Dental care tools and how to use?

Dental Care TOOLS

 A toothbrush, preferably soft-bristled, never hard, since it will be used at the gumline as well as on the teeth

 Dental floss

 An irrigator, or water spray, attachable to the bathroom faucet

 Many types are available. Your dentist may recommend one.

A small, inexpensive, plastic-handled mouth mirror, available from your dentist or drugstore

How TO PROCEED

BRUSHING

 Properly used, a toothbrush can clean three of the five surfaces of the teeth-chewing, cheek side and tongue side. Note: A critical, often missed zone is the last one-sixteenth inch of the tooth at the gum margin. Plaque and bacteria near the gum as well as on the rest of the tooth must be removed. Direct the brush bristles gently into the crevice between gum and teeth. 

Mildly vibrate brush handle so bristles do not travel and skip about but can dislodge material in this area. A soft-bristle brush gently used will do no damage to gum tissue; a stiff bristle brush may. Next, move brush, applying gentle but firm pressure, so bristles travel over surface of tooth. Brush upper teeth with a downward motion; lower, with upward motion. 

Brush surfaces next to tongue and surfaces next to cheek. Then clean the chewing surfaces, brushing across tops of teeth. Brush at least half a dozen strokes in each area.

FLOSSING

 Plaque must be cleaned away from the other two surfaces of the teeth-the sides, or interdental surfaces. Floss can accomplish this. Cut off a piece of floss 18 to 24 inches long. Wrap the ends around the forefinger and middle finger of each hand, leaving the thumbs free. To floss between upper teeth, use thumbs as guide; hold thumbs about 1 inch apart, keeping floss taut. For lower teeth, use forefingers as guide, keeping them 1 inch apart.

 Slip the floss between each pair of teeth. Do not try to snap floss through a tight area; work it gently back and forth until it passes through. Carry the floss to the base of one tooth, stopping when it is just under the edge of the gum. Scrape the floss up and down against the side of the tooth until you get a rough or "squeaky" feeling, which indicates you have broken through the plaque and are actually touching the tooth. After cleaning the side of one tooth, clean the side of the adjoining tooth.

 RINSING

 After brushing and flossing, vigorous rinsing will remove dislodged food particles, plaque, and bacteria. An irrigating spray also helps clean under any bridges or braces and in gum pockets where brush and floss cannot reach. Place the spray tip in the mouth pointing toward the tongue and adjust water flow until pressure and temperature feel good. Move tip so warm water washes spaces between teeth and between gums and teeth. The spray should not be painful at any time. 

MYXEDEMA-SIMPLE GOITER-Pregnant women

MYXEDEMA

 In this condition produced by thyroid under functioning, the patient is sluggish physically and mentally, cannot stand the cold, sometimes develops a tongue so large and thick that it sticks out of the mouth. Treatment, by administration of thyroid hormone, usually brings marked improvement. Some babies are born with thyroid deficiency. 

Any child who seems to be developing too slowly-for example, in following objects with his eyes or holding his head erect-should be checked by a physician for thyroid deficiency. The earlier such a child is treated, the better the chances for normal development.

SIMPLE GOITER

 To function normally, the thyroid must have iodine. Lacking sufficient iodine, it cannot produce the normal quantity of hormone. In an effort to compensate, the gland enlarges until a noticeable lump may appear in the throat. The swelling, or goiter, may become large enough to interfere with breathing or swallowing. 

Thyroid hormoneconsists of about 65 percent iodine, but the amount of iodine needed in food to avoid goiter is small. Iodized table salt-an amount no more than ordinarily used with meals-is enough, even in areas where the soil is completely lacking in natural iodine. Too much iodine may cause a skin eruption. 

Although consuming iodine does not cute a simple goiter, it will prevent one and will stop an existing goiter from enlarging further. Anyone with even a small goiter should have medical attention for it. 

It is especially important for expectant mothers who live in regions such as the Rocky Mountain States, the Great Lakes Basin, and the Upper Mississippi River Valley, where the soil is lacking in iodine, to follow doctor's orders about the amount of iodine they need. Insufficient iodine in the diet may cause a mother to produce a child with thyroid deficiency.

However, most pregnant women develop a slight enlargement of the thyroid, and this should cause no undue worry. 

Harmones and glands - overactivity and underactivity

Many hormones

The Endocrine Glands I 263 is known to pour out a dozen or so; the adrenals more than 30. The following table shows a number of the hormones and some of the dis- eases resulting when a gland is too active or not active enough: Disease Caused by Exophthalmic goiter (also Myxedema, called Graves' disease or cretinism (in hyperthyroidism) infants)

ROLL CALL OF THE GLANDS 

The Islets of Langerhans Diabetes is the most familiar of the diseases caused by endocrine gland disorder. GLAND Thyroid Parathyroid Islets of Langerhans (pancreas) Adrenal Cortex Medulla Gonads Female (ovary) Male (testis) Pituitary anterior lobe posterior lobe HORMONE Thyroxin Parathormone Insulin Cortin, cortisone, etc. Adrenaline Estrogen (estrin) Androgen (testosterone) Corticotropin, thyrotropin, gonadotropins, lactogenic hormone, prolactin Vasopressin, oxytocin

OVERACTIVITY 

Hyperparathyroidism (osteitisfibrosacystica) Hyperinsulinism Cushing's syndrome, adrenal hypercorticism, adrenal virilismHyperadrenalism, pheochromocytoma Menstrual irregularities Excessive virilism Cushing's syndrome (hyper adrenalism) r gigantism (acromegaly) 

UNDERACTIVITY Parathyroid tetany Diabetes mellitus Addison's disease May contribute to symptoms of Addison's disease Menopause Eunuchism Dwarfism, Simmonds' disease Diabetes insipidus The islets of Langerhans of the pancreas secrete insulin.

This hormone enables the body to use, or burn, sugar and starch after they have been converted by digestive juices into glucose. The body must utilize glucose (sugar) to provide heat and energy and to help in utilization of other foods. Any sugar the body does not immediately need is stored in the tissues to be drawn on later, like money in the bank. 

When the islets fail to provide insulin to spark this process, the sugar passes unused into the blood and is eliminated in the urine. The quantity of urine increases, causing the diabetic to become thirsty and to drink more fluid, which in turn is quickly eliminated. Not all reasons why the islets may fail to produce enough insulin are known. 

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM 

The endocrine glands differ markedly in appearance and are widely separated in the body. The pituitary is a round mass about the size of a large green pea, attached by a stalk to the brain stem. The thyroid, deep in the throat, has been likened to a small oyster, though it is beefy red in color. Attached to the thyroid are the parathyroid-generally four, although there may be more or less-which somewhat resemble BB shots. 

The adrenals, rising like mushrooms from atop the kidneys, are two in number. Each consists of a core, the medulla, and a casing, the cortex. The pancreas, lying against the back wall of the abdomen, might appear at first glance to be no endocrine gland at all, since it has a duct leading into the intestine. But in the tail and elsewhere it also has a few tiny segments, called islets, which form an endocrine gland, pouring their secretions into the bloodstream. The gonads, or sex glands, consist of testes in men and ovaries in women. In addition, there are the pineal gland in the upper back part of the brain, and the thymus which is found below the thyroid in young people. and withers away.

Very little is known as yet about the pineal and thymus

 The hormones these glands send through the blood to various parts of the body act like messengers (the word hormone comes from the Greek word meaning to excite or stir up). The hormones do not actually create processes; instead they give the orders for certain processes to speed up or slow down. And the endocrine glands form an interdependent system. In a sense, they can be likened to a family in that what happens to one affects the others.

 If one gland is removed, the functioning of all others is altered. Similarly, if the functioning of one increase so its secretions increase, others are affected. This is one reason why it can be dangerous to dose oneself with a hormone, glandular tissue or extract, or whatever it may be called, (or the purpose of reducing weight, getting rid of .'X oo ",,, hair, developing the breasts, becoming more virile, or for any other reason. 

As an example of how the glands work together, the pituitary secretes a hormone that moves through the blood to the adrenals to stimulate the latter. In turn, the adrenals secrete a hormone that travels to the pituitary and signals the latter to slow production of the adrenal-arousing hormone. Actually, the pituitary secretes hormones to stir up each of the other endocrine glands, and each gland responds in the same way. Until recently, it was thought that the pituitary was the "master" gland. But it is now evident that the pituitary is no all-powerful monarch on its own. It is connected to the floor of one of the ventricles in the brain called the hypothalamus. 

Eye care - How to wash your eyes?

Eye care

It is not necessary to routinely wash the eyes, since nature has pro- vided for cleaning through the tear glands. 50 don't use eye drops or wash your eyes daily with any solution. Incidentally, boric acid does not deserve its reputation as an antiseptic for the eyes. All you need do to keep your eyes clean is to wash the skin around them, using a clean personal washcloth. 

Avoid rubbing your eyes with your fingers. Eye Injury You can't be too careful in guarding your eyes against accidents at home, work, and play. Impress the need on children. And always see a physician immediately if an eye has been hurt, since delay can mean blindness. One serious injury is that resulting from sun eclipses. There are still too many adults as well as children who are unaware of the danger, and many eyes continue to be damaged because of failure to view an eclipse properly.

For proper viewing, let the sun shine through an opening in one piece of cardboard onto another piece, where it will produce an image you can observe in safety. 

Keep the sun at your back. Commonly, of course, dirt, cinders, and other bits of foreign material get into the eyes. Remember that in children, especially in the excitement of play, a foreign body in the eye is often quickly forgotten, but some hours later there may be sensitivity to light, beginning redness, and a tendency to keep the lids closed. It's important to suspect a foreign body even though a child may not remember it. Blindly trying to wash out a foreign body may do little good.

The object may be trapped in small folds which the washingfluid does not reach. Pull the lower lid down and have the child look upward. This tends to open folds in the lower part of the eye and may reveal the object. To find an object under the upper lid can be more difficult. Have the child look downward while you hold the lashes of the upper lid and turn it inside out over an index finger. When objects lodge on the cornea, they may be more difficult to locate. If there is obvious irritation and yet no object can be found, it is advisable to have the child seen at once by your physician. 

Eye care

 It is foolhardy not to have regular examinations of the eyes-once a year after age 50, less often at younger ages. More and more now, examinations till glaucoma are being included in preventive medicine checkups. Cataracts can be removed surgically at any time and at practically any age. There is no need to wait for a cataract to become complete, or "ripe," as was once believed. Depending on the condition of the lens, the retina, and other factors, an occasional cataract will be treated without surgery. Eye Infections Today, even such severe chronic eye infections as trachoma can be cured with antibiotics and other medicines. 

Don't decide for yourself that an eye infection is nothing to worry about. Of course, there are minor eye infections. Most common is conjunctivitis, or pinkeye, which causes the eyes to redden and the lids to swell and usually stick together in the morning. Many home remedies are used. We think the best approach is:

(1) Wash the eye with warm water using a disposable tissue or cloth (otherwise the infection may be spread to the other eye or another person).

(2) Apply yellow oxide of mercury ophthalmic ointment generously on the lids, and close the eye. Use the ointment morning and night.

(3) Apply hot compresses, moistened with clean water, for five minutes} three or four times daily

If the eye does not improve quickly, see your physician. But if you may, on occasion, treat a mild case of pinkeye, it is unwise to diagnose and self-treat any other form of eye infection. 

Your eyes are simply too precious to be toyed with. If you can't reach a doctor and you find your eyes are severely inflamed or have pus in them, use this emergency measure: Put a generous amount of ophthalmic ointment containing penicillin or some other antibiotic on the inner lids, and then close the eyes so the ointment gets at the eyeballs. Repeat every three hours until you can get medical help. If your physician is not available, go to his hospital's emergency room.

 It is safe for you to treat an occasional style-a pimple-like formation in the tiny glands of the eyelid. Apply hot compresses every two hours for 15 minutes at a time. If the stye does not open and drain and heal in a few days, be sure to see your doctor. See him, too, if you have styes repeatedly. 

Cleaning the Eyes When the eyelids become irritated by wind or dust, you can relieve them by washing them with a warm salt solution, a level teaspoonful of alt to a pint of water. Be sure the utensils you use have been thoroughly leaned and scalded. You may use an eyedropper or eyecup, as you prefer. 

Stomach and health problems- Digestive system

The one problem:

The stomach wound refused to heal completely. St. Martin refused any kind of operation that might close the stomach wall, preferring instead to get along with bandages in place of an intact wall. He did get along remarkably well, and cooperated with Beaumont, who decided to take advantage of the unfortunate situation to make some observations. It was this work that led to the isolation of hydro- chloric acid in the stomach. And from it came many other findings. Beaumont was able to note, for example, that the stomach became flushed with blood when St. Martin became angry and that it also moved about with considerable energy during anger.

Organic diseases-including ulcer, cancer, virus infection, food poisoning, and many otherscan, of course, affect the digestive system. You can protect the digestive system by taking many simple, sensible pre- cautions. For one thing, you can be sensible about the food you eat. If you know that some particular food does not agree with you, you should avoid it. If you happen to be a person with a sensitive colon, it may be that raw vegetables or fresh fruits trouble you. Some people are bothered unduly by such gas-forming foods as radishes, cabbage, cucumbers, and eggs. 

Alcoholic beverages may cause great difficulties for some sensitive people, leading to diarrhea or cramps in some and belching in others. Excessive smoking can upset the stomach.

The list of possible trouble- makers is long; individual sensitivities vary greatly. You need to, and can, be your own "alimentary tract detective." You should, of course, eat a balanced diet. Since such a diet will contain well-proportioned amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, without an excess of any, it will put less of a strain on anyone particular digestive function. 

Avoid rapid eating; the stomach works overtime in trying to handle a meal you did not take time to eat properly-and it may start sending out distress signals. None of us can be entirely free of tension. We're all subject on occasion to "nerves." But we can see to it that we make mealtime a reason- ably pleasant, relaxed time, as an aid to both enjoyment of food and its better digestion. 

THE STOMACH

The stomach, which resembles a bag, is about a foot long and six inches wide. Its capacity is about two and a half pints, and a heavy meal may take as long as six hours to pass through it. The stomach wall has three layers of muscles-circular, Longitudinal], and oblique. tach contracts in a different direction, permitting the stomach to squeeze, twist, and churn its contents, actions that are important.

In addition to mucous glands, it contains other glands which secrete hydrochloric acid and several enzymes. One enzyme, rennin, acts on casein, a protein in milk, forming a curd to be digested by other enzymes. Lipase, an enzyme which splits some fats, including those in cream and egg yolk, plays a small role in the stomach, a larger one in the intestine. Hydrochloric acid helps in the digestion of proteins and has other useful chemical effects. 

Another enzyme produced by the stomach, pepsin, helps digest the milk curd resulting from the action of rennin. What emerges from the stomach after the activity there is a semifluid material called enthymeme. It takes little time, a matter of minutes, for fluids -water, beverages of various kinds-to pass through the stomach. But the rest of a meal spends from three to as much as six hours in the stomach.

The time is affected somewhat by the nature of the food. Carbohydrates pass through most quickly; proteins take longer; fats require the most time. Some fats, in fact, slow the digestive process in the stomach for other foods by slowing secretion of gastric juices, thus somewhat prolonging stomach emptying time.

 At both ends, stomach muscles form sphincters, ringlike valves. At the junction of stomach and esophagus, there is the cardiac sphincter. A similar but stronger valve, the pyloric sphincter, lies at the lower end of the stomach where it joins the small intestine. The two valves close the stomach during digestive activities. When chyme is ready to move on to the intestine, the pyloric sphincter opens and closes several times to allow the stomach to gradually empty. 

One phenomenon associated with the stomach is worth noting here. Somehow, the stomach, which secretes hydrochloric acid to digest proteins in foods, is not itself digested by the acid. How it resists the action of an acid that is capable of dissolving even iron is not fully understood. Yet it does resist, and it is normal to have a usual quota of acid in the stomach-this, despite the concern of millions of Americans who, with the help of constant reminders from the manufacturers of various ant- acids, spend about $100 million a year to neutralize stomach acid. 

Bone joints, ligaments and Bursas

JOINTS, LIGAMENTS, AND BURSAS Joints and ligaments connect bones to each other. At the ends of bones are smooth, gliding joint surfaces which make possible easy, painless movement. A joint consists of a fibrous sheath attached to the smooth ends of the bones. Nature also provides, for the ends of those bones that take part in body movements, a special material, cartilage, which has a resiliency and smoothness that enable fingers, arms, and legs to move many thousands of times daily without making us conscious of their activities. To bind bones together and strengthen the joints, there is a special type of tough "binding cord" called tendon. Tendons are so firmly attached to the bones that only an exceptional strain will tear them away.

A final element in the smooth, effective movement of joints is the bursa. This is a sac or bag with smooth surfaces which contains a small amount of lubricating material. Everyday care of the joints, ligaments and bursas is important. An injured joint, torn ligament, or inflamed bursa-as anyone who has ever suffered one knows-can interfere seriously with enjoyment of life and may ~en be incapacitating. It's essential that you work with, not against, nature so you impose no extra stress on joints, ligaments, and bursas. For one thing, that means maintenance of normal weight; gross over- weight overloads the joints of knees and feet every time you stand or walk.

Good posture also is important for keeping joints in good condition, distributing weight as nature engineered the body to handle it. And good physical condition, which helps to assure good muscle tone, helps to avoid undue strain. We suggest that, in connection with proper care of joints, ligaments, and bursas, you read sections of this book dealing with posture and exercise (page 80) and weight reduction (page 59) if you are over- weight. Everyone should know the proper technique for lifting objects -by bending the knees and bringing into play the leg muscles to help with the lifting rather than relying entirely upon the muscles of the back.

There are many injuries and diseases that can affect the bones, joints, ligaments, and bursas. These are discussed later in this book-e.g., arthritis and rheumatism, fractures, backaches, bursitis, bone diseases. 

HOW VALID ARE THE REASONS FOR DRUG TAKING?

HOW VALID ARE THE REASONS FOR DRUG TAKING?drug medicines, 

Youngsters today defend their use of drugs on the grounds of alcohol. Their thrust to anxious parents is:  answer to this as any has been made by Dr. of the National Institute of Mental Health.  Points out, it is pale. In the first place, the use of alcohol, persons above 21 is not against the law. Secondly, alcohol as a crutch by some people does nothing to other chemical means of 'copping out. 

Drinking and alcoholism are currently subjects of in research. Thirdly, the acceptability of moderate social drinking assumes that adults are mature enough to make mature decisions as to their behavior. And, finally, there is the irrefutable fact that the fresh young years of personality growth and development are dangerously inappropriate for any chemical means of confounding reality. "As authorities well recognize, neither laws nor awareness of the medical facts can themselves secure drug abuse prevention. 

Nor can we stop people from using alcohol or cigarettes as support or as a bandage for their psychic wounds. Ours is a drug-oriented culture. From aspirin to sleeping pills, from tranquilizers to the 'pill,' Americans of all ages are ingesting drugs in greater variety and number than ever before. "It is not so much the phenomenon of use, however, but the misuse and abuse of drugs that bears close investigation. 

Why do people choose to distort or to ward off reality through chemical means? Perhaps we deal with deep-rooted feelings of alienation.

 Alienation among the young has been characterized as 'rebellion without cause ... rejection without a program ... refusal of what is without a vision of what should be.' As scientists we are left to probe whatever reasons can be found for this sad anomaly.

Marijuana and its effects on health and work related issues

MARIJUANA

This is a drug found in the flowering tops and leaves of a hemp plant which grows in mild climates in countries around the world. Known variously as pot, tea, grass, weed, Mary Jane, hash, and kif, marijuana is smoked in short cigarettes or pipe-full made up of the leaves and flowers of the plant.

The smoke has an odor resembling burnt rope or dried grass. Marijuana produces certain clear-cut physical reactions: increase in heartbeat, lowering of body temperature, reddening of the eyes. In addition, the drug affects blood sugar levels, stimulates appetite, and tends to dehydrate the body. 

The effects on emotions and senses vary considerably not only with the quantity and strength of the drug used but also with the circum- stances, including the social setting and the expectations of the user, beginning about fifteen minutes after inhalation of the smoke and for as long as four hours, some users feel excited, some depressed, some experience no mood change.

Often, the sense of time and distance becomes distorted so that a minute may seem as long as an hour, a nearby object may seem far off. The drug affects ability to perform any task requiring clear thinking and good reflexes. Marijuana is an extremely controversial drug. There is a prevailing belief that it is harmless, but some investigators are convinced it is not. 

A recent survey of 2,700 doctors and other professionals in mental health practice disclosed that they had seen 1,887 patients with adverse reactions to marijuana in a period of eighteen months.

As some scientists note, "The very unpredictability of marijuana on different individuals and on the same individual at different times and under different conditions increases the risk to the user." Much still remains to be learned about the long-term effects and possible dangers of marijuana; and aided now by the recent synthesis of the drug's active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, and investigations are being carried out. 

Only very recently has hashish, a drug known for centuries, become a major element in what has been called "America's drug subculture." Both hashish and marijuana come from the same plant. While marijuana is made from the tops and leaves, hashish is the dried resin of the plant. Hashish is often sold in chunks about one-inch square and one- quarter-inch thick and looks much like a clod of dirt. It has little taste -a hint of the household spice thyme.

 Users may put a tiny pebble of it in a pipe or sprinkle a few crumbs of it onto a cookie. Reactions are varied. Some users feel nothing but a slight drowsiness. At the other extreme, some go into panic and scream that they are losing their minds. Some authorities report that if there is a psychological disability, the drug tends to aggravate it and that large doses can cause the same kind of psychotic breakdown as LSD can produce. No one really knows the long-term effects of the drug. Users claim that there will be no permanent effects upon body or mind.

On the other hand, doctors in countries with long histories of hashish usage suggest that the user will become lethargic, apathetic. As this is written, plans are being formulated for the first United States scientific studies of hashish.

HELP FOR THE ALCOHOLIC - who is alcoholic? symptoms and cure

Dr. Harry J. Johnson, President of the Foundation, goes on to urge, very soundly, that every heavy drinker should give himself a test to determine whether or not he is becoming an alcoholic. It's a simple test. It merely requires that the heavy drinker declare a semiannual alcoholic abstention period of not less than one week. 

If he can get through the week without unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, without a feeling of martyrdom, and with no obsessive desire to return to drinking when the rest period is over, alcoholism is not yet present. If, when time for the test period arrives, the drinker rationalizes and justifies a postponement for any reason whatever, he is entering the twilight zone of alcoholism and the point of no return may be near. Alcoholism is preventable. 

Even the heavy drinker, alert to the danger that he is traveling the road to alcoholism, often time to prevent development of the full-blown addiction and disease by limiting alcohol intake.

HELP FOR THE ALCOHOLIC

Once alcoholism has developed, the problem is difficult but not hopeless. It can be solved-and must be solved if permanent damage and possibly death to the alcoholic and incalculable damage to spouse and family as well, are to be prevented. If it is to be solved, it must be approached in no simplistic fashion. It must not be regarded as simply a form of neurosis. 

Every aspect of the problem, which means virtually every aspect of the alcoholic's life, must receive attention. An important part of the physician's job is to help the patient recognize, accept, and understand his illness. He must be made to feel not an outcast, a pariah, but a worthwhile person who has a definite sickness. 

Treatment-more properly, rehabilitation-must be multifaceted: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual.

On the physical side, for ex- ample, because an alcoholic often drinks instead of eating and may be seriously malnourished, lacking in essential vitamins, minerals and other basic nutrients, his diet must be carefully supervised. Many forms of treatment for alcoholism have been tried. There are medications which in some cases have stopped the abuse of alcohol and have prevented the complications of alcoholism. 

For example, for some well-motivated alcoholics, Antabuse, a drug that leads to uncomfortable reactions upon drinking, has proved useful. It may eliminate preoccupation with drinking, freeing the mind for other things, and giving the patient a lift through the feeling that he can live without alcohol. 

Although hypnosis has been found of limited usefulness in producing aversion to alcohol, it sometimes may help in teaching the nervous, anxious patient to relax and develop greater self-esteem. 

Alcoholism and Sexual Problems

 Almost all had sexual problems. Whatever the causative factors of alcoholism may turn out to be, one thing is clear from a practical preventive standpoint: without excessive consumption of alcohol there cannot be alcoholism. Perseverance at drinking heavy drinking is required to establish the addiction. 

Alcoholism is no sudden visitation. The person who becomes alcoholic builds up to it, and often does so quite gradually, unaware that he really is beginning to drink to excess and then that he is drinking more and more to excess. Significantly, there have been surveys of highly intelligent, heavy- drinking business executives to determine what they consider excessive drinking-and always, it appears, the definition of excessive drinking turns out to be several drinks more than the heavy drinker personally consumes.

Some of these men have indicated that they see nothing excessive in drinking as much as a fifth of whiskey a day. Unless they have specific guidelines to follow, it would appear that even intelligent people who have moved far along the road to alcoholism may not recognize the fact. In an effort to provide such guidelines, the Life Extension Foundation in New York, a nonprofit organization de- voted to improving the health of business executives through preventive measures, has produced the following for its executive clients which deserve repeating here.

 Any drinker, the Foundation suggests, can con-sider that alcoholism is approaching:

1.        If two or three years ago a half hour before dinner was set aside for a drink and now this has stretched to two hours and four drinks.

2.        If two or three years ago dinner was anticipated with pleasure and now there is little interest in food and sometimes dinner is completely omitted.

 3.       If two or three years ago cocktails at lunch were for business entertaining only and now one or two are routine.

4.        If two or three years ago weekend consumption was little more than that of weekdays but now drinking is started in the morning and continues more or less all day.