HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington)
Subject: Re: Hemingway's invention
Organization: AI Programs, University of Georgia, Athens
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 18:23:01 GMT

In article <1992Nov8.000121.13660@ee.ryerson.ca> elf@ee.ryerson.ca (luis fernandes) writes:
>I was reading a review of a Hemingway biography and it 
>mentiones that Ernest Hemingway's father invented a medical
>instrument which he refused to patent because "it would be wrong
>to profit from something that benefits humanity."

Hmmm, so it's only OK to profit from things that _harm_ humanity? :)

(Sorry, couldn't resist.  I approve of what he _meant_ to say, which is
presumably "It would be wrong to deny this particular benefit to anyone
for merely commercial reasons.")



-- 
:- Michael A. Covington     internet mcovingt@uga.cc.uga.edu 
:- Artificial Intelligence Programs       phone 706 542-0359
:- The University of Georgia                fax 706 542-0349
:- Athens, Georgia 30602 U.S.A.          amateur radio N4TMI
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.engr.biomed,sci.med.physics
From: pun@cui.unige.ch (PUN Thierry)
Subject: Re: Electronic Seeing Cane
Keywords: Seeing Aids
Organization: University of Geneva, Switzerland
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 17:14:03 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.131145.21742@lamont.ldgo.columbia.edu> miguel@ldgo.columbia.edu (miguel maccio) writes:
>	Is there any device that can help blind people locate objects by 
>proximity?
>

What you describe is close to the "Sonic Guide". There are various
such devices, used with varying success. You should contact the
American Foundation for the Blind, for help.

Good luck,
Best regards,
T. Pun

     Prof. Thierry Pun, Computer Vision Group
     Computing Science Center, University of Geneva
     24, r. General Dufour, CH-1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND  
     Phone : +41(22) 705 7627; secr: x7660; fax: x7780
     E-mail: pun@cui.unige.ch [or pun@cgeuge51.bitnet]
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: king@reasoning.com (Dick King)
Subject: T4 and T8 counts
Organization: Kestrel Institute, Palo Alto, CA
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 20:01:58 GMT


The blood bank at which i donate regularly called a couple of weeks ago.

They said:

  * we tested donors for T4 counts in 1984.  Yours [mine] was in the 290's,
    which is about half the bottom of the normal range.  Your T4/T8 ratio was a
    very low 0.45 [minimum normal is 0.85].

  * We tested again in 1985.  Your T4/T8 was 1.0 then.  This is normal.  We did
    not take absolute measures in 1985.

  * You continue to donate, and your blood continues to come up clean and even
    CMV negative [premature infant-worthy]

  * could you give us another small sample?

So i gave them a small sample and answered about 40 minutes worth of questions:
i get about one cold per year, i looked up my sick leave records since 1984 [5
days, incl. 1 1/2 days from getting hit by a car], and in general i feel well.

Apparently the NIH has asked them to retest all people who tested with low T4
counts in 1983 or 1984, but still donate regularly [3-4/yr in my case].  This
blood bank had a couple of hundred low T4 counts, 2% of which turned out to be
HIV+ and all but six of which have stopped donating at THIS PARTICULAR blood
bank since 1984.  They made no attempt to distinguish those who became
unhealthy from those who got tired of donating, or found the hours better at
the bank across the street, or moved out of the area.

The new small sample showed a T4/T8 = 0.40, well below the minimum of the
normal range [0.85], and they asked for a pint.  I told them that i have a
tournament this weekend so i need all my blood until then; please wait until
Monday.  They couldn't; there's a blood bank convention next week, and they
want to wrap this up.  They settled for 60 cc.


They say that there's nothing to worry about, and that there's no reason to
skip my next scheduled donation in a couple of weeks.  I therefore am not
consulting with any doctor, but could any net.hematologists comment on all of
this? 


Perhaps it's an experiment to turn healthy folks into hypocondriacs ;-) ?


-dk
From: cam@castle.ed.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Mercury fillings
Date: 10 Nov 92 12:53:58 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

In article <1dksujINNcu8@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> starfish@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Smarter than the Average Blur) writes:

>I am not worried about mercury poisoning, seeing as I do not have any
>fillings. The reason I am interested is because I have dispute with
>someone over whether or not mercury fillings are used any more.

I had a huge mercury amalgam filling put in last week by a UK National
Health Service Dentist. He asked me if I was worried about mercury. I
said I wasn't, since I've read the discussions on this group, and have
a number of thirty year old mercury amalgam fillings without
experiencing in the slightest any of the symptoms they allegedly
cause. I said my interest was in fillings which were strong and long
lasting. He said that nothing still beat mercury amalgam for
durability.
-- 
Chris Malcolm    cam@uk.ac.ed.aifh          +44 (0)31 650 3085
Department of Artificial Intelligence,    Edinburgh University
5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK                DoD #205
From: billmcc@seanews.akita.com (Bill McCormick)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Yoghurt producing phlegm?
Date: 12 Nov 92 00:07:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: seanews.1992Nov12.000718.9664
Organization: SEANEWS - Seattle Public Access News & Mail

In article <1992Nov10.190631.8764@col.hp.com> dag@col.hp.com (David Geiser) writes:
>If it feels good, do it.  And conversely ...

If you do it, it feels good?

No, wait, that's not it...

Anyway -- in singing circles it's "common knowledge" that you should avoid
all milk products before singing because it produces phlegm and/or coats
your vocal cords.  (I suppose if you *inhale* it...)

Just a data point.

Bill
-- 
SEANEWS  []  Seattle News + Mail  []  Public Access  []  +1 206 747 NEWS
E-mail for PGP key.   MD5 (no sigs) is: 8e253e95133365a292261c7d0da58bcb
From: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Weight Loss with Dexfenflouramine
Date: 6 Nov 92 15:06:09 GMT
Article-I.D.: omen.1992Nov06.150609.23464
Organization: Omen Technology INC, Portland Rain Forest

In article <n0d69t@ofa123.fidonet.org> Rick.Ellis@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:
>On <Nov 03 11:36> Chuck Forsberg writes:
>
> CF> It is clear from reading the scientific literature that dF earns
> CF> the "No.  1 choice for fast, effective weight loss" only by
> CF> default.
>
>Was there any comparison to the mix isomer version available now?

The article claims that dF does not have the problems with
side-effects that some of the other drugs have.  The article
does not state what the No.  2 choice is, another drug or
traditional treatments.

Differing conditions in different studies make it difficult to
compare results between studies.  The impression I get is that
the most important difference between the serotonin-reuptake
inhibitors under study is in unwanted side effects.

The Enquirer article is misleading as it mentions
appetite suppression with no mention of increased DIT,
glucose clearance, etc.

My "by default" comment refers to traditional weight programs.

-- 
Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX          ...!tektronix!reed!omen!caf 
Author of YMODEM, ZMODEM, Professional-YAM, ZCOMM, and DSZ
  Omen Technology Inc    "The High Reliability Software"
17505-V NW Sauvie IS RD   Portland OR 97231   503-621-3406
Organization: Doctoral student, Urban and Public Affairs, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: sci.med
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 23:29:52 -0500 
From: Lawrence Curcio <lc2b+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Tourette's Syndrome

A related question: Do tics (eye blinking, grunting, squirming) by
themselves count (at least nominally) as Tourettes Syndrome, even if
they aren't debilitating?
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: jod@equator.com (John Setel O'Donnell)
Subject: Re: Lyme Vaccine Begins Phase I Trials
Organization: Equator Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 17:31:18 GMT

In article <1992Nov3.165651.2086@cnsvax.uwec.edu> nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye) writes:
>In article <1992Oct31.210138.16021@equator.com>, jod@equator.com (John Setel O'Donnell) writes:
>> More serious, however, is the concern about "post-Lyme syndrome", and
>> the other names that have been used by some researchers.  Their thesis
>> has been that spirochetal infection is eliminated by short courses of
>> antibiotics, and that the symptoms which persist for months or years
>> afterwards result from some autoimmune disorder triggered by the
>> spirochete but not requiring its continuing presence.  Were their
>> thesis correct, vaccine made from whole pathogen could cause
>> persistent, often debilitating symptoms.
>
>A lot of that "post-Lyme syndrome" stuff appears to be fibromyalgia.
>There was a paper about this in, I think, Arch Neurol a month or
>two ago.  If there is interest, I can dig up the citation when I'm
>back in my office tomorrow.
>
>David Nye
>nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu

Yes, "fibromyalgia" has been widely picked up as the replacement name
for "post-Lyme syndrome".

The term fibromyalgia describes a set of symptoms of unknown
etiology.  The point I was trying to make in my post above is that
these symptoms result from persistent spriochetal infection, and not
(as some have asserted) from some aftereffect (e.g. "chronic immune
activation") of earlier, now resolved infection.

This question - do chronic symptoms result from chronic infection? - 
has major implications for the direction of research directed at a
cure.  A large body of evidence (see the bibliography posted earlier
by Carl Brenner, esp. Preac-Mursic et al. in _Infection_ 17,6)
suggests that the spirochete persists after the commonly used 
antibiotic regimens, and that this is the cause of symptoms, 
including (but by no means limited to) those in the bundle called
"fibromyalgia."

This means that Lyme research funding should be going to infectious
diseases folks, not just rheumatologists.  That's not happenning; in
1991 NIH allocated less than $180K for research toward a cure for
persistent infection.  This is a major, major problem for those
(like myself) with chronic Lyme.  
-- 
- - -
John Setel O'Donnell                      jod@equator.com
Equator Technologies, Inc.                206-328-6544 voice/fax
Seattle, WA                               Read everything by Alice Miller.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: bsimon@elvis.stsci.edu (Bernie Simon)
Subject: Re: early 1950's acne treatment -- ?
Organization: None. This saves me from writing a disclaimer.
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 12:13:25 GMT

Yes, X-rays were once used to treat acne. In light of what we know now
about the dangers of radiation, it seems pretty foolish.
--
Bernie Simon	(bsimon@stsci.edu)		O tempora! O mores!

From: sude@hpbbi4.BBN.HP.COM (#Susanne Denninger)
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 08:31:15 GMT
Subject: Re: HMG/HCG Risks
Organization: Hewlett-Packard GmbH
Newsgroups: sci.med


>  I'd like to know all (if possible) associated risks of HMG (human menopausal
>  gonadotropine) and HCG (human chorion gonadotropine). I'd especially like to
>  know whether any diseases (e.g. hepatitis, HIV) can be transmitted via these
>  products.

Maybe I wasn't specific enough : the "products" I'm talking about are called 
Humegon, Pergonal (HMG)
Fertinorm, Predalon, Pregnesin, Primogonyl, Choragon (HCG)

Anybody knowledgeable about these products out there ?
Any personal experiences ?

Susanne
sude@hpbbi4.bbn.hp.com
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: kattan@Jane.UH.EDU (Mike Kattan)
Subject: Re: Contact lenses and blood vessels in the eye!?
Reply-To: kattan@Jane.UH.EDU
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 19:41:30 GMT

In article <1992Nov13.182426.911@kestrel.edu>, king@reasoning.com (Dick King) writes:
>In article <1992Nov13.023143.163637@watson.ibm.com> yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo) writes:
>>In article <1992Nov12.175945.3753@menudo.uh.edu> kattan@Jane.UH.EDU writes:
>>>
>>>I've been a soft contact lense wearer for 12 years.  At my last checkup, I was
>>>told I had a little bit of neovascularization, which is what I think you are
>>>talking about.  My eye doctor suggested I switch to gas permeable hard lenses,
>>>but they didn't fit right.  I went back to soft lenses, but must buy new lenses
>>>every year even if they don't appear to be dirty.  If the neo worsens, I have
>>>to go to disposable lenses.
>>>
>>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>Mike Kattan // Decision and Information Sciences // University of Houston
>>>Houston, TX  77204-6282 // (713) 743-4734 // Fax: -4693 // kattan@uhupvm1
>>>=========================================================================
>>
>>I am curious.  Is it standard procedure for eye doctors to 
>>warn new soft contact customers about neovascularization?
>>
>>If so, I wonder what the conversation would be:
>>Doctor: Why do want contact lenses?
>>Patient: Because I want to look good.
>>Doctor: I must warn you that soft contact lenses can cause 
>>neovascularization.  This means that you can go blind.
>>Patient: Are there any alternative?
>>Doctor: Yes, eyeglasses are very safe.
>>Patient: Oh no, I would not look good.
>>
>>When presented with a choice between putting a foreign substance in
>>my eye that can possibly cause blindness and "good looks"
>>versus  eyeglasses.  I choose the latter.  
>>(But to each his/her own.)
>>
>
>Neovascularization can be caught before any damage is done if you go in for the
>checkups that the program calls for; once a week for the first month, tapering
>off to every six months.

This is exactly what my doctor told me.

>In my particular case i wear lenses because my bike is my basic transportation.

I do some form of exercise everyday.  When I run, my glasses bounce off my
nose.  With basketball, my glasses get broken.  In tennis, they get sweaty, and
I can't see through them.  
   
>It looks like Mike's eye doctor is on top of things, and that the problem was
>caught before it got serious.  Please don't condemn all contact lens wearers as
>self-destructively vain.  Do go in for your regular checkups, even when you've
>been stable for years.

I echo his plea.  In fact, I've been told I look better in glasses; but since
I don't care, I wear my contacts anyway.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Kattan // Decision and Information Sciences // University of Houston
Houston, TX  77204-6282 // (713) 743-4734 // Fax: -4693 // kattan@uhupvm1
=========================================================================
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: bsimon@elvis.stsci.edu (Bernie Simon)
Subject: Re: Homeopathy
Organization: None. This saves me from writing a disclaimer.
	<BSIMON.92Nov10072905@elvis.stsci.edu>
	<1992Nov11.051527.922@netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 18:21:56 GMT

I have to apologize for the incorrect citatation. In my carelessness,
I forgot that rheumatism is the name of a symptom and not the name of
a disease. Thus fibromyalgia is a rheumatic condition, but not a
condition caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Although you may find it
hard to believe, I try not to make exagerated claims and feel worse
than you do when I make a mistake. Happily, Peter made good my error
by providing the correct citation.

The standard for homeopathic practice is found in Hahnemann's Organon,
the original text of homeopathy. Standard, or "Classical", homeopathic
therapy consists of selecting the single remedy whose symptoms best
match the totality of the symptoms of the patient. The remedy is
usually given in the form of sugar pellets and not as a solution. The
pellets have been soaked in the homeopathic dilution of the medicine.
Choice of the proper remedy is an exacting skill, calling for a high
degree of training, especially in the case of chronic disease. Perhaps
your ex mother-in-law was not treated by a skilled homeopath.

As for cures, I will make no claims in this newsgroup, except what
has been established through clinical evidence. However, if I were
suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, I would see a qualified homeopath
first. 

NSAIDs are purely palliative as they neither cure nor slow down the
progression of arthritis. Surgery, likewise, only treats the symptoms.
However, I was not belittling your ex mother-in-law's treatment, as
the control of pain and regaining of mobility in arthritis is no small
thing.

I am sorry for your ex mother-in-law's bad experience and I can
understand the bitterness you feel. However, I hope that these
feelings don't blind you to the possibility that alternative medicine
can help many people.

--
Bernie Simon	(bsimon@stsci.edu)		O tempora! O mores!
From: nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: sores in the mouth
Date: 5 Nov 92 08:16:34 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

In article <40494@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>, wsun@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Fiberman) writes:
> My question is this.  What is the pathological agent for these
> sores and is there a way to prevent them from forming in my
> mouth in the first place.

Those are most likely herpetic vessicles (are they initially fluid-
filled bumps that rupture and leave a little crater?), caused by
the herpes simplex virus.  I believe acyclovir is helpful for these
but I doubt you could talk someone into prescribing this to be taken
prophylactically.

David Nye
nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu
From: richg@hatch.socal.com (Rich Greenberg)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Malpractice database
Date: 6 Nov 92 00:34:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: hatch.Bx9qxw.52L
Organization: Hatch Usenet and E-mail.  Playa del Rey, CA

In article <Nov.5.11.07.40.1992.4970@cadenza.rutgers.edu> masticol@cadenza.rutgers.edu (Steve Masticola) writes:

>I heard that there is a database on malpractice suits and punitive
>actions against MDs. If so, does anyone know how to get access to it?
>I think this would be very handy to check up on the competence of a
>prospective MD.

You will most likely have trouble getting access to the database,
and even if you do, its not likely to do you much good.

It was started by a doctors group to keep track of patients
who sue for malpractice, so the doctor can make a judgement
on accepting the person as a patient.
-- 
Rich Greenberg      Work: rmg50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com
N6LRT               Play: richg@hatch.socal.com
What?   Me speak for Amdahl?  Surely you jest....
Xref: sparky sci.med:20584 misc.fitness:8287
From: cam@castle.ed.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm)
Newsgroups: sci.med,misc.fitness
Subject: Re: any sports medicine types out there?
Date: 6 Nov 92 13:07:07 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

In article <1992Nov5.141131.16006@cbnews.cb.att.com> lib@cbnews.cb.att.com (Lib) writes:

>Hogwash. I have symptoms like that all the time from various
>parts of my body. It's old age. Ignore it else you'll never
>get in any workouts 'cuz after 30 something always hurts.

Hogwash. After the age of 35 I started getting a variety of joint and
muscle pains, which got bad enough to curtail some activities by the
time I was in my early 40s. I found out what each one was (not always
easy), took appropriate measures (which can sometimes take years to
work), and now that I'm 50 I have _none_ of these pains any longer, and
am also fitter and healthier.
-- 
Chris Malcolm    cam@uk.ac.ed.aifh          +44 (0)31 650 3085
Department of Artificial Intelligence,    Edinburgh University
5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK                DoD #205
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: yazz@locus.com (Bob Yazz)
Subject: Re: No mail please.
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 03:09:03 GMT

km@cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum) writes:

| I've now had to endure two days of Kenneth Sloan telling me how
| to appropriate post to the net. I have other things to do. If you
| don't like my postings, hit "n".

The same goes for you reading your own e-mail, Ken.

Must you whine to tens of thousands of people?  You've wasted a lot
more of everybody else's time than you ever could have wasted ignoring
-- or even actually reading -- your own e-mail messages.

== Bob Yazz ==
-- 

Welcome to Sci.med -- where-school-of-thought bashing is as old as
sickness itself.

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: yazz@locus.com (Bob Yazz)
Subject: Re: Mercury fillings
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 02:24:11 GMT

jfh@netcom.com (Jack Hamilton) writes:

| If ytou're going to read USENET, you'd better get used to the idea of
| wasting a LOT of time.

Not everyone, however, is committed to wasting other people's time.

| Why not call a dentist, or your local library?

Oh for Heaven's sake, enough of this nincompoopery.

Yes, mercury amalgam fillings are still in common use in the US.

== Bob Yazz ==
-- 

Welcome to Sci.med -- where-school-of-thought bashing is as old as
sickness itself.

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dks@sr.com (Dave K. Sprow)
Subject: Re: Prozac side effects
Reply-To: dks@srhqla.UUCP (Dave K. Sprow)
Organization: Silent Radio, Los Angeles
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 22:25:28 GMT

In article <1992Nov5.173027.26633@athena.mit.edu> jgnassi@athena.mit.edu (John Angelo Gnassi) writes:
>In article <274.9211041413@bonzo.xylogics.com> rollo@xylogics.com (Dena Rollo) writes:
>>a) recommend continuing medication to see
>>if symptoms subside
>>b) decrease dose to every other day
>>c) discontinue
>>d) discontinue and try a different anti-depressant?
>
>One other possibility which I've seen used is to dissolve one 20 mg tablet
>in a glass of orange juice, drink half one day and the other half the next.
>I don't know if this will disturb the effect of the medication in any
>way, but I don't know why it should.  I also don't know if this method
>has been tested in any systematic way.
>
I
a
 was on prozac for a while, and the above is a totally viable approach, acording
to my Dr.  You can experiement with varying the dosage disolved in the OJ
based on any side effects excperienced.  You could dissolve one capsule in
say a quart of OJ, and drink a half cup a day and gradually increase it
until you begin to experience unpleasant side effects and then cut back
to the most that you call tolerate.
  Some people are just more sensitive than others to the possible side
effects.  It made me very jittery and disturbed my sleep patterns. I have
found I seem to be particularly sensitive to many, but not all, drugs

>--
>     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

David S.
From: starfish@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Smarter than the Average Blur)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: STILL DIZZY AND LIGHT HEADED AFTER SIX MONTHS. NO-ONE ABLE TO DAIGNOSE.
Date: 8 Nov 1992 03:10:43 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: ucscb.ucsc.edu



Newsgroups: sci.med
From: u734120@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (John Lamp)
Subject: Re: MSDS information required
Organization: University of Tasmania, Australia.
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 02:11:10 GMT

frost@qut.edu.au writes:

>RE: MSDS data bases

>Can one access any of these through the network?

I don't know about through the network, but I do know that worksafe
australia is about to release a set of 2 cd's containing, amongst other
things, the msds's.  We were a beta test site, and the interface is the
same InfoOne interface used in the Commonwealth Managers Toolkit, if you
have seen that.

If you haven't the interface is DOS pulldown menu with keyword
pre-coordination.  We did not look at the Mac version.

Cheers
John


--
   _--_|\             John Lamp, originating in Hobart, Tasmania
  /      \                 Phone: 002 23 1366 - Fax: 002 34 5685
  \_.--._/                   email: u734120@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au
        v <-----------------------------------------------------