Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 10, 1994 TAG: 9402100032
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Clinton's only troublesome health problem is "allergic rhinitis," according to his doctors.
Allergies give him a stuffy nose that affects his voice, and he also has a mild case of "esophageal reflux," in which acid from the stomach occasionally rises into the throat.
Add a strong dose of political rhetoric, such as a 63-minute State of the Union address, and the vocal cords start to produce low-frequency static.
So what provokes the presidential allergies?
House dust, mold spores, cat dander, weed and grass pollens, beef and milk.
Every week or two, he gets a shot to help desensitize his immune system, an allergist has reported. That's a common treatment for severe allergies.
The White House physician is Robert L. Ramsey.
How big is the mountain?
Q: I notice Snowshoe ski resort has 50 slopes open. How much area does it take for 50 slopes? R.H., Villamont
A: Snowshoe's 50 slopes and trails fit into about 200 acres of Cheat Mountain in West Virginia.
The longest slope is 1 1/2 miles.
Cheat isn't a particularly tall mountain at 4,800 feet, but it gets good snowfalls and cold temperatures. The vertical drop of the ski area is a sometimes-breathtaking 1,500 feet.
This general's an admiral
Q: Adm. Joycelyn Elders, surgeon general of the United States, sometimes appears on TV wearing a naval officer's uniform with ribbons on the jacket. What are the medals and war campaigns indicated by these ribbons? N.N., Roanoke
A: As surgeon general, Elders holds the rank of vice admiral in the Public Health Service, which is one of the seven federal Uniformed Services.
Her rank is the same as the three stars worn by the surgeons general of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Elders is authorized to wear the National Defense Service Medal, earned in the U.S. Army from 1953-56. Nearly all military personnel receive this one.
Elders also qualifies to wear two other medals or ribbons.
One shows she is a member of the Regular Corps of the PHS; the other is for membership in its Commissioned Officers Association.
Her uniform has the same basic clothing items as a naval officer's uniform, but all insignia, buttons and name tags bear the seal of the Public Health Service and not the Navy.
Got a question about something that may affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.
by CNB