The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

August. 1917 The Health Bulletin 23
sources are frequently demonstrated
to be focalized areas of infection
which the blood stream carries to distant
organs. It is a wise physician
that can locate such causes or symptoms
in the incipiency; and naturally
it is a wise patient who will give the
physician the opportunity to do this.
Speaking from the standpoint of
the dental side of the question, dentists
are realizing today as never before
the vital factors embraced in
diet,
especially diet of mothers before
the birth of children and the diet of
babies immediately after birth and
during the first few early years, in
the formation of good teeth. The
question now is hotly argued among
dentists of national authority as to
whether or not the diet and the presence
or absence of the necessary
vitamin elements in food are responsible
for caries or dental decay in
previously sound teeth. This position
is assumed by many men of learning
and ability in the dental profession
regardless of how much infection or
acids might be
imposed on the dental
structures. This is controversial, but
is one thing that the scientists and
the dental and medical professions
will have to settle. But for our part
we do know enough to know that if
grandfather and grandmother had
good teeth, partook of the right sort
of diet, and were protected from certain
diseases which might be transmitted
to their children, and if they
provided such a diet and such care
for their own children, it is about a
one hundred to one guess that the
grandchildren which also have been
so protected will have good teeth. So
we have no intention or desire to
meddle with a controversy about
which we know very little. We do
want to ui'ge the careful cooperation
between patients and dentists and
physicians of every individual who
prizes his or her health as well as the
priceless possession of good teeth.
Along about this time of year the
sufferers from hay fever become
interested in obtaining some relief
from their annual attack of hay fever.
We have letters from outside of the
State inquiring as to what localities,
if any, in the State of North Carolina
are free from this aggravating
and painful trouble. So far as we
know there is no locality in the State
free from this infection, provided a
susceptible individual happens into
such locality at certain times of the
year. The biological supply houses
all over the country have for years
supplied to the druggists and medical
professions different products, to be
administered hypodermically and
otherwise, as protectives against this
trouble. Most of such treatment has
proved disappointing to doctor and
patient. The chemist and research
workers in the biological houses, as
well as those working independently
and free from commercial incentives,
HAY FEVER
have been and are still endeavoring
to perfect a line of treatment that
will prevent and protect. As yet we
are not in a position to recommend
any of these things except to suggest
that individual patients experiment
with such treatments after their physician
carefully studies the individual
needs of each patient. It is for the
most part agreed that in this connection
ragweed pollen is responsible for
most of the autumnal hay fever in
North Carloina. These weeds begin
to spread their pollen early in August,
and this continues until frost. The
frost, of course, stops the pollination
of the ragweed along with other
flowering plants that might possibly
cause attacks. There are a great
many different pollens coming from
different flowers that may cause hay
fever, but, as just stated, the majority
of cases occurring in the autumn are
due to the ragweed. Surgeon General
Cummings, of the United States Pub-