HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Adiposity 101
Date: 4 Jan 93 15:24:38 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <Bzz4z2.49G@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes:
>
>From the age of 13 to 18, I was sufficiently thin that measures were
>considered, and even attempted, to put on weight.  Before then, I had
>been both very thin and rather obese.  After 19, my problem became the
>other.  There were no essential changes in eating habits or exercise involved.

Herman demonstrates the more common adult-onset obesity.  In most of
these males, the obesity is largely abdominal.  In the childhood
onset, such as myself, it is more distributed.  My theory is the
adiposite hyperplasia occuring in children prior to the onset
of puberty leads to the gynecoid distribution of fat, after puberty,
in males you get the android, which is the classic "beer belly".
Perhaps Chuck can tell us if anyone has done any research that
supports my hypothesis.  
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (Chris Thomas)
Subject: Re: Sea water consumption
Date: 11 Jan 93 09:30:07 PST

In article <2395@hsdndev.UUCP>, on 11 Jan 93 16:13:55 GMT,
rind@enterprise.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind) writes:

>This is simply a physiologic limitation.  There are mammals that can
>live on sea water (some specied of rats, I think) by having kidneys
>that can attain extremely high concentrations and can thus dilute
>out saline to physiologic levels.

Presumably all the sea-dwelling mammals (eg, whales, seals) can also
do this.  There was a very interesting article in Scientific American
a number of years ago on exactly this subject, for anyone interested
in further understanding.  As I recall, a number of bird species
which make long overwater migrations can also drink seawater.
Seagulls may also have this ability.

  -- 73 de Chris Thomas, AA6SQ (ex-WA6HTJ) (CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU)
From: dougb@comm.mot.com (Doug Bank)
Subject: Re: Questions about Reynaud's Syndrome
Reply-To: dougb@ecs.comm.mot.com
Organization: Motorola Land Mobile Products Sector
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 07:59:30 GMT

In article <1issttINNg4a@im4u.cs.utexas.edu>, turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin) writes:

|> My guess is that it makes only little difference on mortality
|> rate if one tries "alternative" health care.  Most problems are
|> self-limiting, most of those that are not will eventually drive
|> the patient to a real physician even if that is not the patient's
|> first stop, and some of the rest are fatal regardless of what
|> treatment the patient seeks.  But this has to remain a guess
|> because the relevant statistics are not available.  Inevitably,
|> evaluation of risks of health care modalities turns on evaluation
|> of treatments. 

I would have to disagree with you here, not with what you are saying,
but with what you aren't saying.  In most of the medical literature I
have been reading (regarding my particular illness) they have spent
a lot of time talking about how to reduce morbidity once mortality
has been reduced.  Just because it doesn't kill you doesn't mean
that alternative health care is (or isn't) bad for you.

I was trying to say that people may dig themselves into a hole by
ignoring modern medical treatment for some maladies.  It would be 
different if the Herbalists were trained to recognize ailments that
required a doctors care and refused to treat the person, but I really
doubt that this is common. (I know, doctors can screw up too and 
not refer the patient to a specialist, either way, one must know their 
limits)  Surprisingly, I picked up some alternative health book and
looked up my problem (testicular cancer), the author and his clinic 
basically refused to treat patients with this disease.  However, they
did not refuse treatment because modern medicine knows how to treat
it, they refuse treatment because their "herbs" (or diet or whatever)
doesn't work well with this form of cancer.  Yeah right.  They just
don't want to admit that they can't do what real oncologists can do.

Anyway, my biggest problem with alternative medicine isn't that you
may get sicker or that you may die, it is that you will get hustled.
There are no laws, so you get bet there are quacks a plenty willing
to make a buck off of your misfortune.  So you say ginger relieves
Reynaud's syndrome?  I don't know.  You could be right.  Then again,
you could own a ginger farm ;->


-- 
Doug Bank                       Private Systems Division
dougb@ecs.comm.mot.com          Motorola Communications Sector
dougb@nwu.edu                   Schaumburg, Illinois
dougb@casbah.acns.nwu.edu       708-576-8207                    
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: auwen@convex.com (John David Auwen)
Subject: Re: Physician's Incomes
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 16:46:16 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In my experience, the "high cost of medical care" isn't caused by "high
physician's incomes".  It's caused by overcharging hospitals/medical
equipment manufacturers and excessive litigation etc.

Awhile back, I posted regarding the disposable surgical tools that my
insurance paid for when my wife had laproscopic gall bladder surgery (trocar,
titanium clamps, etc).  Approx $2000 worth of these tools were used once 
and thrown away.  And there's no incentive for any of these things to
come down in price.

In the last year, my son had an appendectomy, my wife had her gall bladder
removed, and I stayed overnight once due to chest pains.  Physician's 
fees accounted for about 20% of the total charges.

If we want to have the best people providing our medical care (I do!)
we need to pay them accordingly.  

Dave
auwen@convex.com
From: rind@enterprise.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: cancer metastisizing
Date: 11 Jan 93 18:51:49 GMT
Organization: Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston Mass., USA

In article <1isb1bINNqpv@im4u.cs.utexas.edu> flatau@cs.utexas.edu
 (Arthur Flatau) writes:
>I recently had a discussion about whether biopsies or surgery can help
>cancer to metastisize.

It depends upon the type of cancer.  For most tumors this is usually
not a concern, though there have been cases of cancer recurring along
the path left by a biopsy needle.  It is a major problem in testicular
cancer, where it is not safe to do a biopsy or surgery through
the scrotum.
-- 
David Rind
rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: billmcc@seanews.akita.com (Bill McCormick)
Subject: Re: Cellular telephones and brain tumors
Organization: SEANEWS - Seattle Public Access News & Mail
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 10:24:40 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.150344.23927@news.acns.nwu.edu> dougb@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Douglas Bank) writes:
>Wrong!!!
>
>The reason for the reduced power is so that they don't kill the
>battery in 5 minutes.

Not sure if you're serious, but I've read the FCC specs for cellular
phone technology and I specifically remember the lower limit for handhelds
was justified purely by the RF risk of having the antenna so close to
the user's head.

Bill
-- 
SEANEWS  []  Seattle News + Mail  []  Public Access  []  +1 206 747 NEWS
E-mail for PGP key.   MD5 (no sigs) is: 8e253e95133365a292261c7d0da58bcb
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Subject: Re: Colbys-Weizenbaum and Overcoming Depression 2.0
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 05:15:07 GMT

In article <1993Jan10.002703.2264@cs.ucla.edu> colby@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Kenneth Colby) writes:
>What does Rodger's "psychotherapy is a lie" mean?  In dozens
>of studies, cognitive therapy has been shown to be 80-85%
>effective in relieving depression, doing as well as drugs
>with fewer side-effects and fewer relaspses.

The only form of psychotherapy which has demonstrated such results, by the
way.  It's pretty feeble to use the results of cognitive therapy as evidence
for the efficacy for anything but cognitive therapy.

I'd also love to know where this entire thread has come from; it reads
as if it's part of an ongoing controversy, but it appears in a vacuum here.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
From: hrvoje@castle.ed.ac.uk (H Hecimovic)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: PLAB test
Date: 11 Jan 93 13:18:49 GMT
Distribution: sci.med
Organization: Edinburgh University






Could somebody help me with experience in taking PLAB test
(nostrification of diploma in UK). I would appreciate all kind of info,
from applying to to what is the best way to do after passing it.

You could also send messages to my private mail and if the interest will
be high I could summarized it for the net.

Many thanks,  Hrvoje  (031) 650-3517

University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
hrvoje@castle.ed.ac.uk
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: seanna@bnr.ca (Seanna Watson)
Subject: Re: Ecxema
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 15:55:01 GMT

In article <BsH8wB2w165w@jupiter.spk.wa.us> pwageman@jupiter.spk.wa.us (Peggy Wageman) writes:
>Does anybody know if there have been in recent advances in the treatment
>of ecxema (sp?)?  And are there any adverse reactions from the long term
>use of prescription cortisone cremes?  Any information would be 
>appreciated.  Thanks,  Peggy Wageman/s

I and my kids have excema, and I have tried a number of different treatments.

I have found that hydrocortisone works, but must be continuously used or
the symptoms return.  (It is said that systemic absorption is insignificant,
but that it can have local effects of thinning the skin.)

I have used urea-based creams, and while these take longer to work than
hydrocortisone, they seem to have a more lasting effect.  I would be 
interested to know if there are adverse reactions from long term use
of these.  (Aside from the fact that they sting when applied.)

I have heard of a study which found beneficial effects from topical
applications of oil of evening primrose, and that there was ongoing
research to isolate the active ingredient.  I have tried this treatment,
and it works about as well as the urea cream, but I am wondering about
its potential adverse effects.

Around here, excema is generally cured when spring comes, no matter
what treatment is applied.  Fond hopes that the kids have outgrown it
have so far been dashed each December.

-- 
Seanna Watson   Bell-Northern Research, 
(seanna@bnr.ca) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Opinions, what opinions?  Oh *these* opinions. | It's hard to seize the
No, they're not BNR's, they're mine.           | day when you must first
I knew I'd left them somewhere.                | grapple with the morning.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: elf@ee.ryerson.ca (luis fernandes)
Subject: Castration
Keywords: ouch! 
Organization: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 18:58:47 GMT

(Certainly outside the realms of medical science, nevertheless...)

A while back, I read (in _The_Globe_and_Mail_)that until the 1600s,
choirboys were castrated to maintain their high voices.

Do the effects of castration manifest themselves psycologically, or
is there a physical connection ?

--
elf@ee.ryerson.ca
From: km@ky3b (Ken Mitchum)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Nicotine Withdrawal Help Needed
Date: 6 Jan 93 17:16:40 GMT
Organization: KY3B-Vax Pittsburgh, PA

In article <1992Dec30.085828.4984@mr.med.ge.com> hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987 ~BHOSVWZ#097) writes:
|das@canctr.mc.duke.edu wrote:
|: 
|: I receive less nicotine from my current levels of smoking than are provided
|: in the lowest dosage nicotine patch.
|
|Silly question time here...what about cutting said patch into patch pieces?
|If you need 1/3 of the dose, cut it into thirds & wear that.  Seems to me
|that would have the desired effect, or am I missing something (I probably
|am, but I meant on THIS topic, thank you.)


NO! NO! NO! Please do not try to cut any "patch" delivery system. A patch
is not like a tablet, it is composed of layers of different materials
along with the medication. If you cut the patch you will likely have a
mess on your hands, but in any event, you will have no idea how much
medication you may or may not be getting or over what period of time.
This could be exceedingly dangerous.

-km
Xref: sparky sci.med:23615 alt.drugs:20686
From: crittew@agora.rain.com (Walt Crittenden)
Newsgroups: sci.med,alt.drugs
Subject: Re: Shelf life of penicillin?
Date: 8 Jan 93 09:16:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: agora.C0J32q.2KH
Organization: Open Communications Forum

guru@camelot.bradley.edu (Jerry Whelan) writes:

>	I recently discovered a lost bottle of penicillin which could
>be a handy thing to have around in the future.  However, it is a bit
>old, and there is no expiration date.  So I'm looking to find out
>what a reasonable shelf life of penicillin would be.  Anyone here
>know?

Penicillin tablets, as they come from the manufacturer, tend to have a shelf-
life of several years.  HOWEVER, you cannot tell how long it's been sitting
on the drug store shelf before you got it.  Not only may it be sub-potent, 
but could be harboring penicillin-resistant bacteria - not a good thing to 
be swallowing!

Also, if I may say so, it's not a good idea to keep antibiotics around - the
temptation to diagnose & treat yourself or a family member's "sore throat"
with that drug may (1) not cure the infection, and/or (2) allow bacteria
that are resistant to that antibiotic infect you.  

When in doubt, throw it out.  'Nuff said.

Regards,

Walt Crittenden, R.Ph.
Staff Pharmacist
Good Samaritan Hospital & Medical Center
Portland, Oregon
From: stevem@solbourne.com (Stephen Matson)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Ricola throat drops -- usage limit
Date: 12 Jan 1993 16:23:10 -0700
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO
NNTP-Posting-Host: katmandu.solbourne.com


 Too much eucalyptus oil (a major ingredient in most drops) can cause mouth
sores. Its happened to me. They are like canker sores but much larger and 
more painful. I have read that the sores are caused by a mild chemical 
burn from the eucalyptus oil. Is that True?


 Steve Matson
From: flatau@cs.utexas.edu (Arthur Flatau)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: cancer metastisizing
Date: 11 Jan 1993 11:33:31 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: im4u.cs.utexas.edu

I recently had a discussion about whether biopsies or surgery can help
cancer to metastisize.  I was wondering if anyone knows anything about
this (either from their doctor or from reading).  References would be
really great.  I am primarily talking about properly done biopsies and
surgery, not where the doctor screwed up.

Thanks,
Art
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: joan@med.unc.edu (Joan Shields)
Subject: Primary Ambiladosis
Originator: joan@icard
Organization: UNC-CH School of Medicine
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 20:21:43 GMT

Primary ambiladosis or ambilidosis, I'm not quite sure of the spelling. 

I would like to know more about this disease.  Apparently, it's a very,
very rare disease.  I've done a search but I'm afraid I might have the
incorrect spelling or it may be typically refered to by another name.
Mayor Caligori of Pittsburgh died of it a few years back.  Apparently it
either settles in the lungs and heart or the liver and kidneys.

Anyone ever hear of this?

Thanks,

Joan Shields
From: rind@enterprise.bih.harvard.edu (David Rind)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Ventolin
Date: 7 Jan 93 23:23:09 GMT
Organization: Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston Mass., USA

In article <1993Jan7.114849.592@news.wesleyan.edu>
 RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:
>In <4262@eastman.UUCP> (MJ) writes:
>> Question:  Is there any evidence of negative long term effects in the
>> regular use of Ventolin?  If so please point me towards the sources. 

>Geez, lots of folks have been using ventolin since it first came out & 
think it is a real blessing.

To be fair, though, there is evidence associating regular use of
beta agonist inhalers such as Ventolin with increased rates of
death from asthma.  A recent study (I think in Lancet) showed
such an association and got a lot of press.

The association, however, is not clearly causal.  This was a
case control study.  The researchers attempted to control for 
severity of illness, however many people have trouble believing 
that people who are using inhalers more aren't "sicker" than 
people using inhalers less.  If this is the case, and the 
researchers were not actually able to control completely for
severity of illness, then frequent inhaler use may simply be
a marker for people at risk from dying from asthma rather than
a cause of death.  That is certainly my suspicion.

This question has come up quite a few times because of the media
attention, and I'd suggest it go in the FAQ file (if it's not
already there).

-- 
David Rind
rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: grmd@lrts1.demon.co.uk (Gareth)
Reply-To: grmd@lrts1.demon.co.uk
Subject: Digoxin
X-Mailer: PCElm 3.01 (1.3 gt)
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 16:47:52 +0000

Digoxin is a beta blocker (slows and steadies the heart)
Can somebody please tell me how?
Gareth R. M. Davies
grmd@lrts1.demon.co.uk                 Work tel. +44 753 696777 x2613
Home tel. +44 344 21729                Work fax. +44 753 696254
From: turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: A Guide to Health-Related Usenet Newsgroups
Date: 7 Jan 1993 13:23:48 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: im4u.cs.utexas.edu
Summary: Get the hot air out.

-*----
In article <1993Jan5.221425.6200@netcom.com> kaminski@netcom.com (Peter Kaminski) writes:
>  sci.med
>     Scientific discussion and information about medicine and health.
>     This is the main newsgroup for discussions about medicine and
>     health, from a mostly conventional Western medical view.
>     Technically speaking, this newsgroup is for scientific and
>     professional discussions, but others are welcome as long as they
>     stay more or less within the scientific paradigm.  ...

What an empty phrase!  There is no such thing as "the scientific
paradigm."  Instead, there is a large body of knowledge about
various ways of investigating general empirical phenomena, about
these methods' benefits and drawbacks, about ways to evaluate
evidence, and about problems related to such investigation and
evaluation.  Try the rephrasing below. 

>  sci.med
>     Discussion and information about medicine and health.  This
>     is the main newsgroup for discussions about medicine and
>     health.  Various health professionals participate.  
>     Discussion of *any* medically related topic is welcome,
>     but proponents of outre notions should pay attention to the
>     evidential issues.  Particular medical ideas should not be
>     advocated in a manner that is out of proportion to the 
>     evidence that carries them. ...

Of course, this rephrasing points straight at the differences
that advocates of "alternative" medicine would prefer to obscure
behind meaningless phrases.  Since political analysis is now the
rage in sci.med, what is the political motivation for such 
obfuscation?

Russell
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Impotence treatments
Date: 10 Jan 93 15:15:31 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland


Journal of Urology, 1991;145, 1989;145 &141

Prior to having sex, a man can inject into his penis prostaglandin E1,
Papaverine, or phentolamine. He can also rub nitroglycerine in a petroleum
base onto his penis. Vacuum pumps advertised in porno magazines and oral sex
are also effective.

One hundred percent of men over 60 are impotent at least some of the
time. One in four is impotent all the time. Even among men in their
30's and 40's, fifteen percent are impotent. Men who are impotent more
than 25 percent of the time should be evaluate by a physician.

Impotence can be the first sign of a brain tumor, nerve damage,
arteriosclerosis, hormone imbalance, emotional disorder, cancers, or
infections.

Six out of ten times, however, the man has arteriosclerosis, and his
chances of having a heart attack within the next three years are triple
those of the average man. The treatment is a low-fat diet with
medicine to lower cholesterol. (In other words, the vessels in the
penis that swell with blood, during an erection, are obstructed with
plaques, just as the arteries that feed the heart muscle become
obstructed with plaques.)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: mparks@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (michelle.lim)
Subject: cataract, herb
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 02:35:29 GMT
Keywords: cataract


Recently I read in a book that in China, a herb
that was spelled in the book as "Mi Meng Hua"
is used for the treatment of cataracts.

Could anyone who knows Chinese tell me what
this herb is?  i.e. tell me what each character
means so I know what Chinese character it is.
e.g. Mi = mi (second sound) meaning "lost" or
          mi (third sound) meaning "rice" etc???

"Hua" presumably stands for "flower".

(A Chinese font would be nice).  

Thanks

Michelle
Xref: sparky sci.med:23388 talk.politics.medicine:463