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Transcription: [00:00:13]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
Our Adventures in Science guest today is Dr. Leone N. Claman,

[00:00:17]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
Attending Physician in charge of allergy at the New York Infirmary.

[00:00:22]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
Dr. Claman is talking on this program as a member of the American Foundation for Allergic Diseases.

[00:00:28]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
Now, first of all, I think Dr. Claman, we better find out what allergies are.

[00:00:33]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
I know there's a lot of things I'm allergic to.

[00:00:35]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
But that's not exactly what you mean when -- by allergic diseases, is it?

[00:00:40]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
No, it isn't. The word allergy actually by definition means an altered reactivity.

[00:00:47]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
In other words, some people sneeze when lots of other people don't when they inhale certain things that are in the air.

[00:00:55]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
Other people get hives. In other words, their skin or their noses or their lungs behave in an abnormal fashion.

[00:01:03]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
Well, are there very many other people that have allergies, Dr Claman?

[00:01:07]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
Well I regret to say that there are about one in every ten in this country who are allergic in some way or other.

[00:01:15]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
About 17 million or thereabouts?

[00:01:17]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
Just about.

[00:01:18]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
Well no wonder people are worried about it, 'cause it does affect a lot of people,

[00:01:23]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
and it certainly has gotten into the language, this matter of being allergic to things,

[00:01:29]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
perhaps we had better ask you what can we do about some of these things?

[00:01:32]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
Can we do anything?

[00:01:35]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
Yes we can very definitely do something about them. The first thing is, to recognize an allergic condition, the diagnosis of an allergic disease must be made, and made early.

[00:01:46]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
There are ways by which the diagnosis can be confirmed.

[00:01:49]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
The history of the illness, the family history, the appearance of symptoms sometimes during certain seasons or when in contact with certain animals or fabrics or drugs or foods is a very important thing.

[00:02:07]
{SPEAKER name="Watson Davis"}
Well, Dr. Claman, you mentioned that you got to catch it early. Actually children are very subject to allergies, aren't they?

[00:02:16]
{SPEAKER name="Leone N. Claman"}
Well, I think that's one way of putting it. I think another way of --

[00:02:21]