William Penn Life, 1976 (11. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

1976-07-01 / 3. szám

MINUTES . . .

(Continued from Page 19)

of a letter from the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America expressing their regrets that they were unable to attend our 90th Anniversary Banquet.

37) President Charles submitted a report on the creation of an Ethnic Park in Allegheny County whereby each nationality would create a pavilion of some sort, characteristic of their homeland. After a discussion of this matter, it was referred to the Executive Committee for further study and recommendation.

38) Director Sabo extended an invitation to the Directors, Officers and members of William Penn Association to attend the Annual Scholarship Dinner- Dance to be held Saturday, October 16, 1976, at the Duquesne Golf Club.

39) The Board sincerely acknowledged the gift from the Magyarok Világ Szövetség which was presented to the Association by First Secretary Rezső Mikola at the 90th Anniversary Banquet held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

40) President Charles thanked everyone for the fine cooperation extended during this meeting. He thanked the Board for the action taken in the appointment of Mr. Szilagyi as Vice Presideat for Marketing. He appreciated the remarks each Director made to Mr. Szilagyi and for their promise of full cooperation. The William Penn Association is looked upon with great integrity by other Fraternal Societies and acknowledged as a leader in its field. Mr. Charles extended best wishes to our families for a pleasant summer vacation and a safe journey to our homes. They will be thinking of us while on their trip to Hungary.

41) Mr. Charles adjourned the meeting at 12:45 P.M.

Respectfully submitted, Frank J. Radvany Secretary of the Board

YOUR HEALTH

«NNSUVANIA MEOlCAl SOCIETY

A “M1TEY” BIG PROBLEM

The United States is in the middle of an epidemic—the worst in thirty years —an epidemic of scabies. Scabies is a universal infection. It is no respector of age, sex, color, or social status. It is very easily transmitted and even the most careful person can be infected.

Outbreaks of scabies have occurred among school children, in hospitals and nursing homes. The only way to stop

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such outbreaks is through early diagnosis. The best way to detect scabies is to be aware of its telltale symptoms.

The most obvious symptom is intense itching, which grows worse at night. The skin is also affected by tiny red marks that look like wavy lines. Scabies attacks any part of the body, but the mite insect, which is the actual cause of the disease, prefers places where the skin folds. Fingers, the bend of the knee or elbow, the underarm, or the genitals are common sites.

Treatment for scabies, which should be supervised by a physician, involves two steps. First, under a physician’s guidance, the patient rids his body of the mites. The second step, which is necessary to control the spread of the mites to other people, is treatment of household items. Articles of clothing and bed linens can be sources of direct contact which could infect other persons. Such things should be thoroughly washed.

While scabies epidemics seem to be cyclical in nature, this current round may be attributed to population mobillity, and increased sexual promiscuity. Whatever the cause, scabies has become a “mitey” big problem in the United States.

** YOUR HEALTH

«WNSVLVANIA MEOlCAl SOCIETY

FUN IN THE SUN?

The same summer sun which warms you and gives you that golden tan may also be giving you skin cancer. Skin cancer is a major public health problem —as old as human exposure to sunshine.

Too much sun is dangerous. Not only does it cause wrinkles, and skin damage, but also it causes cancer. About 600,000 people in the United States have diagnosed cases of skin cancer. Another 300,000 will have their skin cancer diagnosed for the first time in 1976. Not all skin cancers are caused by sunshine, but most cases can be traced to the sun’s rays.

Fortunately, if caught early, this cancer is almost completely curable. But it can also be painful and disfiguring. The best treatment is prevention. Since skin cancer can be prevented by avoiding overexposure to the sun’s rays, you have several choices.

Some doctors recommend that high risk people keep out of the sun completely. High risk includes fair-skinned people who easily sunburn or freckle. But staying out of the sun altogether could ruin your summer. Fortunately, commercial sun screen lotions help protect your skin from the damage sunshine can do. These products differ from tan-O CO • Q —) O « < • O _J O z -J cf

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ning lotions and block out most of the sun’s rays.

You can also build up your exposure to sunlight. Your first day on the beach should be limited to 15 minutes of full sun exposure. Gradually increase this amount by a few minutes each day. Babies and toddlers are especially vulnerable.

Skin which is constantly exposed to sunshine tends to prematurely age. Constant sun exposure can even lead to skin cancer. Today’s golden tan could be tomorrow’s skin problems.

“FIRM, STEADY HANDS”

Surgery in the colonial period was a rough art indeed. Surgeons, not to mention patients, faced overwhelming odds. There was no dependable means of relieving pain during an operation. True anesthetics were not yet known; a stiff drink was the major anesthetic, and this did not actually prevent pain.

Surgeons were also hampered by a lack of knowledge of human anatomy. During the colonial period, it was unlawful to use cadavers for the study of anatomy. In fact, it was not until after the Civil War that knowledge of anatomy would advance. Not until 1868 was Pennsylvania’s first anatomy act passed to provide a legal source of bodies for dissection.

The surgical kit of the colonial doctor was woefully inadequate. In it were a few cutting instruments such as scalpels, some needles, instruments for probing wounds, and plenty of linen bandages. The only major operations performed were amputations and trepanning, a procedure which involved boring a hole into the skull to relieve fluid pressure on the brain.

Open fractures had a high mortality rate and always indicated amputation. In 1764, when a Boston doctor broke his finger badly falling down stairs, surgeons saw no other course but to amputate the finger. Half of all amputations of the day resulted in death.