spiders anyone?
Spiders have been used medicinally
for centuries, and pills made of house
spiders were widely advised for fevers
in England. A doctor's 1760 recipe
called for "swallowing a spider greatly
bruised, and wrapped in a raisin or
spread upon bread and butter."—
Smithsonian.
ADVERTISEMENTS
PROFESSIONAL
HEALTH MEDIA SERVICES
P.O. Box 922, Dept. H
"The Health Education Supply Center"
Write for Free Price List
MOIST HEAT
KILLS PAIN
Soothing relief from
Arthritis, Rheumatism, Flu,
Colds and Muscle Soreness
"The snap of a switch" and you can enjoy
wonderful, pain-soothing moist heat
fomentations with the Battle Creek
Thermophore. Instant action, no messy wet
towels; convenient, relaxing, safe.
Entire back, chest, or legs covered with one
large 27" x 13" Thermophore Moist Heat
Pack. Includes two washable covers, safety
thermostat, switch and 10 ft. cord. Uses
115 volt AC/DC household current.
Try it for 15 days—in your home! If not
delighted, return for full refund. Your
satisfaction guaranteed!
Hely Janis. Science Writing Division. Research
News, the University of Wisconsin, released
October 31, 1972.
Mail now for free folder!
THERMOPHORE
Communal "mascots" nn the Increase
Moist Heat —Automatically!)
It seems that "the popularity of communal living among young peopie with
low standards of hygiene" has resulted
in a population explosion of body lice—
scientifically known as Pediculus humanus corporis—according to a news
BATTLE CREEK Equipment Co.
Dept.70-F , 307 W. Jackson Street
Battle Creek, Michigan 49016
Name
item from the American Museum of
Natural History, which lately put these
creepy crawlers on display.
The animal kingdom. Hospital Tribune, July
10, 1972, p. 23.
Loma Linda, California 92354
Street
City
•
State
I
ZIP
Life and Health/June 1973
33
children's
Health topics with a special come
appeal to youngsters.
i there, boys and girls! My name is
Denty Molar. I am one of more
than twenty soldiers that belong to Tony
Will Power. Only we don't fight; we chew
instead. We live in Tony's mouth. My
home is the back side of his lower jaw
on the left.
I started out in life a nice, strong,
white tooth, but look at me now! I'm
only three years old, but I'm worn out
and sick. I'm dirty and yellow with black
holes in me.
How did I get that way? Just listen
and I will tell you a story. I had waited
in Tony's jaw a long time. Then one
morning when he was six years old he
found I was there. I had pushed my
way through his jaw and was ready for
work. At first Tony treated me well. I
H
Denty
Molar's
Story
By
EUNICE
PHELPS
had friends to chew on or, I might say,
to play with, that I liked, such as Billy
Carrot, Juicy Apple, Stocky Celery, and
Wally Nut. We had good times together
and I got stronger and stronger. Tony
gave me a good scrub and bath at
least twice a day.
Then he got careless and forgot to
give me my scrubs, and I needed
them too. Worse than that, he showered
me with soda pop, cola drinks, and
other sweet things. This left me dirtier
and stickier than ever. I felt just miserable. I was so gooey, but he didn't
clean me up. Instead he gave me gum
and hard candy to chew between
meals. At mealtime he wouldn't eat
much but sweets, such as cake and ice
cream, unless his mother made him
eat properly.
Then the first thing I knew, I was
turning yellow and getting some holes
in my good strong suit. Besides, I was
getting hungry and weak. You see, I
have to eat as well as you do, only I
eat in a different way. I have little pipes
coming up through my feet, or my roots.
These pipes are called veins. My food
comes through these little pipes to feed
me. But Tony ate so many sweets that
the pipes were clogged up and not
enough food could come through. Consequently I got weak and sick.
The holes in my suit were getting
bigger and deeper. These holes finally
got so big and deep that they went
through my suit and right into me. Then
I got to hurting. I got so I hurt every
time Tony ate anything. I got to where
I hurt so often and so much that I made
Tony cry and be cross with his mother
and daddy. He was even cross with his
playmates.
Finally, one night I hurt nearly all
night and kept Tony awake. I made
such a fuss that everything around me
was upset. Tony's face on my side
looked like he had a large nut in his
cheek. He cried and cried with the pain.
His mother took him to the dentist the
next morning. The dentist said, "Tony,
my boy, your tooth has decayed. It is
a very sick, bad tooth. I will have to
take it out, and that is too bad, for you
will not get another to take its place.
You have eaten too many sweets.
Come back tomorrow, or as soon as
the swelling goes down, and I will take
it out."
Good-by. I won't see you again, for
soon the dentist will take me from my
home and bury me in his trash can. I
will never see Tony again, either.
I hope you will never treat any of
your soldiers the way Tony treated me.
THAT EVERY FAMILY WILL APPRECIATE AND ENJOY
ERE 1045c
BY ARTHUR S. MAXWELL
What Uncle Arthur's Bible Book Will Do for You—
It is easy for you to join the thousands of families that are
already enjoying this new volume.
MAIL COUPON TODAY
Please supply me with additional information regarding this
wonderful new volume, UNCLE ARTHUR'S BIBLE BOOK
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• HELP your family become personally acquainted
with the story and God of the Bible.
• PROVIDE a moral and spiritual education to
guide your sons and daughters for life.
• PROTECT against delinquency, as it amplifies the
difference between right and wrong, good and evil.
In This Fascinating Volume Will Be Found—
City
• 71 stories covering the main dramatic events of
State
REVIEW AND HERALD PUB. ASSN.
Dept. LH, 6856 Eastern Avenue NW.
Washington, D.C. 20012
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• Full-color paintings at every page opening.
• Complete in one volume—more than 500 pages.
• Reading enjoyment for the whole family.
r
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Life is more than
flowers and rainbows!
Some magazines paint a glowing picture of life
with flowers and rainbows. And then pretend the
other side doesn't exist. It's much easier just to smile
and imagine the rest of the world is doing the same.
But one magazine
uncovers the other side.
"Listen. ' magazine uncovers the stories of the
hooked and the helpless. It tells what it's like to exist
on the other side. In a world of the needle, the
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how people are escaping from the other side. In
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Discover the real story in
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TEL OTIIIIR SIDI

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