Editor, the Times;
I would like to raise a glass and say, “Hear hear” to the Royal Canadian Legion, Clearwater Branch 259 and all the people who made it possible for Clearwater to have a Dr. Art Hister Day. From the first class dinner to the two hours of non-stop laughter, it was an evening to remember. Also, a special thanks to Dr. Soles for his introduction and banter.
Dr. Hister touched many different aspects of health and medicine, but they were all entwined with humour. He always emphasized not to put a lot of faith in “recent studies” and let common sense prevail.
One of his examples of how studies can be made to satisfy the individual, corporation, or government conducting the study was that done on frogs regarding their range of movement. Scientists taught a frog to respond to a command. When prodded, the frog jumped 15 feet. The scientists then removed one of the frog’s legs and when prodded it only jumped 12 feet. The second leg was removed and the frog jumped nine feet. The removal of the third leg resulted in a jump of six feet. Upon removal of the fourth leg, the frog didn’t jump at all when prodded. As a result of this study, the scientists concluded that “... frogs with no legs are deaf”!
Blood pressure was another topic that got a lot of laughs. Dr. Hister emphasized that the easiest way to control blood pressure was to get plenty of exercise, eat healthily, know your food groups, and keep everything in moderation. Wine is a fruit and beer is a grain! If your idea of a seven course meal is a six-pack and a potato then you’d better have the undertaker’s phone number on speed dial.
Jim Lamberton
The Rambling Man
Blackpool, B.C.