The Medical Roundup
COMMENTS ON DR. CRILE'S
ARTICLE AND BOOK
Dr. George Crile Jr., is a man
after my own heart. What he
writes delights me; it is all so
true. It is re-
y;,4 Meshing. For
3
life. I have
XViA Deen 8oing UP
and down this
la n d protest-
ing against an
u n t h i n Ic
ing type of the
practice of
medicine. For
instance; just saw an elderly man
with good reading-vision in one
eye, and a beginning cataract
in the other. An opthalmologist
insisted on removing the cataract
and the man wanted it done. He
and the doctor agreed that if a
cataract is abnormal it must im
mediately be cut out.
But another opthalmologist
asked, "Why have the operation
when the man is still reading
comfortably? Will he read any
better with the cataract out?"
No. He may even be worse off
with the needed big thick lens
in front of the eye operated on,
the images from the two eyes
will be so different in size that
the brain will probably be un
able to fuse them. It will be like
harnessing a donkey with a race
horse; the buggy will not go any
faster. Would it do any harm to
leave the cataract in? Jhe wise
opthalmologist said, "No."
Why, then, did one eye-man
operate? I imagine because he
did not think. He may be a fine
operator, but he may have a
push-button type of mind in
which the conception 'cataract'
causes the idea's 'operation' to
pop right 6ut and take over!
Many of us physicians and
surgeons, especially when we are
overworked, have to fight con
stantly to avoid this sort of
"conditioned reflex" type of
practice, with "routine orders"
regulating most of our behavior
in office and hospital. If we see
a person with a cold, we give
penicillin, and if we see one with
arthritis, we give cortisone. We
do not always stop to think that
penicillin has no effect on the
cold virus, and cortisone is likely
to be of value in only one type
of arthritis.
Simple Removal Suggested
This is why, recently as I sat
at luncheon with Dr. Crile, I was
so pleased to hear him say, as he
does in his fine article in Life
and in his new book, Cancer and
Common sense, that often it
would be futile to perform the
so-called radical or extreme type
of resection for a breast can
cer that has scattered. What is
the sense in doing a highly tech
nical and costly job of locking
the barn door after the horse is
stolen? Why not do a simple re
moval of the breast and then use
radiation?
It takes courage for Dr. Crile
to write as he does because some
of his fellow surgeons, not stop
V.
i em
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Emeritus ConralUnt In Medicine,
Mayo Clinic
Kmeritui Professor of Medicine,
Mayo Foundation
ping to think, may say, "There
goes a man who is advocating a
return to an old and poor type
of medicine." No; they will miss
his point: what Crile is asking
is that we doctors think a bit
before we act.
He is asking that we pause to
study and ponder over some re
cent statistics which indicate that
some women with a fcancer of
the breast do better without a
radical removal of the breast and
the muscles beneath it.
Another thing that Dr. Crile
and I object to is the thoughtless
and routine use of "complete
overhaulings." I just saw a man
who, for the last two years, has
been going insane just as did his
mother and his aunt before him.
Because several internists in suc
cession had failed to take a good
history, such as would have re
vealed the fact that the man was
depressed and suicidal, he was
given four futile and, I think,
unjustified examinations. The
doctors who did this work would
have done better to notice imme
diately his queer behavior, his
sad face and his slow speech.
Then they should have drawn
out the typical story of a man
losing his mind. By doing this,
they could have saved the man's
family a thousand dollars or
more.
Complete Examination Worship
As Dr. Crile intimates, for
years we doctors have been
teaching our students and the
public to worship the complete
examination. Many of us are
coming to regard it as a fetich,
which we hope can lead to the
cure of anything. Of course, it
has its merits, and in most cases
one such examination should be
made; but still we must always
take agood history because in
perhaps a third of all cases the
diagnosis can be made only from
a history. There are no labora
tory tests that will show that the
woman sitting there on the other
side of the desk is dying of a
broken heart, or going insane.
Crile is right when he says
that often the wise and honest
surgeon who tries to come be
tween a patient and some un
needed operation, or some very
expensive complete examination
which he (or she) thinks he
should have, is dismissed and
cursed for his supposed lack of
interest or knowledge. In medi
cine it pays financially immense
ly better to pander to the fears
of a hypochondriac than to try
to quiet them.
Dr. Alvarez regrets he hasn't
the time in which to read or
answer requests for information.
(Released by The Register and
Tribune Snydicate. 1955)
TAXI HARD TO FIND
New York (U.R) Mrs. Sarah
Healy ayreed today that it's al
ways hard to find a taxi when
you really need one. She gave
birth to a daughter on the side
walk 'in front of her home early
Tuesday while her husband, An
drew, sought in vain for a cab
An ambulance took mother and
daughter to a hospital where
both are doing well. -
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Family Missing in f
Desert Found Safe
San Bernardino, Calif. (U.P.)
A San Bernardino family of
five, missing two days in the bar
ren Mojave Desert, was found
yesterday "a little thirsty buti
otherwise in good condition."
Sheriff's deputies, taking part
in a widespread search, said the
family of Leroy Evans was lo
cated in a car in the general area
of Emerson Dry Lake in barren
Lucerne Valley.
"Their car was stuck in the
sand," the sheriff's office said.
"Evans played it safe and stayed
right where he was until a
search could be organized and
he was found."
As We Live
By ELIZABETH HimOCK, PH.D.
Older Man Should Prepare
In Advance For Parenthood
Many older men go to one ex
treme or the other when they
become fathers. They either be
come overly indulgent with the
child or over-strict.
(Q) "I am 32 years old. Two
years ago I married a man' of 58
years who had been a widower
for three
years. His first
marriage was
child less, a
source of grief
to him because
he has always
adored c h i 1
dren and is
anxious to
have a sen and
heir. He is a
Dr. Herlock
successful businessman and
wants a son io carry on his busi
ness. "I am expecting a child in the
near future and. of course, my
husband is wild with delight. I
am afraid he will spoil our child
to death. I wojild like advice
from you as to how to handle
the problem so our child will
grow up to be a joy to us, not a
disappointment." Mrs. U.S.T.
(A) You are wise to prepare
for the inevitable and be on your
guard to keep it from happening.
There is no question that your
husband is prepared to "spoil"
your child, whether it's a boy or
a girl.
You will have to take a firm
stand and see this does not hap
pen. Start now to read books
on child guidance with your hus
band, putting special emphasis
on the sections that deal with
overindulgence and discipline.
Try to convince him that a child
who has kind but firm discipline
is happier and makes better ad
justments to life than one whose
every whim is indulged and who
never is forced to toe the mark.
Work out together some gen
eral policies to follow in bring
ing up the child. Then see that
your husband adheres to these
policies, even when he is tempted
to be lenient with the "little
darling." Since he is a successful
businessman, see to it that he
doesn't shower the child with
material possessions.
Most important of all, if you
have a boy, make sure your
husband does not try to force
the child to go into his business,
unless the child wishes to do so.
. (COPYRIGHT 1955,
GENERAL FEATURES CORP.)
Dead line Sunday Classified Is at
noon Saturday: 10 a.m Monday for
Monday: other days 5:30 orevious day
1
TKree Television Quiz SHovv
Contestants Win Aggregate
$56,000; Big Night Coming
New York (U.R) A seed
salesman, a girl psychologist and
a coal miner tapped the till for
S56.000 on "The $64,000 Ques
tion" last night to set the stage
for what could be the biggest
giveaway night in TV history.
The trio will be given the
chance next Tuesday of doubling
their winnings or bowing out.
Their potential total earnings
could reach $112,000, by far the
largest sum ever offered on a
single program.
Trie anchor man last night was
Steven Frohlich, a.seed salesman
from Princeton, N.J., who ran
his stake to $32,000 in the cate
gory American History. Froh
lich, a naturalized American
from Czechoslovakia, answered
a seven-part poser dealing with
constitutional amendments.
The second biggest winner,
Joyce Brothers of New York, ran
her string to $16,000 by answer
ing a boxing query.
Stanley Skeens, a miner from
Dsnville, Va., moved to the
$8000 level. Skeens, a Bible ex
pert, earned his pay by reciting
three verses of the First Psalm
of David.
Fourth Appearance
Frohlich, making his fourth
appearance on the CBS quiz
show, was asked to give the sub
ject matter and the years of the
16th through 22nd amendments.
He correctly answered: The
16th, income tax, 1913; the 17th,
popular election of senators,
1913; the 18th, prohibition, 1919;
the 19th, women's vote, 1921; the
20th, shift of the presidential
inaugural date, 1933; the 21st,
repsal of prohibition, 1933; and
the 22nd; limiting a President to
two terms, 1951.
Frohlich gratuitously supplied
the names of each President un
der which the amendments were
passed.
Mrs. Brothers, a trim blonde
who weighs 101 pounds, proved
she was no flyweight when she
correctly punched her way
r - - ----- Jtan-utices1-
through a four-part query on
famous referees.
Named Boxing Referees
The 28-year-old housewife,
Who holds a doctor's degree in
phychology, was asked to name
the. man who refereed the great
est number of heavyweight
championship bouts, the referee
in the Dempsey-Tunney "long
count" fight, the champion who
refereed the fight that decided
his successor and the referee of
a battle between an ex-champ
and Jack Johnson at Reno, Nev.
She named in order, Arthur
Donovan, Dave Barry, James
Jeffries and Tex Rickard.
All of the contestants remain
ed mum on their plans for next
week. If any goes on and loses,
he will be given a new convert
ible as a consolation prize.
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Ninth and
'Wednesday, November 23, 1955
Steel Industry To
Boost ingot Output
New York (U.R) The steel
industry in the next four years
will boost ingot capacity by
about 16,000,000 tons in an ex
pansion drive spurred by the
current "worst steel shortage
since Korea," Iron Age said to
day. The metalworking industry
publication said the expansion's
price tag will run over $3,000,
000,000. For the present, steel consum
ers can look forward to "nothing
but woe . . . well into 1956,"
Iron Age declared, adding that
there's "no chance of relief until
the third quarter, if then."
Iron Age also said higher steel
prices are in the making. It said
"at least part of the expansion
costs" will be met by higher
prices, and reported increasing
stress by industry leaders on the
need for price hikes.
HOOD
iVOlf
THE HANDY
YELLOW PAGES
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i i
a v 7 s i v y i
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Bartlett Streets
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE SEVEN
Walsh Named Heed
Salem U.R) A former state
senator from Coos Bay has been
named head of State Sen. Mark
Hatfield's campaign for Repub
lican nomination for Oregon ;
i
secretary of state. j
Named chairman was William :
E. Walsh, now a Coos Bay attor-j
ney and a member of the State ;
Board of Higher Education. i
STILL TIME TO ORDER
IMPRINTED CHRISTMAS
CARDS
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m i ft -mm
ftND fT FAST IN THE YELLOW PAGES
Pacific Telephone
Phone 2-8037
Of Hatfield Campaign
Stewart H. Compton, Salem,
was selected treasurer of Hat
field's campaign committee.
CHRIS THE TAILOR
NOW at 36 North Bartlett
Made-to-Measure Clothes
Alterations Repairing
Remodeling PH. 2-8473
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