Released fcy Western Newspaper Union.
LOW BACK PAIN
For many years cases for low
back pain and sciatica have been
put in two classes (a) those due to
Infection—teeth, tonsils, gums, gall
Dr. Barton
bladder and other or
gans and (b) those
due to injury—lifting
a heavy object, a
misstep, swinging at
an object (often a
golf ball) and miss
ing it, a fall, braking
a car and other ac
cidents. The injury
usually causes a
strain or sprain of
the ligaments and
other structures sur
rounding the joint
between the last bone of the spine
and the hip bone. This is called
sacro-iliac sprain.
During the past three or four years
we are learning that many of these
cases called sacro-iliac sprain are
really cases where the little cushions
•r disks between the bones of the
spine have been broken through or
ruptured by the same type of acci
dent which causes the sacro-iliac
sprain. It is only after the usual
treatment—manipulation under an
anesthetic and use of a brace—has
failed to give relief that ruptured
disk is suspected. Each spine bone
is called a vertebra and the disk
or cushion between them is an in
tervertebral disk.
Dr. W. E. Dandy in Annals of Sur
gery, Philadelphia, points out that
rupture of the intervertebral disk
accounts for an overwhelming per
centage of the heretofore incurable
and untreatable low back pains and
sciaticas, miscalled sacro - iliac
strains aad arthritis of the spine.
Formerly iodized oil was inject
ed into the spinal canal, but this does
not always show the rupture even
when present. Then as it was found
that practically all (96 per cent) of
ruptured disks were situated between
the last and second to last spine bone
in lower back, the iodized oil meth
od is not absolutely necessary, par
ticularly because it is known that a
“concealed” disk occurs in 25 per
cent of cases. Dr. Dandy has been
able to make the diagnosis of rup
tured disk 63 times just by examina
tion without use of iodized oil.
Cases of ruptured intervertebral
disks are now successfully treated
by operatio*.
However, there is the other side
of this naatter; that is that many
patients and some physicians also,
tnay now make the mistake of think
tog that most cases of low back pain
and sciatica are due to ruptured
disks. As a matter of fact, sacro
iliac strain occurs more often than
does ruptured disk and manipula
tion, rest and use of a brace bring
about a cure.
Watch for Early
Diabetes Symptoms
There has come to me a copy of
the Diabetic Digest, published quar
terly by the Philadelphia- Metabolic
society. This magazine has spread
information among physicians so
that physicians would be on the look
out for early and unrecognized cases
of diabetes. Thus the level of treat
ment of this disease has been raised
in Philadelphia and vicinity.
The facts about diabetes in Phila
delphia that have been forwarded to
physicians might well be studied by
everybody because diabetes strikes
many homes. Some of the informa
tion is not pleasant; "other informa
tion brought out by the study is
most encouraging to diabetics and
to doctors."
1. Two and five-tenths persons per
day die and have diabetes mentioned
tn their death certificate.
2. One person dies in diabetic
acidosis (coma) almost every other
day.
3. Almost twice as many persons
died of diabetic acidosis (coma) as
died with infections of various na
tures without acidosis.
4. One-half of the persons dying
with diabetes did not know of their
disease until their last Illness.
5. More persons died with dia
betes of causes other than diabetes
(but having diabetes) than died of
diabetes alone.
It is the hope of the committee
that other county societies throug
out the state and the nation will take
up this work and that diabetic indi
viduals will lead longer, more use
ful and happier lives because of
these efforts.
Just how much can be accom
plished by the new knowledge of the
treatment of diabetes by diet and
insulin is shown by the fact that in
1910 average age at death of the
diabetic was about 44 years and in
1936 it was 58 years.
* * *
QUESTION BOX
Q.—I have blue marks on each
arm. How can I get rid of them?
A.—These blue marks may be tiny
broken veins. They will do no barm.
They may be removed by electroly
sis or surgery.
Q.—I am 24 years old and I take ;
spells. When these happen I seem j
to get in an electric state all over.
Is this serious?
A.—As you do not become uncon- |
■cions, spells may not be serious.
Ask your physician about them.
What Rommel’s Afrika Korps Is Doing Now
An MF standing guard in photo at upper left keeps a sharp scrutiny on German war prisoners at Camp
Chaffee, Ark. At lower left, prisoners play croquet at Camp Breckinridge, Ky. Italian and German prisoners
are usually sent to separate camps as the Germans must be guarded very carefully while the Italians are more
co-operative. Right: German prisoners buy Ice cream and other refreshments in the camp canteen. The United
States government allows them $3 a month In coupons for these luxuries. Those who work, on a voluntary
basis, receive a minimum of 80 cents a day.
Nurses Practice War in Tennessee
Second Lient. Helen Callesen sitting in her tent, at left, writes a letter while ott duty from her nursing
post in an evacuation hospital in the Tennessee hills as the Second army held its rehearsal for war. At
center, Lieutenant Callesen washes her mess kit after “chow.” With her long-handled brush she can scrub
all the pots, dip them into cans of boiling water, and make them sparkle without getting her hands wet. All
the pots are strung on one handle. Second Lieut. Betty Hindman is shown, at right, digging a foxhole.
France’s Future in Their Hands
Gen. Henri Giraud and Gen. Charles DeGaulle, leaders of two French
factions trying to unite in a fight against the Axis, are pictured
shortly after DeGaulle arrived for a consultation. Seemingly, all that
stood between the union of the two groups was DeGautle’s demand that
he be given a high post in Giraud’s North African government.
Break Blockade of Sunken Axis Ships
A British diver ascends from his Job of cleaning up the bottom of
the harbor of Tripoli. So many Axis ships had been scuttled that the
harbor was completely blockaded. But the British navy managed to open
a narrow passageway to allow ships to get into and out of the harbor.
The Axis had sunk many ships, blown them open on the bottom,
and then sunk other ships over^tbe first group.
A Folding SaWV
This Japanese folding crosscut
saw fell into American bands when
the Japs were chased from Papua. ;
Lieut. A. E. Rogers is holding the
saw which is 3 feet 6 inches when
extended and folds into a 7x6-inch
space.
Train Dispatcher
The first woman train dispatcher
on an American railroad is Miss
Lois Harris who is pictured as she
started her new job on the Vicks
burg, Miss., division of the Hlinois
Central system.
The Men Behind the Gun
Looking like characters from a futuristic adventure strip, members
of a gun crew stand ready at battle stations inside a turret aboard the
31,000-ton British battleship, Malaya. Their weapon is a 15-inch gun—the
same sise as the guns aboard the 32,000-ton British battleship, Repulse,
which was sunk on December 9, 1941, by the Japanese.
TELEFACT
NAZIS' FOOD RATIONS
GERMANY
NORWAY
FRANCE
Eoch «ymbol repretcntt 20% at Germony't food ratio* _I
Is There Anybody Home?
American soldiers, engaged in mopping np operations on Attn island,
peek into a Japanese dugout in search of Bnipers. The dugout has a
tent roof to keep out the bitter wind and cold of the bleak Island that
became a cemetery for the enemy. Most of the Japanese were killed in
battle or committed suicide. Few were captured. The end of Japanese
resistance on Attn was marked by a final suicidal enemy attack, early in
the morning. The resulting battle was a slaughter in which it has been esti
mated that 50 Japanese were killed for every American. Some of the Japs
struck their hand grenades against their helmets to start the detonation
mechanism, then held the grenades to their chests until the explosion ended
their lives. The final attack occurred in American positions above Cories
Lake. One American colonel and other officers were surrounded in a tent
from which they fought off Japs for seven hours. An example of the ac
curacy of the American’s shooting was shown when the body of an Alaskan
scout was found with twelve dead Japs lying in a half circle around him.
First Axis Island Taken by Allies
A view of Pantelleria taken from the sea. This was the first of sev
eral Mediterranean islands to be wrested from the Axis. As the islands
eontinued to fall Italians were told via their own radio stations to be on
the alert for an invasion. Allied warships and transports were reported
psasstnc la the Sicilian strait. - -
'_r ' 1"r;
A Ducky Truck
j
The U. S. army’s new 2%-ton am
phibian track is shown being loaded
at New Caledonia. It has been nicfc>
named the "Duck.” When loaded It
waddles ashore and tbpn rolls in
land to wherever the supplies are
needed. It eliminates bottlenecks in
Landing supplies to forces attacking
enemy-held shores.
Swedish Royalty
King Gnstav of Sweden (left), hla
son Crown Prince Gastav-Adolpk
(right) and his grandson, Giratav
Adolph Jr. (center), are pictured as
they watched Swedish military
planes during a military exposition
recently.
Girl Guards
These two girls were among the
candidates taking tests to be fem
inine lifeguards which will replace
men on Chicago beaches this sum
mer. New York beaches also will
be decorated with girl guards.
Gas Answer Man
r eaerai i-eiroieum i o orainator
Harold Ickes as he appeared In
Washington, D. C., before a group
of midwestern congressmen. Short
ly after the meeting a further gasoline
cat was rumored for the Midwest.