Standard-Speaker from Hazleton, Pennsylvania • Page 11

THIS PAGE MACS OVEH FINAL EDITION SEE END OF ROLL Hazleton Standard-Speaker, Wednesday, May 26, 1993 1 1 i Memorial Day: It's a time for remembering Memorial Day is the nation's day for remembering remembering young men and women who went to war, remembering those who never returned. This year, a small and increasingly select group of veterans will remember back 75 years, to the final year of their great war, the "war to end all wars" World War I. They'll remember their famous commander, Gen. 'Black Jack' Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in France. They'll remember their 20-day battle at Bcllcau Wood (which began on Memorial Day 1918) and the Allied victory there marking the beginning of the end of the war for Germany.

They'll remember the bright, red poppies of Flanders fields which have come to symbolize the human toll of modern warfare. They may also remember just how many years have passed since "their" war, and just how few of them arc left. The Department of Veterans Affairs, using 1990 census data, puts the number of America's World War I veterans alive today at less than 30,000. Their median age is 95 and, VA statisticians say, their number is declining at about 25 per day. In not so many more years, they will be Memorial Day memories, gone but immortalized by the symbol of the small red poppy which is World War I's unique contribution to America's Memorial Day tradition.

It was during a lull in the fighting on a Belgium battlefield in May 1915 that Lt. Col. John McCrac, a Canadian army surgeon, looked out from his trench at newly marked graves surrounded by wild, red corn poppies and wrote the poignant opening line, "In Flanders fields the poppies blow to a poem that came to memorialize the war's fallen around the world. "In Flanders that year in a British magazine and quickly spread to the United States. Get ready! Put safety skills to the test Memorial Day kicks off a season of barbecues, swimming, picnics and other summertime But it is also the beginning of 'trauma season' the time of year when injuries skyrocket.

More injuries occur in the The poem grew in popularity among Allied solders and civilians throughout the war. In America, Moina Michael was so moved after reading it in a magazine that she vowed to keep its message alive by wearing a red silk poppy for the rest of her life. Her gesture captured the public's imagination, and she proposed an' annual poppy day with mass production and national distribution of a red silk flower in remembrance of World War I casualties. By the end of the war, artificial poppies were sold in France to raise funds for war disabled and refugees. The British Legion, comprised of veterans relief organizations, sold the silk flowers to aid the war disabled as well.

The newly established American Legion assumed national sponsor- ship for Moina Michael's poppy day in 1920. The first nationwide distribution of poppies in America, in 1921 with French-made flowers, was on behalf of the Franco-American Children's League to assist children in devastated areas of France and Belgium. In 1922, the Veterans of Foreign Wars sponsored a Memorial Day distribution of French-made silk poppies, and the American Legion and its Auxiliary distributed crepe poppies made by veterans in Minnesota hospitals, both to assist America's needy veterans. By the next year, the practice of sponsoring Memorial Day distribution of poppies made by American veterans-hospital patients was in place. It carries on to this day.

The artificial poppies arc made by patients in VA work-therapy programs and residents of veterans homes who arc paid small sums for their work Local units of the American Legion Auxiliary and the VFW purchase the poppies from their headquarters, and community volunteers distribute them to donors just prior to Memorial Day. Poppy donations are used by the organizations to provide rehabilitation and financial assistance for needy veterans and their families. FLANDERS FIELDS Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row. That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead.

Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw 77ie torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. Coloneljohn McCrae (1872-1918) i The Peoples Pharmacy By Joe and Teresa Graedon C1993 King Features Syndicate summer as a result of increased activity levels, according to Jeffrey Runge, M.D., an emergency specialist in North Carolina and chair of the Injury Prevention Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Practicing injury prevention can save you and your family an unnecessary trip to the emergency department.

"Safety awareness and knowing how to recognize and respond to common medical emergencies are critical to avoiding injuries," says Dr. Runge. "Americans need to know how and when to use the emergency medical services system." Get ready for summer by testing your safety skills during National Emergency Medical Services Week May 23-29. "Emergency Medical Services: We're Ready Are You?" is the theme for this week-long celebration a time for public education on what constitutes a medical emergency, first aid skills and the EMS system. Use the week to: Inspect all first aid kits.

Check expiration dates, refill empty packages, etc. (For a list of what to include in your home first aid kit, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to ACEP, 900 17th St. NW, Suite 1250, Washington, D.C., 20006.) Have a fire drill in your home. Test all smoke detectors and your family's emergency preparedness. Keep all emergency numbers' posted by the phone and a list of current medications, allergies and medical history.

Update your children's medical history and immunizations, shots, check-ups, etc. Call your community ambulance service, hospital andor fire department to find out about EMS Week activities. National EMS Week gives individuals the opportunity to sharpen their first aid skills. EMS Week also honors more than 750,000 emergency medical service providers nationwide, including firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency nurses, emergency physicians and others. be extremely drying and weaken the nails.

A moisturizer such as Epilyt lotion may well help prevent chipping. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 235 E. 45th New York, N. 1001 7.

SEA ISLANDS The remoteness and inaccessibility of the Sea Islands, off America's southeast coast, enable residents to retain their Gullah speech, an African-influenced Creole. BAHAMA INDEPENDENCE The Bahamas became independent in 1973 after three centuries of British colonial rule. cC ill rrrmrro ll uliiiilixilraxd Magic rij i jr qri I Chef 1 REFRIGERATORS, RANGES, WASHERS, DRYERS AND MORE! 20-LB. CAPACITY NEW GENERATION CO-LB. CAPACITY NEW GENERATION 120-LB.

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Is it true that aluminum might contribute to Alzheimer's disease? My doctor has prescribed an aluminum antacid for bad heartburn. He wants me to take several tablespoons daily and dismisses my fears as unfounded. But the idea that I might be damaging my brain while treating my indigestion frightens me to death. A. The connection between aluminum and Alzheimer's is still extremely controversial.

Most researchers are not convinced that exposure to aluminum contributes to the development of this disease. Nevertheless, aluminum is found in the brains of Alzheimer's victims and we don't know if it is cause or effect. Until this controversy is finally resolved, you may want to err on the side of caution. There are many ways to treat indigestion that don't include aluminum-based antacids. We are sending you our brochure that discusses prevention and treatment of heartburn.

It also lists a number of drugs that contain aluminum and suggests some alternatives. Anyone who would like a copy of Gastrointestinal Drugs, please send 52 with a long (No. 10) stamped, self-addressed envelope: Gracdons' People's Pharmacy, No. G-426, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Turns, Titralac and Rolaids (Calcium Rich) are all good antacids that do not contain aluminum. Alternatives might include a prescription acid-fighter such as Tagamet, Pepcid or Zantac. Given your worries about Alzheimer's disease, it may be worth checking with your physician about one of these options. O- I've been taking Advil for pain. Could it be responsible for the awful itching and rash I have all over my body? The doctor gave me cortisone to treat the rash.

A. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, Nuprin, etc.) can indeed cause an itchy rash. Although cortisone may relieve the symptoms temporarily, you should probably avoid ibuprofen from now on as this allergic reaction could become quite serious. Q. My fingernails have always been a problem.

They break easily and chip off in layers. I once tried taking gelatin but didn't find it helpful. Fingernail polish seems to dry them out even more. In addition, I've been plagued with a fungal infection in three of my toenails. I have tried various remedies but nothing has worked, not even prescription drugs.

I seem to recall something in your column about home remedies for problem nails. Please print them again. A. Griseofulvin is the only approved treatment for fungal infections of the nails. But many dermatologists have confided to us that this expensive prescription can cause side effects, must be taken for a long time and is not always effective.

Home remedies will not necessarily cure nail fungus either. But readers of this column have recommended a number of cheap options ranging from vitamin capsules squirted on the nail to soaks in the herbal tea, Pau d'Ar-co, or white vinegar. We are sending you a brochure discussing these treatments. Anyone who would like a copy of Hair Nail Care, please send $2 with a long (No. 10) stamped, self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No.

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