The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, December 14, 1961, Image 2
PAGE TWO
March of Dimes Clinic Head Forecasts
Pre-Marital Tests for Birth Defects
. Before most thoughtful young couples marry,
they do a great deal of planning for the future.
They ponder about jobs, homes of their own,
saving money for their retirement years.
All well and good, but—
The pediatrician-in-chief at famed Johns
Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, Md.,
wishes they would invest as much thought—be
fore marriage—in their planning for healthy
children.
Dr. Robert E. Cooke predicts the development
of pre-marital tests which would forewarn of
genetic deficiencies or flaws in either or both
parties to a marriage that could cause their chil
dren to be born with
serious defects due to
heredity.
Dr. Cooke speaks
from extensive knowl
edge of the problem.
In addition to his aca
demic position, he is
responsible for the
Birth Defects Special
Treatment Center at
Johns Hopkins, which
is financed by March
of Dimes contributions
from the Baltimore
City and County chap
ters of the National
Foundation.
The genetic tests
which Dr. Cooke sees
for the future would
bring to light gene
patterns in potential
parents that could
cause their children
to be born deaf, blind,
mentally retarded or malformed.
By the same token, the tests when adequately
developed would also reassure the vast majority
of young couples of the likelihood of their hav
ing normal, healthy families.
What if a young couple agrees to undergo
these searching tests, and the results show they
might have babies with congenital malforma
tions? Would such a marriage be forbidden?
Dr. Robert E. Cooke
Tests Are No Bar To Marriage
“By no means,” Dr. Cooke said in a recent
interview. “The tests should be voluntary. An
unfavorable prognosis or prediction should not
provide, in my view, either legal or moral
grounds for advising against marriage.
“The results of biochemical examination of
their blood and cell enzymes should be made
available to prospective parents and the outlook
for their offspring made quite clear. But ulti
mate decision as to marriage should be left to
the individuals themselves.”
Dr. Cooke added that genetic defects in the
husband and wife may also be the cause of
childlessness.
Pursuing his line of thought further, Dr.
Cooke said that our young people should be
given a better understanding of this subject.
Proper instruction would minimize anxiety and
permit them to plan their futures in a mature
manner. The noted pediatrician would like to
see more genetic investigation and counseling
of patients by physicians—he calls it “anticipa
tory medicine.” He feels that medical students
should become much more knowledgeable about
human embryology.
“More than a quarter of a million babies with
significant birth defects are born eiery year in
the United States—almost 700 daily. Until scien
tific research can develop means to prevent these
tragedies, young people who are the mothers
and fathers of future generations should under
stand how and why they happen,” he said.
Such premarital tests as Dr. Cooke advocates
are not practical today on a widespread basis
because of a lack of appropriate laboratories.
“But with increased research in birth defects,
and with improvement in our medical technol
ogy and our laboratory facilities, genetic tests
will soon become practical and feasible,” he pre
dicted.
“Through them we may well come to the
actual detection of future birth abnormalities
and possibly prevent many by proper handling
of the pregnancy.”
He Defines i Birth Defects*
Dr. Cooke says there is a great confusion re
garding the term “birth defects.” Medically,
these are congenital anomalies caused by genetic
factors or by injury to the embryo during its life
in the womb. Most of the general public mis
takenly believes that birth defects are limited
to those apparent at birth, such as missing ex
tremities, an enlarged head (hydrocephalus) or
open spine (spina bifida). But many more subtle
birth defects are not disclosed until maturity
and even middle age.
For example, severe high blood pressure ap
pearing in later life has been shown in many
instances to result from congenital malforma
tions of the blood vessels of the kidneys, a dis
order present at birth but unrecognizable at that
time. Birth defects also account for many cases
of diabetes, urological disorders and gout that
do not become apparent until middle life. The
list could be substantially lengthened, Dr. Cooke
pointed out.
The Birth Defects Special Treatment Center at
Johns Hopkins is one of a rapidly growing num
ber of centers in various parts of the nation
financed by National Foundation chapters using
March of Dimes contributions. They provide
comprehensive medical care for victims, with
emphasis on early diagnosis, prevention of dis
ability, rehabilitation and expansion of knowl
edge concerning birth defects.
In addition, the voluntary health organization
has established university-affiliated birth de
fects clinical study and research centers in
Columbus, Ohio, Oklahoma City, and Nashville,
Tenn. A similar program of March of Dimes-
supported treatment and research centers in
arthritis is also in effect across the country.
“Birth defects cause 21,000 deaths each year
in the United States,” says Dr. Cooke. “That’s
twice the toll taken by tuberculosis and ten
times the annual number of deaths from whoop
ing cough, measles, polio and infectious hepatitis
combined.
“The National Foundation-March of Dimes
is taking a historic forward step in searching for
a preventive. Until it is found, one thing we
might do is to determine, before marriage, what
types of family genetic histories are likely to
lead to the calamity of major birth defects. The
means to do it are within our reach.”
Webster’s Dictionary...
THE PRODUCERS OF WEBSTER'S LATEST DICTIONARY say
that "ain't" is a good and proper word. It ain't how much you make
but how much you save that counts. Ask the more than 7,500 savers
at Newberry Federal who will receive more than $275,000.00 in Divi
dends at the current rate of 4% pr annum on December 30th, if this
isn't true.
MOST OF OUR SAVERS SAVE BY THE WEEK AND BY THE
MONTH. We don't have many rich people who save with us, but
we do have thousands who save a little each time they receive their
pay check. That's what counts, that's what makes NEWBERRY FED
ERAL the largest savings institution in Newberry County.
I -V
CURRENT DIVIDEND RATE
PER
ANNUM
(COMPOUNDED SEMI-ANNUALLY)
1823 COLLEGE STREET, NEWBERRY, 8- C.
BRANCH OFFICE — Batesburg, S. C.
J. F. CLARKSON
M. O. SUMMER
Directors
G. K. DOMINICK
J. K. WILLINGHAM
E. B. PURCELL
W. C HUFFMAN
■J'’-'
THE NEWBERRY SUN, NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA
' . ■ ML. .I,. - - - —
Mrs. U. S. Savings Bonds of 1962
mmm
S :v : -^
; „ £
. :
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V *
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m.
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Blonde, blue-eyed Mrs. Emily Terrall, of St. Helens, Oregon,
is the new ‘‘Mrs. United States Savings Bonds of 1962.” As a
Tfeasury volunteer Goodwill Ambassador, she will tour the nation
during the coming year in the promotion of Savings Bonds. The
37-year-old housewife won the title from among 51 state con
testants for the “Mrs. America” title in competition just closed at
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where she appeared as "Mrs. Oregon."
The Terrall family is no stranger to Savings Bonds. Husband of
the new “Mrs. Savings Bonds” is an industrial engineer, and buys
bonds regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan. Mrs. Terrall, an
alumna of the University of Washington, has been active in the
PTA-sponsored school stamp program. And needless to say, their
three sons—aged 7, 9 and 12—are all avid stamp buyers. Mrs.
Terrall is the fifth winner of the “Mrs. Savings Bonds” title. She
succeeds Mrs. Vivian Ackerman, of Tucson, Arizona.
THE HANDY FAMILY BY LLOYD BIRMINGHAM
YOU NEED A A PONT WORRY,
NEW WASTE BASKET) MOW, I'M. GOING
IN YOUR ROOM / TO MAKE ONE
JUNIOR-THIS WITH A
OLD ONE'S ) NAUTIOAL THEME
A MESS
&
JUNIOR'S PUN
FOR A
NAUTICAL
WASTE
BASKET
it r
rope 7
holes
SIDE
PIECES*
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PUMOOD
<-4'"—*i*\
SCRE'
K-4
WASHINGTON AND
SMALL BUSINESS
By C. WILSON HARDER
While it did not get to vote
in the past session, it is quite
certain that the proposal to ex
pand Social Security to provide
medical care for the aged will
again be introduced in Cong
ress in January.
* * *
It is signi
ficant that in
a nationwide
poll of the na
tion’s inde
pendent busi
nessmen con
ducted by the
National Fed
eration of In-
dependent
Business, al- c. W. Harder
most three-fourths of them are
opposed to this measure.
* * *
There is an old Arab proverb
to the affect that once the cam
el gets his nose into the tent,
he soon takes over the tent.
And it is proved time and
time again that once a bureauc
racy gets irto a free institu
tion, that institution is gone.
* * *
It is not necessary to go fur
ther than the British Isles to
st e this principle at work.
Af\«r nibbling away at what
was once a fine system of medi
cine, bureaucracy came into
full bloom with the National
Health Service.
* * *
Today, more British taxes go
to support this welfare medi
cal scheme than is devoted to
supporting the national defense
of the country. It is estimated
today that the average British
wage earner pays out in taxes
for this system two or three
times the cost of good private
medical insurance.
* * *
And what does he get? Very
little evening or Sunday aid for
one thing. And in addition, ac
cording to reports, the quality
^ National Feder ni-v rf I uric pendent Bu3!reps
of men entering British medi
cine is deteriorating.
♦ * *
As British medicine has now
become a civil service func
tion, with automatic pay raises
according to time served, and
all the other stultifying aspects
of civil service work, British
medicine is attracting a differ
ent type of person.
* * *
While there are some imper
fections in the American sys
tem, any one who wants to
practice medicine must have a
spirit of dedication to carry
him through the long rigorous
schooling and training pro
gram, knowing at the end of it,
there is no automatic income
guaranteed. It Is in some as
pects a most brutal system of
selection, yet usually only those
the fittest to practice medicine
survive.
* *
However, under the British
system, anybody who can man
age to keep up the minimum
grades is guaranteed imme
diate rewards, a lifetime of
security, with automatic in
come increases.
* * ♦
It also seems significant that
when former Prime Minister
Anthony Eden became ill, he
was first operated on in Bri
tain, bat was finally sent to
America for surgery and re
covery to health.
* * *
In Britain it all started in
nocently enough. The govern
ment got into the practice of
medicine in just a small way.
Then it got in a little more.
The next thing, medical prac
tice became government,
v a *
For never in the history of
mankind has any bureaucracy,
once started, stayed static, let
alone shrunk, for the unseen
motto on every bureaucrats
desk is “Every day and in
every way, this bureau must
fret bigger and bigger.”
Utt
1218 Colkf« Street
NEWBERRY. S. C.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
O. F. Armfield, Jr., Owner
Second-Class postage paid at NeT’ ^^ry, South
Carolina.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $2.00 per year in ad
vance: six months. $1.25.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 11
THEN AND NOW .. .Television
antenna on this 1845 log cabin
in Monroe, Wis., is? merely a
sign of the times. The house is
presently occupied by the Wil
liams family.
SOME CATS . . . Strange rela
tions, this monkey and cat, resi
dents of a Bradenton, Fla., gift
shop. The animals are insepara
ble—in or out of the cage.
By C. A. DEAN, M.D.
MEDITORIAL: Breaking a seri
ous laxative habit requires a lot
of cooperation from the patient.
Besides a high residue diet (in
cluding bulk medicines, fruits,
vegetables) and regular habits,
there are a few new laxating
agents that are helpful.
The decision as to what medi
cines and laxatives to use should
come from the family doctor.
Gradual weaning from all laxa
tives is the goal. There is no rea
son why normal bowel habits can't
be established in most patients
no matter how long they have
been on laxatives.
If the patient either drinks a
small amount of fluid daily or
loses a large amount of water
through sweating, there will be a
small amount of fluid in the sys
tem and hard, dry movements.
An adequate intake of fluids is
important to avoid this type of
constipation. It is advisable to
have at least eight to ten glasses
of water or juice daily.
In an occasional patient an un
derlying colitis (inflammation or
spasm of the colon) may be a con
tributing cause. This has to be
treated before the constipation
can be corrected.
In the older age group there
may be the opposite of a spastic
colon, that is, an inactive colon
with the inadequate peristaltic
stimulants. Stool softeners are
very helpful for this condition.
Should constipation develop sud
denly after many years of regular
habits or unexplicably become
much worse, it is important to
find out the reason for this change
first and not to try self-medica
tion. Trying to correct the situa
tion yourself may delay the dis
covery of a possible cancerous
tumor until it is too late to cure.
When under any treatment for
constipation, it is always better
in emergencies to take a small
enema rather than a harsh laxa
tive.
A
m
w
JUST A THOUGHT:
Sometimes we are so boay
looking for things to criticise
that we overlook many things
that merit a word or two of
praise or congratulations.
Under the Juniper
D O NOT despair of the present
when you read in the papers
or hear over the radio of many
crimes. It was worse in the “good
old days.” The wide dissemina
tion of news makes the time seem
worse than the past And there
are more people in the world now.
So do not despair of the United
States if a few delinquents do
some dastardly thing. There are
multiplied millions who are re
specting the iaw.
And why despair of the human
race because a small number of
men and women do the things
that fill the papers with lurid
things? Multiplied millions of our
people have not robbed a bank or
shed the blood of their fellows
These thoughts are suggested
by an incident in the life of Elijah,
the prophet of God in an evil time
and in an evil land. When God
found Elijah under a juniper tree
and asked what he was doing
there, the prophet replied that the
enemies of the Lord had slain his
prophets, overthrown his altars,
and were seeking the life of Eli
jah to take it away. And the old
prophet lamented that he alone
was left to serve God. Then the
Lord told Elijah there left 7000 in
Israel who had not bowed the
knee to Boal. And there are mil
lions on our land who have not
betrayed their faith.
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