HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bhjelle@carina.unm.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Lymphocytes (or just immunoglobulins) in breast milk?
Date: 23 Nov 92 14:41:29 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Nov22.221042.10787@organpipe.uug.arizona.edu> sfm@manduca.neurobio.arizona.edu (Stephen Matheson) writes:
>My wife and I are the proud (and somewhat tired) parents of a one-
>week-old boy, and we make regular reference to a fine book called
>"What to Expect the First Year" by A. Eisenberg et al.

Congrats!
>
>I've read something in this book, however, that I believe to be
>mistaken and I'm hoping some of you can steer me straight.
>
>The authors write, "Plastic containers are better than glass for
>collecting and storing breast milk...because disease-fighting white
>blood cells in mother's milk have been shown to cling more to glass
>than to plastic..."
>
>I've never heard that breast milk contains any cells of any type.
>I have heard that immunoglobulins (and most proteins, for that
>matter) stick to glass.  Is it possible that the authors mistook
>sticking of Igs for sticking of lymphocytes?  Or do lymphocytes
>travel in breast milk?
>
Lymphocytes are found in low numbers in breast milk. Colostrum
is particularly lymphocyte-rich, containing up to 10e6/ml.
They are not known to perform any useful function when
transferred to the infant, however. There is only partial
MHC compatibility between mother and infant, and that might
reduce the effectiveness of baby's antigen-presenting cells
at presenting antigen to mom's lymphocytes.

Brian
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: jgnassi@athena.mit.edu (John Angelo Gnassi)
Subject: Re: Circumcision as Medical Scams
Keywords: med
Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital - Lab of Computer Science
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 18:34:05 GMT

In article <1992Nov23.135825.21939@ms.uky.edu> jrt@omega.kcr.uky.edu (J. Randall Thompson) writes:
>I would suggest you keep your comments to things that you are knowledgable
>about and keep the things you "heard from a hospital" to yourself. Your
>vehemence makes me wonder if you were circumcised against your will as
>a baby? It seems that there are more important issues in life right now...

I guess you've must not have paid much attention to the circs you've
witnessed then.  Every child I've observed during circumcision made it
load and clear that the procedure was being done against his will!

"keep your comments to things that you are knowledgable about"? :)

--
     John Angelo Gnassi                 Lab of Computer Science
   jgnassi@hstbme.mit.edu               Massachusetts General Hospital
     "Eternal Student"                  Boston, Massachusetts, USA
         "Give a hoot.  Read a book." - Krusty the Clown
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.med.nutrition
From: billmcc@seanews.akita.com (Bill McCormick)
Subject: Re: Royal Jelly
Organization: SEANEWS - Seattle Public Access News & Mail
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 05:53:17 GMT

In article <28199@castle.ed.ac.uk> cam@castle.ed.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm) writes:
>So does haggis, and in addition, it is much cheaper, and contains
>sufficient fats and carbohydrates as well to be useable as a complete
>food rather than a supplement. Haggis is an old Scottish health food,
>made from animal ingredients carefully selected to include those which
>the fast-food muscle-meat culture usually throws away, but actually
>are richest in trace elements and vitamins as well as amino acids.

I understand haggis also improves the ion metabolism, improving anti-
oxidation.  It also has an abundance of omega-24 fatty acids, known
to reduce stress and improve intellectual capacity.

Haggis, the perfect food.

The lack of knowledge of haggis is due to a conspiracy of the
western FDA/Insurance/Medical establishment.  Basically since haggis
eliminates the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, ulcers,
athlete's foot, and canker sores -- knowledge of and an increase in
the intake of haggis would put the western industrial health combine
out of business.

Haggis, nature's recipe for health.

Bill
-- 
SEANEWS  []  Seattle News + Mail  []  Public Access  []  +1 206 747 NEWS
E-mail for PGP key.   MD5 (no sigs) is: 8e253e95133365a292261c7d0da58bcb
From: habersch@husc9.harvard.edu (Oren Haber-Schaim)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: No antivirals for Dr. Banks
Date: 19 Nov 92 04:03:04 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc9.habersch.722145784

geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:

>[...] I never take any medication for viruses.
> 

Is that because you assume you never have the influenza A virus,
or are appropriately vaccinated, or are a skeptic of amantadine
and other seemingly established antivirals?  


Oren Haber-Schaim                        (habersch@husc.harvard.edu)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Subject: Re: Steroids for Cancer Patients?
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 00:41:50 GMT

In article <2165@hsdndev.UUCP> rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind) writes:
>[correction to the common confusion over "steroids"]
>Although Lyle
>Alzado apparently believed that anabolic steroids caused his brain
>tumor, I don't know of any evidence suggesting such an association.

His brain tumor was a lymphoma; this story may have been disinformation
to deflect attention from HIV infection, although this is only a
conjecture on my part.  Perhaps injecting anabolic steroids using
shared apparatus could "cause" a lymphoma by acting as a vector for
HIV infection.  It's a lot more likely than any primary role such drugs
might have in producing such a cancer.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: gdavis@griffin.uvm.edu (Gary Davis)
Subject: Circumcisions as Medical Fraud
Keywords: circs
Organization: University of Vermont -- Division of EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 19:13:28 GMT

 Why would anyone want to be circumcised? I can't image a ligitimate
reason although the medical profession in the U.S.A. is still doing
nearly 60% of newborns at anywhere from 150 to 300 dollars a clip.

The American public over a period of years have been brain washed into
believing that they are as necessary as cutting the baby's umbilical
cord. The rate of the procedure varies widely depending on geograhical
location. Lowest in western states and very high in mid west and northeast.

The AAP still maintains that the procedure is a personal decision between
parents and their MD. But.. some MDs have very right wing pro-circ views
which cannot be supported with fact. 

Dr. T. Wiswell, who has fashioned himself a pro-circ convert has published
numerous studies (I think he is obsessed) showing 1% of boys not circumcised
at birth may develop a UTI bu age six months.
The incidence of penal infections after that time is probably no more
than one half of one percent,yet the advocates fixate on any difference
in infection rate between circ vs. non to advocate their postion.

Several good books on the subject from a medical as well as a social point
of view exist.

The normal forskin is completely retractable beyond the rim of the glans
by puberty. Unfortunately many urologits who are presented with a boy of
less than puberty and a non-completely retractable foreskin automatically
diagnose phimosis and recommend circumcision.

As far as the hygiene issue goes its more difficult for a kid to wash
his face than penis,yet we still see circumcision advocated for hygiene.

Its largely done from conformity and out of ignornace.
--
I               Gary Davis Dpt. of Electrical Engineering
                University of Vermont
From: nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Weight loss and ambiant temperature
Date: 15 Nov 92 23:32:23 -0600
Organization: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

In article <1992Nov15.000240.0278877@locus.com>, yazz@locus.com (Bob Yazz) writes:

> I'm afraid this isn't true.  In addition to shivering, the body has at least
> one other mechanism for generating heat, brown fat thermogenesis.  It burns
> up lots of calories.

I was taught that man has no brown fat.  I'd be interested in a reference if
you have one.

David Nye
nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: kaminski@netcom.com (Peter Kaminski)
Subject: Re: Star Trek Makes Me Sick
Organization: The Information Deli - via Netcom / San Jose, California
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 21:16:28 GMT

In <lh2483INN5j7@news.bbn.com> jwest@BBN.COM (Jayne K. West) writes:

>At the Star Trek exhibit I looked at the various whirling, swirling,
>and light flashing exhibits.  I got very nauseous.

Pilots call it "flicker vertigo" -- it can happen in single engine
planes (that nice shiny propeller spinning and glinting right in front
of the pilot), and also sometimes with helicopter blades or
bounce-back from flashing beacons when in clouds.

I've a book here that says it happens to some people when they watch
flicker between 4 and 20 Hz.  Reactions include nausea, dizziness,
unconsciousness, or reactions similar to epileptic fit.  (Needless
to say, this is Not Good when you're flying.)

Doesn't give any tips for avoiding it, though, except not to watch the
flicker, and to make small, frequent changes to the RPMs.

You might try the aviation newsgroups, too -- they might have some
useful tips 'n tricks.

Pete
From: med50003@nusunix1.nus.sg (WANSAICHEONG KHIN-LIN)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Circumcisions (Are they ever performed on adults ?)
Date: 21 Nov 92 17:52:48 GMT
Organization: National University of Singapore
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Sigh. Why does the story about circumcisions and cervical cancer still
go around? The original research was done in a Jewish community ages ago
and they found that the rates of cervical cancer were fairly low. The
postulate was that circumcision prevented build up of smegma and that
this was responsible for the occurence of cervical cancer in women whose
husbands were not circumcised.

The problems with a study like that is that it ignored sexual practices
which as David Rind has pointed out is important in the pathogenesis of
cervical cancer. 

An interesting twist is that some studies have shown that some men have
arginine rich protamine in their sperm and there is some tentative
evidence that this may be involved in carcinogenesis. This has les to
the concept of the `high risk male'.

The merits of circumcision have to be debated on other grounds than
cervical cancer.

gervais
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: tomca@microsoft.com (Tom B. Carey)
Subject: Re: RFD Alternative Medicine - need definition
Date: 16 Nov 92 16:45:54 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation

In article <17472@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>>
>I started this, and I am a medical person.  Many of us are getting
>very weary of all the alternative medicine advice that is getting
>posted to sci.med, and tired of combatting it all the time.  People
>query sci.med and get answered by a bunch of quacks.  I'd like a
>newsgroup where they can go and quit bothering us, frankly.  There
>is a real danger that the doctors are going to leave sci.med due to
>this sort of thing, (among others) and then the quacks will have 
>sci.med as their main newsgroup.  

Just to note another point of view; I've found the discussions of
Homeopathy, Chinese medicine, and other alternative systems very
interesting. Too often apologists for "alternative medicine" are
not confronted by persons with a grounding in the scientific
tradition, and are able to pass off a load of pseudo-scientific piffle
to a credulous audience. The only time I've seen this kind of dialog
is on sci.med, and I'll be sorry to see it go!
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 09:20:18 EST
From: Michelle Schott <MBS4@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: disappearing/reappearing rash?!!??

I am currently 8 weeks pregnant and 6 days ago I broke out in a rash that at
first I was concerned was measles.  It is a very fine spattering of dots all
over my body except my face, hands and lower legs.  In one square inch, I would
say I have 10-12 red dots.  They are flat, not raised.  This rash comes and
goes.  It is worse if I have taken a hot shower or have tight clothing ( say
pantyhose ) on.  First thing in the morning it is almost completely gone.  I
saw a dermatologist on friday, and he thinks it looks more like an allergic
reaction to something internal.  It is definitely NOT measles or rubella, etc.
I was taking a pre-natal vitamin which has red, blue, and yellow dyes in it. I
stopped these on friday.  It ITCHES like the fleas of a thousand camels at
times.  He said it is possible that it is a reaction to the changes in weather
due to the hormones of the pregnancy.  Anyone else seen/had something like
this?  If it is an allergic reaction, is this harmful to the baby?  Especially
since I am in my first trimester.  Is there any kind of virus this sounds like
it could be?  Thanks for any help.
                          Michelle Schott
                          Applied Research Lab
                          Penn State University
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: prado@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (Louis A. Prado)
Subject: Re: Circumcisions (Are they ever performed on adults ?)
Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 04:48:56 GMT

In article <BxsEr1.6DA@acsu.buffalo.edu>, oispeggy@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Peggy Brown) writes:
> 
> Are there any studies regarding decreased sensitivity (or is this 
> just hearsay)?
> 
Just trust me on this one Peggy, sensitivity IS decreased :).


> >>Anyway, what options are available to adult men who were not circumsized at
> >>birth. 
> Leaving it alone, for one.

Well considering that wives of uncircumcised men are much more likely to
contract cancer of the cervix, and all the other problems previously
mentioned, leaving it alone doesn't sound like the best advice.
> -Peggy

-Lou
From: mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Blood in Stools
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 17:46:08 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

I am under the impression that blood in the stool is always a symptom
which should be checked out for the possibility of intestinal cancer.
Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to the seriousness of this
symptom.

Yesterday I ate a whole box of Triscuit crackers (a type of whole
wheat cracker high in fiber), and this morning when I passed it
out, what seemed to be blood came out after the cracker waste.
The amount of blood was quite small, at the most perhaps half of a
small thimbleful.  Subsequent bowel movements showed no blood.

I've noticed this on rare occasions in the past, but I always
dismissed it because I usually could think of something red like
a red bell pepper that I had eaten recently.  But this time I was
pretty sure I hadn't eaten anything red recently.

Still, I'm suspicious it might not be blood because it was so
bright red.  The last two times I went to the hospital for something,
they turned out to be false alarms, so I don't want to bother with
it unless it seems like a serious indication.  Especially considering
what sort of diagnostic procedure they would be likely to use.

I plan to call the hospital and ask them whether I should come in for
an examination, but I'd also like to hear from people on the net
who know about this subject.
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Condoms and the effect on AIDS transmission rates
Date: 16 Nov 92 23:05:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: spdcc.1992Nov16.230501.4100
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA

In article <1992Nov16.184026.25744@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> Dr. Norman J. LaFave <lafave@ial4.jsc.nasa.gov> writes:
>I am asking this because a colleague of mine has claimed that
>condoms are not an effective means for arresting the rate
>of growth of the AIDS epidemic (he quotes a study that supposedly
>says that 25% of condom users will get AIDS over time).

This sounds pretty specious.  It also depends on who does what to whom and
how it's done and how often (any other qualifiers you can think of?)  Anyway,
it's pretty obvious that safer sex practices have lowered the rate of spread
of the disease in populations where these have become widespread; just look
at any epidemiological study of the rate of spread of HIV infection among
gay men in the US.

It's important to understand that while condoms have a failure rate, and
this rate is reflected in rates of pregnancies and HIV infection, from an
epidemiological point of view, this is sufficient to lower markedly
the ability of an individual to infect others, and thereby slow the
spread of the disease.  What might not count as "success" in an individual
case is successful epidemiologically.

>This arguement is religious in nature.

Then why bother discussing it with him?

>He claims that the use of all contraceptives is a
>violation of apostolic tradition (Catholic reason for prohibition)

This is a peculiar phrase in this context.  The "apostolic tradition"
was presumably to abstain from sex entirely. :-|

>and that using condoms to stop the spread of AIDS is not
>sanctioned because it is not effective for this purpose.

The use of condoms is proscribed by the Catholic Church because
of its teaching on contraceptive methods, which disallows any
action which serves to frustrate the ultimate purpose of the
sex act, namely procreation.  Similarly, homosexual behavior
has been traditionally proscribed.  To permit condom use as a
means to stop the spread of AIDS would mean confronting these
issues head-on, and that's simply not going to happen--the
Church would prefer to keep its head in the sand.  The "efficacy"
is condoms is not an issue here.  Received Catholic theology
does not change fast enough to take into account factors like
the efficacy of condoms in the transmission of AIDS.  The pro-
hibition would exist even if they were 100% effective.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
From: mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Prozac side effects
Date: 17 Nov 92 14:10:33 GMT
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

In article <Bxu5nK.26E@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu> muwjt@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (William J. Taney) writes:
>What kind of interaction would PROZAC have with Alchol

Little or none.  Prozac does not potentiate alcohol induced sedation,
in contrast to other kinds of antidepressants.  People taking tricyclic
or MAOI antidepressants should NOT be drinking.  However, it is usually
recommended that people taking any antidepressant medication should
abstain from alcohol (or keep its use to an absolute minimum) in the
interest of getting their mood or anxiety disorder under control, and
avoiding problems with alcohol, for which depressed and anxious
people are at higher risk.

================================================================= 
mark kline                              mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu
suny health science center, syracuse    voice: (315) 422-1050
================ courtesy of syracuse university ================
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: jgnassi@athena.mit.edu (John Angelo Gnassi)
Subject: Re: Chicken Pox
Keywords: chickenpox, adult
Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital - Lab of Computer Science
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 15:02:25 GMT

In article <19313@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> fzjaffe@othello.ucdavis.edu (Rory Jaffe) writes:
>was worth it).  Our pediatrician does not recommend it for healthy
>children, but does prescribe it for adolescents and adults (I guess
>because they tend to get more severe symptoms and are more likely to
>scar).  Other than that, don't take aspirin! (chicken pox + aspirin

Chickenpox in adults is a serious disease, with an increased risk
of encephalitis and pneumonia, both of which have a significant
mortality risk.  I don't know that acyclovir reduces these risks
in adults, but it wouldn't surprise me.

--
     John Angelo Gnassi                 Lab of Computer Science
   jgnassi@hstbme.mit.edu               Massachusetts General Hospital
     "Eternal Student"                  Boston, Massachusetts, USA
         "Give a hoot.  Read a book." - Krusty the Clown
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: andreaf@bonnie.Rational.COM (Andrea Frankel)
Subject: Re: Yoghurt producing phlegm?
Organization: Rational
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 23:10:56 GMT

kja@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (krista.j.anderson) writes:

>In article <1992Nov12.010736.20834@actrix.gen.nz>, Pat.Churchill@bbs.actrix.gen.nz writes:
>> 
>> My old singing teacher has a list of things for singers to avoid
>> because they produced phlegm.  The list included milk, ine cream,
>> chocolate and nuts.  I would guess yogurt would have much the same
>> effect as milk or ice cream.

>Drinking something with fewer proteins might help to wash down the
>proteins, phlegm and any immune complexes.  I vote for wine.  ;-)
>(I always seem to sing better when I'm drinking wine.  :-) :-) :-) )

>Just kidding; I'm not advising people to become winos, and in fact,
>anything with alcohol probably dries out the throat, (not to
>mention making guitar-playing that much harder) so a fruit juice or
>water would probably be better for singing.

>Lessee here, maybe pineapple or papaya juice would not be good
>because they can be histamine releasers and that would make
>phlegm.  Wine is also a histamine releaser.

>I think opera stars use ice water.  The coldness would prevent
>swelling and numb any soreness.


Lori Frank, Cantor at Temple Adat Shalom (and owner of a magnificent
soprano voice) has always used and recommended hot water with lemon.  The
lemon juice clears away whatever gunk is coating your throat, and the hot
water relaxes you - which improves both range and tone, as well as
soothing better than cold would.



Andrea Frankel (andreaf@rational.com) -- Rational, Grass Valley Office
"Wake now!  Discover that you are the song that the morning brings..."

Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.med.nutrition
From: tony@nexus.yorku.ca (Anthony Wallis)
Subject: Re: Royal Jelly
Organization: York University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 21:59:56 GMT

David M. Hill :
> .. I have read a great deal about how wonderful Royal Jelly is, and how
> it contains almost every amino acid known to man and needed by man to
> do all the wonderful things fit healthy and active people need to do...
> Is this all just marketing hype to make us buy an expensive supplement
> which someone has taken the quantum leap of
>      "works on bees - must work on humans" 
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Attributing benefits to human consumption of royal jelly is possibly
a classic example of literalisation of a metaphor.  The metaphor
being hidden in the adjective "royal".

The only established use of the proteinaceous goo is converting diploid
(female) bee larvae into reproductive adults ("queens") rather than
sterile workers.  The word "queen" is metaphorical, and possibly a
misnomer - she is just as much the "brood slave" of the worker caste as
she is their "leader".

Female reproductives have, of course, larger ovaries than their sterile
sisters.  They also have _smaller_ brains.   This latter fact is not
well-known outside hymenopteran research circles.  It certainly is not
going to be publicised by promoters of "royal" jelly. 

--
tony@nexus.yorku.ca = Tony Wallis, York University, Toronto, Canada