HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: km@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: On pre-scientific traditions of medicine (was: Use of term allopath)
Date: 16 Aug 92 14:31:05 GMT
Reply-To: km@cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum)
Distribution: sci
Organization: Computer Science Dept., University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Aug15.025116.15939@news.Hawaii.Edu> lady@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Lee Lady) writes:
>
>I think the point that many people in this discussion don't realize is
>that this big bucks system of testing serves the alternative
>practitioners as well as it does the establishment.  If accupuncture, for
>instance, were tested using the approved methodology and found worthy,
>then it would be absorbed into the mainstream.  It would be taught in
>medical schools and people like the present practitioners couldn't offer
>it anymore because that would amount to practicing medicine without a
>license.  (And furthermore, let's face it, a lot of the alternative
>approaches would fail such tests and then there would be definitive
>proof that they're no good, instead of just a lot of hot air being
>exchanged on usenet without any factual basis.)

This is exactly the point I was trying to make in a flippant post a
couple of weeks ago: Someone asked how we knew that some alternative
treatment didn't work, and my response was that if it worked, doctors
would be making money off of it, so it must not work.

I will be the first to agree that physicians are part of a state-run
monopoly, and that we try our best to get rid of people who don't
agree with us. We are people, and like most people, we tend to
perserve institutions that benefit us financially. But I also think
that there is a scientific basis for most of what we do, and that
a large enough group of physicians has some ethics and values and
tries to provide services that have some value and to not use what
is not of value. Some indication of this is the fact that as a doctor
it is far more lucrative to make money as a quack than as a mainstream
physician - the fact that most doctors choose to stay away from
nostrums and quack therapies does say something, although I'm sure
we might disagree on what.

State-run monopolies are not necessarily a bad thing. We have one in
the legal system - although anyone can be their own lawyer, they have
to play by the rules, and it is not generally accepted any more to 
settle disputes with guns in saloons. We control engineers in a
similar fashion - you may have a theory that bridges can hold themselves
up and defy the laws of gravity, but no one is going to let you build
their bridge with ideas like that.

 -km
From: eacln@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (carol.l.nolan)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Problems with CVS?
Keywords: prenatal testing, amnio, pregnancy
Date: 18 Aug 92 13:59:07 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T


Does anyone have any information about the possible side-effects or
hazards of CVS? This is a test for genetic defects usually done in the 
9th to 11th week of pregnancy.  One of my neighbors thought she heard a news
story a few weeks ago linking some sort of prenatal testing to a birth
defect called "clustering", in which the baby's fingers and toes do not
separate properly.  Was this indeed CVS?  I would greatly appreciate any 
help or insight about this!

lynn
cln@addams.att.com
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Whole milk verses 2%
Date: 14 Aug 92 17:11:20 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <1992Aug13.152307.9006@kodak.kodak.com> salvaggi@sunshine.Kodak.COM (Nanette Salvaggio) writes:
>
>I am looking for info on the reasons that my doctor recommends giving
>my son whole milk as opposed to 2% or skim.  My son is 9.5 months old,
>and very healthy.  He consumes around 28 oz. of milk daily.  Is
>there some medical reason for one type over the other.
>
There is some research that shows that if babies are given a low
fat diet they lag in brain development.  You should feed your baby
milk that approximates human breast milk as closely as possible.
That is what human babies are evolved to thrive on.  Skim milk
should not be given to normal babies.  If the baby has a hereditary
hyperlipidemia, it may be recommended, but otherwise, no.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect, and
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  it is shameful to surrender it too soon." 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: talmy@randvax.rand.org (Shel Talmy)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Hyperacidity-Urgent help needed
Date: 14 Aug 92 19:16:26 GMT
Article-I.D.: randvax.3716
Organization: RAND Corp., Santa Monica, Ca.


I'm posting this for my cousin who has no net access.  He asked
me to put the following situation to the net experts.

He is 48, and has been healthy all his life.  About 3 weeks ago,
halfway through his exercize routine, he started feeling
nauseated, accompanied by muscle ache, which he describes as the
same feeling you get when exercizing too hard.  He ignored it,
but it became progressively worse, and he went to see his doctor,
thinking he was having a heart attack..

The diagnosis was hyperacidity, and he was given pills to take
called "Pepcid".  He was told to cut out caffein and smoking
which cause acid, but that he could drink alcohol.

Two weeks have elapsed since he started taking the pills and he
says the acid attacks have gotten worse.  He is at the point
where virtually any effort, such as walking 50 yards, will bring
on an attack.  Eating also brings on attacks, and the worst time
for attacks is late at night, and early in the morning.
He describes them as very painful muscle ache across his chest
and down both arms to the elbow.  As these can come on without
warning, they are beginning to impact his job.

He is not aware of any series of stressful events that could have
brought this on, and says that he doesn't feel particularly
stressed out now. The doctor told him to take Mylanta, which gave
him diahrrea and he switched to Gaviscon.  Finally, the results
of all the rest of the tests conducted at the check-up were
normal.

His questions are:

1. Is the history described above, par for the course, and if so,
how long do these episodes last.

2. Is there anything further he should do.

3. Should he see a specialist.

He is very distressed at what is going on, and I'm distressed for
him.  All advice will be gratefully received.

thank you.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: singer@uwovax.uwo.ca
Subject: The Canadian Health System: Better
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 12:29:47 GMT

If Clinton wins, the possibility of changing the anachronistic U.S. health
system to something closer to the Canadian model exists. We have been informed
that the wasteful U.S. system actually costs tens of billions of dollars more
than it would if it adopted the Canadian way. Although the major opposition in
the U.S. is from greedy doctors, in Canada doctors are very well compensated.
One family doctor in Halifax reported to me that they are highly overpaid and
suggested there ought to be a reduction in the per patient fee. Although the
Canadian system is described as somewhere between that of Sweden and the U.S.,
in fact it is to the "left" of Sweden's system  (for a good description of the
latter see H. Bergstrom, "Pressures Behind the Swedish Health Reforms, Swedish
Information Service or c/o Dagens Nyheter (Newspaper), Stockholm.) I believe
the "socialized" Canadian health system is one of the reasons why Canada was
rated by a UN survey as the best country in which to live. I have lived under
both systems, and believe me, if I were in the U.S. today, I would be strongly
pushing for a change to the superior Canadian way.-- 
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: smmyers@pbhyg.PacBell.COM (Sean M. Myers)
Subject: Re: Blood types - Eye Color
Reply-To: smmyers@PacBell.COM (Sean M. Myers)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 16:11:33 GMT

In article <562@oodis01.af.mil> latwood@oodis01.af.mil (Lynette Atwood) writes:
>In article <UeV5ZeG00WBO82aVhK@andrew.cmu.edu> lc2b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Lawrence Curcio) writes:
>>A lady friend of mine has a gold chain with a jade ring. The ring is the
>>size and exact shade of her iris - sometimes. At other times, her eyes
>>turn gray (grey). One can hold up the jade ring as a color reference and
>>verify the difference/sameness. In her case, eye color change is
>>definitely not an illusion.
>
>It's not an illusion with me either.  When I'm sick my normally hazel
>eyes go very brown.  When I'm in a good mood (or mad) they go bright
>green!  (Intense moods make intense green - feeling crummy makes dirt
>brown).  My daughter has eyes that go from brown to blue depending on
>her mood too.  People who know me well check my eye color to determine
>my mood.  Strange huh.

That's great, I was wondering if maybe I swallowed a mood ring or something
when I was a kid.  I also have hazel eyes that change color according to how
I feel.  I also find that they change color according to what colors I wear.


l
l
l
I feel.  I also find that they change according to what collors 
-- 
*******************************************************************************
*    Right when you least expect it... WHAM !!!   *         Sean Myers        *
*******************************************************************************
From: cam@castle.ed.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Magnetic Therapy
Date: 21 Aug 92 15:56:05 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

I recall a study reported in New Scientist a few years ago (sorry no
better refs) on the influence of magnetic fields on tendon
regeneration in rabbits. The achilles tendon (or whatever is the
rabbit equiv) was cut, and small local permanent magnets applied in
various orientations, plus the usual non-magnetic control bits of
metal, and nothing at all. The result was that a certain orientation
of magnetic field speeded up regeneration, and a field at right angles
to it hindered regeneration, because it spoiled the alignment of
fibrtes in the regrowing material. I seem to recall the amount of
assistance/hindrance was around 50% of the time taken to heal by the
unmagnetised rabbits.
-- 
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: cece@next04pg2.wam.umd.edu (Cindy Chen)
Subject: Alzheimer's Disease
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 19:18:27 GMT

Hi, I am a student working on a presentation on Alzheimer's disease. I  
would appreciate any available info on this illness. Thank you.
From: akcobb@amherst.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Caffeine and Prozac?
Date: 18 Aug 92 00:16:23 GMT
Organization: Amherst College, Amherst Mass.

I've never been sensitive to caffeine before.  Suddenly, weak mochas made from
instant coffee keep me up half the night.  I can think of no change in my
diet.  I have been taking Prozac for 2 months; could this possibly cause
my sudden sensitivity?  I cannot isolate any other change in my intake of
food or medicine.  Thanks for any help.

Amy
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: B12 Deficiency In Older Adults
Date: 22 Aug 92 04:09:07 GMT
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA

George, it might do you well to remember that Gabe Mirkin does
not receive his facts chiseled on stone tablets.  He has a radio
show, and thus it's in his interest to at least present things
in their most dramatic/entertaining way.  I'm not saying that
he's wrong here (though I wonder about the magnitude of his
figures), just that you should listen to him with what I said
in mind.


-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
Newsgroups: sci.med,dc.general
From: avlb@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu (A V Louis Biggie)
Subject: Re: Looking for Toyota repair shop
Reply-To: avlb@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu (A V Louis Biggie)
Organization: JHU/Applied Physics Laboratory
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 12:47:39 GMT


Charles Toyota in Nebel street, Rockville and Won's Foreign Auto Service in 
Columbia have both given me good, honest service at low prices.

Louis
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: INFO REQUESTED - Fibrous Dysplasia
From: Robin.Salmansohn@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org (Robin Salmansohn)
Date: 14 Aug 92 12:16:11 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:273/715 - Alternative Lifesty, Wyndmoor PA


 To: timd@upurbmw.dell.com (Tim Deagan)
 
 TD> I am trying to get information regarding the congenital condition
 TD> FIBROUS DYSPLASIA.  My wife has had this (well, I guess forever)
 TD> and has had multiple major facio-cranil reconstructive surgeries. 
 TD> Her dysplasia is restricted to the area surrounding the right orbit 
 TD> and surrounding bone.

 TD> Although she had surgery last year and no 
 TD> dysplasia (this surgery was
 TD> to remove wires left from previous surgeries 
 TD> which were causing cysts)
 TD> was sighted, recent MRI and CAT scans show a great deal of dysplasia
 TD> in the eye socket causing exopthalomus (sp?), that is the right eye
 TD> is being pushed out.
 
Call 1-800-332-FACE.
OR
1-800-999-NORD
OR
1-800-456-3505
 
(or all 3)


 

--  
Internet: Robin.Salmansohn@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org
From: km@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Help, hypotension is messing up my MAOI trial!
Date: 21 Aug 92 19:50:44 GMT
Reply-To: km@cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum)
Organization: Computer Science Dept., University of Pittsburgh

Vasopressin is the same thing as ADH (anti-diuretic hormone). I would
not be enthusiastic about a normal person taking it for a long period
of time, particularly as you got older, but I must admit that I have
not had experience giving to people who don't have diabetes insipidus.
It has been a godsend for patients with cental diabetes insipidus, who
don't make (or release) ADH. I would think that a normal person
chronically taking Vasopression would clinically be like someone with
SIADH syndrome, and be prone to hyponatremia and possible seizures,
but again, I have no experience using it in patients without DI.

Florinef is the standard mineralocorticoid that is useful in
patients with orthostatic hypotension. It is a mineralocorticoid,
not a glucocortcoid like prednisone, so it has very little 
immunuosuppresive ability. It causes mild sodium and fluid
retention. I would personally prefer it over ADH, which will cause
water retention without sodium retention, and possible hyponatremia.
It has been around for years and is certainly available in Canada.

You did not mention if you had tried occlusive stockings. They are
the usual initial therapy for orthostatic hypotension, along with
learning to get up very slowly. 

I am sure that they cautioned you regarding your diet while on
MAOI drugs. The chief thing is to avoid tyramine. There are some
newer MAOIs comiong out that don't have as severe dietary problems.

 -Ken Mitchum MD
 km@cs.pitt.edu




From: bruceg@nmitd6.sr.hp.com (Bruce Galbraith)
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 16:44:15 GMT
Subject: Re: what causes leg cramps ?
Organization: HP Santa Rosa Site (NMD MTA MWTD)
Newsgroups: sci.med

In sci.med, 6310550@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM writes:

    Does anybody know what causes leg (calf & foot) cramps ?  For the
    past 5-6 nights I've been woken up by leg cramps.  The only thing
    that stops them is to stand up.  I recently started on Weight Watchers
    (trying level 2)... Could the diet have something to do with it ?
    Any insights will be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Deb
    -------------------------------------------------
    Funny you ask this,  I had one last night.
    My wife had the same problems when she went on Weight Watchers.
    I know of two things that can cause this.  One is lack of water.
    The other is lask of ???, Try a banana.
From: dcoder@u.washington.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: dermatophyte: treatment ideas wanted
Date: 18 Aug 92 21:06:09 GMT
Organization: University of Washington

In article <1992Aug18.044751.8956@physiol.su.OZ.AU> john@physiol.su.OZ.AU (John  
Mackin) writes:
Hi.  To make a change from what seems to be the usual run of `ask
sci.med for a dermatological diagnosis' articles, I have a solid
diagnosis and am wondering about treatment.

For several years I have been plagued by a dermatophyte, which has
been cultured and identified as Trichophyton rubrum.  I get the
bullae on the soles of my feet, and other parts of the
foot.  The damn thing also likes the skin of my hands, where it
causes peeling, itching and characteristic `ring' lesions.


Before it was cultured, I tried quite a few different topical
imidazoles.  None one of them even touched it.  After the organism
was identified, my dermatologist (for whom I have great respect --
I am not trying to second-guess him) prescribed griseofulvin, 300mg
(microsized) bid.  Now, this does work.  A bit.  It usually takes
between two and three months of this to clear it up.  He told me
to continue the drug for a month after becoming completely
asymptomatic.  I have faithfully done that each time.  And each
time, the damn thing comes back, one or two or six months after
I stop the drug.

I am beginning to get really pissed off with this.  Any suggestions
for a _cure_ will be greatly appreciated.  Please reply by mail.

...
I take it that you don't have involvement of the nails. At least T.rubrum is  
sensitive to griseofulvin. It sounds like you're easily reinfected.  As a  
guess, I'd go through another series of oral griseofulvin as you describe  
above. After symptoms are gone, try a daily prophylactic treatment with a  
topical antifungal after washing and thoroughly drying your feet (you seem to  
imply that hand infection is secondary to foot infection). An imidazole or  
tolnaftate may be enough to prevent infection even though it doesn't seem to  
cure an established infection. Keeping feet dry, changing hosiery and shoes  
frequently should  help. If you're in a warm humid environment, it will be  
harder. 

The current literature has reports of a promising antifungal, itraconazole,  
that seems to be effective where others aren't. I don't know if it's available  
in Australia; (it's still in clinical trials in the US).

Dave Coder
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: viking@iastate.edu (Dan Sorenson)
Subject: Re: ******** MICROWAVE HAZARDS *******
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 23:48:37 GMT

In <MDF0.92Aug19122335@shemesh.GTE.com> mdf0@GTE.com (Mark Feblowitz) writes:

>Is there any known danger when a microwave oven ages? Microwaces have
>been in many homes for several years, and are bound to deteriorate in
>some fashion. Are there any reliable diagnostic measures to be taken
>to ensure that they remain safe?

	There is a device you can get from Radio Shack, among other
places, that will test the amount of leakage from your microwave.
There is no appreciable "wearing out" of the shielding, but it is
possible that the door doesn't lock securely any more, or that the
shielding screen in the door has slipped.  Otherwise, the laws of
physics say the radiation (microwave, not nuclear) cannot escape
so long as the holes in the shield are smaller than the wavelength
of the microwave wave.

	For hazards, remember that microwave radiation is essentially
the same as search radar radiation, so the Navy and Army have loads
of documentation on the effects of different exposures over different
time frames.  Note that your microwave emits considerably less
radiation than the typical Naval search radar does.

<Dan Sorenson, DoD #1066 |"There'll be angels on Ariels in leather>
<z1dan@exnet.iastate.edu | and chrome, Ridin' down from heaven    >
<viking@iastate.edu      | just to carry me home." -- R. Thompson >
< ISU thinks I need more education, which they provide for a fee. >

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Subject: Re: HairDye Cancer link??
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 21:42:02 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

In article <3718@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov> pnh@fcsparc6.ncifcrf.gov (Paul N Hengen) writes:
>Could you please tell me who did this study and where it was
>published? Also, could you give me complete information regarding
>the health newsletter you refer to? Thank You.

Dr. Hengen,

My health newsletter is "Mirkin Report," published by Dr. Gabe Mirkin
of Wheaton, Maryland. Page 8 of the August 1992 issue contains the
comments I posted to sci.med. Here they are in more detail:

"Dyeing your hair does not cause cancer. A study from the National
Cancer Institute concluding that hair dyeing increases the risk
of lymphoma by 50% is nonsense. The researchers asked lymphoma
patients if they used hair dyes. People suffering from a disease
are so anxious to blame something that they will report an
increased association with anything."

The cited reference footnoted in my newsletter is:
     American Journal of Public Health, July 1992

Perhaps that is where the original study was published.

Gabe Mirkin is both a medical doctor and a radio talk-show host. He
has also been ridiculing this study throughout recent weeks on his
radio talk show.
From: jaffray@jif.berkeley.edu (Alan Jaffray)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Vitamin C dosage?
Date: 18 Aug 1992 08:13:01 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Math. Department.
NNTP-Posting-Host: jif.berkeley.edu

Is there a current consensus regarding the proper dosage of vitamin C?  
Are high dosages (such as 3g / day) useful, useless, or possibly harmful?

I am looking for responses regarding what expert *consensus* is, I've seen
plenty of individual opinions already and don't need those...  Is the 
C-megadose group (one reference I've seen suggests 4-15 g/day normally,
30-60 g/day having a cold, even higher doses for some other conditions)
a small fringe group, or do large numbers of experts feel the RDA is 
inadequate?

For that matter, is it generally felt that RDAs for other vitamins are
adequate or inadequate?

Thanks for info.  EMAIL replies only please, I will summarize if desired.

-- Alan
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: watch size heartbeat monitoring device ?
From: king@reasoning.com (Dick King)
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 22:13:56 GMT
Organization: Reasoning Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA

In article <1992Aug20.012609.27603@newsroom.utas.edu.au> horst@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au writes:
>Hi there,
>
>I'm looking for a small light device (maybe like a watch) that can 
>measure the heart frequency while while you are jogging. Does anybody
>know whether something like this is on the market?
>
>Thanks,   Horst
> 


They come in at least three basic flavors ...

there is a watchlike device with a wired fingertip or earlobe clip, that
detects blood flow fluctuations.  Expect to spend $70, and to get erratic
readings.

there is a watchlike device and a chest belt; the chest belt detects the ECG
signal and transmits it to the watch via radio.  Expect to spend $120.  "Precor"
sells one with a decent reputation.

there is a bulky 1-piece device that attaches to a chest belt.


Call Creative Health Products, 1-800-742-4476, or [you're from Australia?] 

  5148 Saddle Ridge Road
  Plymouth, Michigan 48170
  
  US (313)-996-5900


I talked with them about six months ago.  Precor expects to have a wrist model
in two years or so.  Creative Health Products has alpha test units, and is
waiting but claims that the technology is not mature yet.


In the United States you can get this stuff in bike shops and sporting goods
shops.


-dk


Disclaimer: i've never used this stuff.