Reading Makes You Sick

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix A doctor claims that reading Harry Potter has made a few of his patients sick. George Washington University Medical Center's Dr. Howard Bennett wrote to the New England Journal of Medicine that three children, ages 8 to 10, had "a dull headache for two or three days." A commonality among the three? Reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for hours. Dr. Bennett wrote, "The obvious cure for this malady -- that is, taking a break from reading -- was rejected by two of the patients." So they took acetaminophen instead. And then the headaches disappeared when the kids finished the books. Dr. Bennett predicts many Harry Potter headaches in the future. All Gothamist wants to know is where was this dude when we had headaches from studying?

There will be many Harry Potters, Hermiones, and Ron Weasleys running around tonight.

Harry Potter is popular with the kids in Japan; Photo - TIME

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By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on October 31, 2003 10:52 AM

Comments [rss]

Jen

Thanks, peel! Have fixed.

uberchick

happy halloween! i'm still squealing over those adorable kids myself...

peel

Harry Weasleys? Maybe Ron, Ginny, George or Fred. Not Harry.

Lux

That is the cutest Harry Potter. Ever.

gwen

Instead of prescribing drugs, the doctor might have considered checking the kids' eyes; headaches are sometimes an indicator of the need for vision correction. hmph.