HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pmuniyap@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Pravin K Muniyappa)
Subject: Dreams -Violence- Question
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 21:56:58 GMT

Hi,
     I'm writing this for a friend about her dreams.  Lately she's been having 
dreams about being raped and killled.  She usually doesn't have dreams like 
this and she is wodering what they mean.
                                        Thanks, In advance
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: aa0fm@vexcel.com (Zach)
Subject: tonsils
Organization: VEXCEL Corporation, Boulder, CO
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 18:41:31 GMT

I am curious about the role of tonsils. I have mine,
but my sister had hers taken out. Mine are fairly
large and my wife's are very small. I know they 
sometimes secrete (excrete?) a cheesy substance.
What is the deal with this? Should I be glad I 
have mine? My right tonsil seems to be more prone
to irritation. Does that have any significance?
Thanks for the flood of responses. I'll bet this
is a hot topic, NOT!

aa0fm@vexcel.com
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Sumatriptan
Date: 11 Jan 93 17:48:38 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <AMT.93Jan4124325@dunvegan.linus.mitre.org> amt@linus.mitre.org (Anne Tallant) writes:
>
>On December 30 the FDA approved sumatriptan (produced by Glaxo Holdings
>under the brand name imitrax?).  Is this medication taken prophylactically
>for migraines?   If so, is it taken when migraine warning symptoms arise
>or irregardless of symptoms?
>
In migraine therapy, the word prophylactic refers to medication taken
on a regular daily basis to prevent migraines (e.g. propranolol).  
Sumatriptin is an abortive, which is taken at the onset of migraine
symptoms, similar to ergotamine.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: troyf@microware.com (Troy Frericks)
Subject: Re: Cellular telephones and brain tumors
Organization: Microware Systems Corp., Des Moines, Iowa
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 22:01:36 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.150344.23927@news.acns.nwu.edu> dougb@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Douglas Bank) writes:
>In article <1993Jan5.173232.4856@netcom.com> kudzu@netcom.com (Michael Sierchio) writes:
>
>>You must not have read the post -- it refers to the hand-held variety
>>of cellular phone -- which has a max. power output of 1.3 W   The very
>>reason for the reduced power output (from the 3  Watt max. of the non-
>>handheld variety) was because of the evidence that supports a causal
>>link between the devices and brain tumors.  But even a very superficial
>
>Wrong!!!
>
>The reason for the reduced power is so that they don't kill the
>battery in 5 minutes.
>
>
I believe the FCC could care less about battery life.
I use my OKI-900 about three minutes per month.
One would wonder how much this person used their phone if they are
claiming tumors in the 18 months or so that hand helds have been
available.  Does anyone know if this person was a teenager?
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: scb1@ellis.uchicago.edu (Sam Blackman)
Subject: Re: Digoxin
Reply-To: scb1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 19:06:17 GMT

In article <26@lrts1.demon.co.uk> grmd@lrts1.demon.co.uk writes:
>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
>
No! Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside obtained from the plant Digitalis lanata.
Digitalis glycosides increase the force of myocardial contraction, they
increase the refractory period of the AV (atrio-ventricular) node, and to
a lesser extent, they also affect the SA (sinoatrial) node.  Digitalis acts
to increase cardiac output by increasing the contractility of myocardium 
(positive inotropic effect).  It is indicated in congestive heart failure
(CHF), and is also used in atrial fibrillation and flutter, and in
paroxysmal atrial tachycardia.

Beta adrenergic antagonists (beta blockers) are a completely different
class of drug.  For info. look at Goodman & Gillman's Pharmacologic Basis
of Therapeutics.



-- 
Samuel C. Blackman        ! InterNet : scb1@midway.uchicago.edu
University of Chicago     ! Disclaimer : Who cares what I say, I'm a student!
Lost on the south side    ! Quote : Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!
Chicago, IL  60637        ! Phone : 312/752-1082 (h)   312/702-6582 (w)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: andy rogers <rogers@ial3.jsc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Re: Physician's Incomes
X-Xxdate: Mon, 11 Jan 93 21:11:41 GMT
Organization: Lockheed Engineering
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d13
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 21:15:28 GMT

In article <18006@pitt.UUCP> Gordon Banks, geb@cs.pitt.edu writes:
>In article <51745@seismo.CSS.GOV> rrb@corona.CSS.GOV (Robert Blandford)
writes:
>>
>>In the recent Consumer Reports series on health care they plotted
>>the median US wage, the median doctor's salary, and the median specialists
>>salary from 1970 to present.  The median US wage was flat, the doctor's
>>salary had increased by a factor of 3 and the specialist's salary by
>>a factor of 10.
>>
>I saw that issue and recall no such statistics.  That would mean
>that doctor's salaries in 1970 were $40,000 on average?  Hard
>to believe.  The average wage today in the USA is $25,000 (heard
>that yesterday on NPR).  In 1970 it was $25,000?  Don't believe
>that either.  The average specialist (assuming they started as
>the average doctor at $40,000 in 1970) is $400,000?  Certainly
>that is not true.  Maybe the average radiologist or cardio-thoracic
>or plastic surgeon, but I am a specialist and doubt if many in my
>specialty make that much.

even if the numbers are near true, it looks as though they're comparing gross
incomes. not having read it myself, they were probably being purposefully
biased. now consider physician's expenses, ummm, malpractice insurance
premiums come to mind, a couple acquaintance GPs are paying in excess of
$100K/year while OB/GYNs are ~$250K/yr.

now place your blame.

andy (i'm an engineer, not doctor)
----
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Reliability in medicine and engineering  (was: .
Date: 12 Jan 93 20:51:06 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <1993Jan6.133952.3044@cnsvax.uwec.edu> nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye) writes:
>[reply to geb@cs.pitt.edu]
> 
>>Before computers can significantly aid us in routine cases, advances in
>>computer technology are needed such that the computer can acquire the
>>data directly without the physician having to enter it.  We are
>>probably 10 years away from that, at least.
> 
>Doesn't that depend on how we want to keep the medical record?  If we
>insist on the conventional narrative H+P, then it will take that long
>for natural language processing technology to get good enough, but if we
>could use something more like a database of signs and symptoms, the
>technology is available today.  A nurse could go through an on-line

Yes, but 99.9% of all physicians and hospitals seem to insist on
the traditional textual H&P, etc.  We need to be able to read and
parse it.




-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: king@reasoning.com (Dick King)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Sea water consumption
Date: 12 Jan 93 16:47:50 GMT
Organization: Reasoning Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA

In article <19930111092950CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU> CSMSCST@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (Chris Thomas) writes:
>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.
>

I believe, however, that sea birds either do it with tear glands, or special
glands located in their nostrils that have no other use.

The brine comes out the nostrils.

-dk
Xref: sparky sci.med:23650 sci.skeptic:22205
From: mdebuitlear@vms.eurokom.ie
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Characterization of quack theories
Date: 8 Jan 93 10:52:57 CET
Organization: EuroKom Conferencing Service

In article <1ihu2pINNo4d@im4u.cs.utexas.edu>, turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell 
Turpin) writes:

>
> Lots of interesting stuff deleted.
>

> -*----
> "MILLIONS OF CHINESE CANNOT BE WRONG."  This excuse usually comes in the 
> defense of notions resurrected from older traditions, e.g., traditional 
> Chinese medicine.  In some sense, it falls under the "big lie" tradition.  

Usually used more like 'I find it hard to believe that a medical system that 
has grown and evolved over thousands of years and is, to this day, in everyday 
use by over a billion people with very sucessful results, is a load of ...' 

The fact is that millions of chinese people go into chinese clinics daily 
suffering from a wide range of illnesses.  They are treated by acupuncture 
and a few days later, they feel well again.  The sucess rates are way above 
that that would be expected by the placebo effect.  

I personally wouldn't insult the intelligence of the Chinese people, 
scientists, doctors (many of them trained also in 'western' medicine), 
researchers etc. by saying their system just doesn't work.

> In a few minutes, someone with a modicum of historical knowledge should be 
> able to think of several cases where millions of Chinese (or Amerindians or
> ancient Hellenes or ...) and millenia of experience *were* wrong. 

And many examples could also be given where millions of people in the west 
were wrong also in the past - they are evolving, changing systems.

> The fact is that we have learned a lot about how to perform and evaluate 
> empirical research in the last three centuries and that this gives us a 
> significant advantage over previous traditions. 

The fact is that we have become very smug and complacent and treat anything 
that doesn't fit our particular model with contempt. A little knowledge is a 
dangerous thing.  We should be investigating other systems and taking the best 
of each to form a new model.

If every 'quack' theory was shot down without investigation, we would live in 
a far differant world.  The people who make the big breakthroughs are usually
way out on the fringe.

> (One of the curious things about the  resurrection of older traditions is 
> that foreign traditions are more interesting that native ones.  Thus, one 
> hears arguments for qi and traditional Chinese remedies, but almost never 
> for the four humour theory of disease and the frequent bloodletting and 
> purges it prescribes.)

In much the same way as we hear more about cholesterol nowadays than we do 
about the use of leeches for bloodletting.

> Russell

Micheal.
E-mail Mdebuitlear.Vms.EuroKom.ie
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: sloan@cis.uab.edu (Kenneth Sloan)
Subject: Re: Need some info on diabetes and other diseases
Organization: CIS, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 19:01:21 GMT

In article <17965@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>In article <1992Dec26.200710.2458@panix.com> andrewh@panix.com (Andrew Huie) writes:
>
>...
>>3) What are the usual methods for getting insulin into the body?  How 
>>frequent can the treatments be?  What happens if the person gets  too  much
>>insulin?  
>
>Injection is the only method, since the stomach digests insulin.  The
>insulin comes in some long acting varieties.  Best results seem
>to be obtain with more frequent injections.  Getting too much
>insulin is quite dangerous unless the person can take in glucose
>(orange juice will usually do).  

Is an implant style delivery possible?  [obvious objection: volume?]

Failing that - is anyone working on a permanent implant site for
injections?  Or, are the repeated syringe sticks simply not a problem?


-- 
Kenneth Sloan                   Computer and Information Sciences
sloan@cis.uab.edu               University of Alabama at Birmingham
(205) 934-2213                  115A Campbell Hall, UAB Station 
(205) 934-5473 FAX              Birmingham, AL 35294-1170
From: alanj@endeavor18.tek.com (Alan Jeddeloh)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Severe Acne Help!
Date: 7 Jan 93 17:58:15 GMT
Organization: Tektronix, Inc.

In article <52980001@hpgrla.gr.hp.com> teresas@hpgrla.gr.hp.com (Teresa Simske) writes:
>The defects in babies of female Accutane patients were found in women on the
>drug dring pregnancy. Post-accutane patients who have had babies have not had
>accutane-induced birth defects.

My wife was on Accutane and (a couple years after completing the Accutane
therapy) has since conceived and delivered two children without Accutane-
induced birth defects.  The doctor who prescibed the Accutane were VERY careful
to make sure that she was not pregnant and would not become pregnant while
on the drug.  This was on Kaiser plan.

HOWEVER:
Does anyone know if any studies have been done on birth defects related to
*the father* being on Accutane when the baby was conceived.  We are considering
another child *and* (at 42) I am tired of zits!

--
    Alan Jeddeloh      W:(503) 685-2991  H:(503) 292-9740
    Tektronix, Inc.; D/S 60-850; PO Box 1000; Wilsonville, OR 97070
    Alan.Jeddeloh@tek.com 
    You can put the children to bed, but you can't make them sleep!
From: 1k1mgm@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Christopher Gunn)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Feldenkrais therapy
Date: 9 Jan 93 12:44:52 CST
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <1993Jan8.225205.15160@cunews.carleton.ca>, rwood@lance.carleton.ca (Richard Wood) writes:
>   I am interested in knowing more about 'Feldenkrais' therapy. I
> checked my home medical dictionary, but it wasn't listed.  Is
> anyone familiar with it (apparently it involves joints and movement) ?
> Are there any books or articles on the subject?  Does it work ?
> Is it worth investigating, or is it just touchy-feely mumbo-jumbo.

It's some sort of training in fluid and natural movement, balance, etc.
Friend who's studying to be a psychotherapist in a Jungian splinter
faction has been involved in Feldenkrais and has talked it up quite
a bit--even got some folks (not me) to take classes with him. When
he first described it, I got the impression that the underlying
paradigm was one of treating motor/muscular manifestations of
psychological problems (things on the order of Wilhelm Reich's
psycho-muscular 'character armor,' if you believe in such).  But
friend subsequently denied this while he was recommending I
take part to help some tendonitis I was experiencing.

My guess (not an especially informed one) is that just as, say,
chiropractic covers a soundness-->wierdness spectrum, from essentially
respectable massage therapy to Palmer School subluxations-cause-germs
quackery, Feldenkrais may cover territory from physical therapy to
a touchy-feely New Age zone.

Christopher Gunn	Molecular Graphics and Modeling Lab
SPAN--KUPHSX::GUNN	Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Malott Hall
913-864-4428 or -4495	University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS  66045
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: yazz@locus.com (Bob Yazz)
Subject: Re: Xanax...what Consumer Reports said...
Date: Sat, 09 Jan 93 02:24:53 GMT

oispeggy@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Peggy Brown) writes:

| Due to popular request, here are some QUOTES from the article in 
| Consumer Reports magazine, January 1993 edition.

Thank you for posting the Consumer Reports Xanax info, Peggy.

| o Xanax does have some serious drawbacks - even more than the 
|   drugs it was supposed to improve on.

Can you tell us what serious drawbacks they are referring to in the
above?  Other than than the symptoms-between-doses quoted below, did
CU have anything else that they specifically called a serious drawbsack?

| o [Patients on] Xanax 3 times a day, a standard schedule for panic disorder, 
|   find that they even have symptoms as the drug wears off between 
|   one dose and the next.

Best Wishes

== Bob Yazz ==
-- 


"The times they are a-changing."

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: mz@sei.cmu.edu (Mary Zoys)
Subject: Re: Allergic - Moving to Texas
Keywords: Allergy, Asthma, Environment, Texas, Austin
Organization: Software Engineering Institute
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 13:34:06 EST

I'll agree, I was born and raised in Dallas, TX (3 hours north of Austin) and
have had allergies all my life. Cedar especially. A friend of mine moved to
Waco, TX, never having had allergies and developed them within 2 years. 

Xref: sparky sci.med:23795 sci.skeptic:22322
From: bill@bessel.as.utexas.edu (William H. Jefferys)
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Characterization of quack theories
Date: 11 Jan 93 22:00:56 GMT
Followup-To: sci.med
Organization: McDonald Observatory, University of Texas @ Austin

In article <1993Jan11.163027.24418@rhrk.uni-kl.de> kring@pamuk.physik.uni-kl.de (Thomas Kettenring [AG Korsch]) writes:
#In article <1993Jan8.105257.12195@vms.eurokom.ie>, mdebuitlear@vms.eurokom.ie writes:
#>In article <1ihu2pINNo4d@im4u.cs.utexas.edu>, turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell 
#>Turpin) writes:
#>> "MILLIONS OF CHINESE CANNOT BE WRONG."  This excuse usually comes in the 
#>> defense of notions resurrected from older traditions, e.g., traditional 
#>> Chinese medicine.  In some sense, it falls under the "big lie" tradition.  
#>
#>Usually used more like 'I find it hard to believe that a medical system that 
#>has grown and evolved over thousands of years and is, to this day, in everyday 
#>use by over a billion people with very sucessful results, is a load of ...' 
#>
#You missed the point.  The point is that the argument "Lots of people believe
#in it" is invalid (errare humanum est) and that a person who uses such a
#silly argument is likely to have no real ones.  (I let others decide whether
#you just supplied a real argument with your "sucess rates".)

Technically, it is the invalid Argumentum ad Populum--
the notion that if lots of people believe something
it must be true. 

Bill
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Castration
From: RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg)
Date: 4 Jan 93 18:04:26 EDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Philosophy Dept., Wesleyan University
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20In-Reply-To: elf@ee.ryerson.ca's message of Mon, 4 Jan 1993 18:58:47 GMTLines: 31

In <1993Jan4.185847.13412@ee.ryerson.ca> elf@ee.ryerson.ca writes:

> (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.

True.  They were known as castrati, and usually sang the soprano & alto
operatic roles as well -- well past the 1600's, actually. For a long time women
did not appear on stage, and castrated males were used to sing the female
roles.  The last known living castrato (male castrated specifically for the
purpose of cultivating a soprano singing range, without other medical reason)
died in (I think) the late 1800's, and lived & was singing professionally late
enough for a phonograph recording to be made of his voice.  The castrati were
regarded as having very high social status, and for a poor boy with a good
voice this was one of the earliest routes to upward economic mobility in the
emerging European economic order of the 17th & 18th centuries. I bet there's a
*.music.classical group that knows more of the details.

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

Someone else might know better than I, but I'm fairly sure that castration
before puberty deprives the male body of enough androgens that secondary sex
characteristics, like the lengthening of the vocal cords, do not develop.  This
would keep the voice high.


------------------------
Ruth Ginzberg <rginzberg@eagle.wesleyan.edu>
Philosophy Department;Wesleyan University;USA
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Subject: Re: Deviated Nasal Septum
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 93 14:51:05 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

In article <1in3vqINNnc8@life.ai.mit.edu> botteron@pop-tarts.ai.mit.edu (Carol J. Botteron) writes:
>
>My friend would like to hear from others who have had the surgery and
>their experiences with it.  He would particularly like to know if it
>has uncongested anyone.
>

According to Gabe Mirkin (med school professor), 9 out of 10 nasal
surgeries recommended by ENT surgeons are unnecessary, and they result in
temporary improvement in symptoms at best. This includes surgeries for
correcting deviated septums, draining sinuses, or removing polyps.

In the case of deviated septums, the problem more often is caused by
swelling of the inferior turbinates, and the deviated septum is of no
consequence, since most people have a deviate septum, anyway.

There is another nasal surgery, however, where they actually shrink the
inferior turbinates by burning them. Burning causes the turbinates to
shrink in the same manner that cooking any piece of meat causes it to
shrink. This surgery may be more beneficial than correcting the deviated
septum, which is a waste of time and money.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: cecchi@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (Del Cecchi)
Subject: Re: Severe Acne Help!
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1993 16:54:20 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM Rochester

I second this recommendation.  Accutane it is.  You may have difficulty finding a
doctor that will prescribe it for a female because it causes birth defects if she
were to become pregnant while taking it.  But it works miracles for severe acne.
-- 

Del Cecchi  
cecchi@rchland
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: tas@pegasus.com (Len Howard)
Subject: Re: sex, menstruation, endometriosis
Followup-To: sci.med  
Summary: retrograde menstruation - the opposite way  
Keywords: retrograde, menstruation, endometriosis  
Organization: Pegasus,  Honolulu
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 23:05:55 GMT

In article <1iau48INN8bd@uniwa.uwa.edu.au> keri@maths.uwa.oz.au (Keri Watson) writes:
>	What is 'retrograde menstruation'?
>--
>Keri Watson             Internet keri@maths.uwa.edu.au

Hi Keri,  Retrograde menstruation means the blood flow from the inside
of the womb goes upwards or backwards and out the tubes into the belly
instead of going out the mouth of the womb and down the birth canal to
the outside like it is supposed to.  It is just medical shorthand.  It
happens when there is some kind of block in the mouth of the womb (the
endocervical canal), sometimes from infection, sometimes from a new
tissue growth, sometimes from narrowing of the canal.  It was one of
the theories to explain why some women developed endometriosis (the
presence of the cells that line the womb in places where they are not
supposed to be like out in the belly or on the ovary or tubes).
Thanks for making me be clear, Keri.  We docs have a habit of talking
our own language sometimes and we need to be brought back to earth B^)
Shalom,                        Len Howard - tas@pegasus.com
.


Newsgroups: sci.med