HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jrt@omega.kcr.uky.edu (J. Randall Thompson)
Subject: Re: Weight Loss with Dexfenfluramine
    <1992Nov13.185315.14960@ms.uky.edu> <hank.721700152@well.sf.ca.us>
Organization: Kentucky Cancer Registry, Univ. of Ky
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 14:35:57 GMT

In article <hank.721700152@well.sf.ca.us> hank@well.sf.ca.us (Hank Roberts) writes:
>In <1992Nov13.185315.14960@ms.uky.edu> jrt@omega.kcr.uky.edu (J. Randall Thompson) writes:
>
>>And you haven't shown us the *FACTS* that indicate lipid profile is an
>>accurate indicator of caloric intake or change in caloric intake for
>>an individual. 
>See Section VII of Weintraub, et al., beginning at p. 634, for their results.
>"Compared with baseline, triglyceride levels decreased significantly by 21%,
>31%, 29% and 29% at weeks 34, 54, 104, and 139, respectively.... triglyceride
>levels at week 34 were significantly (_p_ < 0.025) less in the participants
>treated with anorexiants. Overall, participants in the long-term weight
>control study had beneficial changes in their lipid profiles, thus decreasing
>their risk of coronary heart disease. (Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. 1992;51:634-41)
>
>That's from the abstract of Section VII, titled "Serum lipid changes" --CPT
>may be available at a medical library if you wish further detail on this.

I'm not not going to waste anymore bandwidth on this. You obviously do not
understand that the above data IN NO WAY proves that a lipid profile is
an accurate indicator of caloric intake, or changes in caloric intake, for
a given individual.

-- 
[]  J. Randall Thompson                                      jrt@kcr.uky.edu []
[]  University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky                              []
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dks@sr.com (Dave K. Sprow)
Subject: Re: Summary of evidence for homeopathy
Reply-To: dks@srhqla.UUCP (Dave K. Sprow)
Organization: Silent Radio, Los Angeles
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:16:37 GMT

Ok, let me say I don't *know* homeopathy works but I had the flu last
week and bought a flu hom. remedy that's been on the market for years.
It's a weird name that I forget how to spell, starts with an Occ I think.

Anyway, I took the stuff as directed as was over in within 24 hours.

Now, I know this doesn't prove anything.  You could say, well it couldn't
have been the flu then or it was a minor bout or whatever. And all that
could be true.  I do know how sick I felt before I started taking it,
and when I felt *that* bad with the flue before, it never went away 
that quickly.  And it couldn't have been placebo as far as I know, 'cause
I don't see how a placebo effect could amke the flu go away.  I feel like
I'm going to die when I have the flu.

David S.
From: ChrisG@kcbbs.gen.nz (Chris Gin)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Eyes
Date: 16 Nov 92 19:39:26 GMT
Article-I.D.: kcbbs.10292320.70766.5195
Organization: Kappa Crucis Unix BBS, Auckland, New Zealand

What do doctors check for when they examine eyes? Do they just check 
that the pupils grow and contract with changes in light?
From: pwageman@visual.spk.wa.us (Peggy Wageman)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Rast Tests
Date: 18 Nov 92 11:01:18 GMT
Organization: The Visual Market - Spokane, WA

Could somebody explain to me exactly what a Rast test is?  And how does it
differ from the scratch tests?  Thanks,  Peggy Wageman
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Toothbrush sterilizers any good?
Date: 23 Nov 92 11:26:45 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1992Nov21.151947.2461@cnsvax.uwec.edu>, nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye) writes:
> In article <1992Nov20.221147.10972@netcom.com>, sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller) writes:
>> In article <1992Nov20.034751.23333@athena.cs.uga.edu> mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington) writes:
>>>
>>>Hmmm... if toothbrushes need sterilizing, why not dunk 'em in rubbing
>>>alcohol?  
>>>
>> Hmm.  How about whiskey or gin?  Be a bit more tasty than isopropyl
>> I would think.  :-)
> 
> How about EverClear, the backpacker's favorite?  Basically pure grain alcohol
> with a little mint extract thrown in.  There might not be quite enough alcohol
> in whisky or gin to kill everything.  Would go better with toothpaste, too...

Uh, 70% ethanol does a better job of killing bacteria than higher or lower
percentages.  Higher percentages seem to just dehydrate the little guys--
and they revive later with water.

Kay Klier Biology Dept  UNI
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Chicken Pox
From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Date: 19 Nov 92 17:31:53 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <4610029@hpcc01.corp.hp.com> zornow@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Claudia Zornow) writes:

>> ...  Other than that, don't take aspirin! (chicken pox + aspirin
>> supposedly increases the risk of Reye's syndrome).
>
>Is this true of adults?  I thought it was only true for children.
>In fact, I thought that aspirin was not recommended for children
>no matter what virus they have because of the risk of Reye's.
>

Reyes' has been reported as old as college age, although it is
very rare.  He didn't say how old his girlfriend was.  I think
with mature adults, there is no documentated danger of Reyes'.

The reason for the prohibition with "any virus" isn't that 
any virus can lead to Reyes' but that how do you know it isn't
one of the bad ones, such as Zoster (chicken pox) or Influenza B?
Individual viral illnesses are hard to distinguish based on symptoms.


-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: mahadeva@point.cs.uwm.edu (Aruna Mahadevan)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Need to get info on heart attack
Date: 17 Nov 1992 01:10:00 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.2.5

Hi,

Can anyone tell me where I can get detailed information about how a
heart attack is caused, what precautions/changes to lifestyle is
required after suffering one and what, if anything, should such a person
avoid doing -- specifically, are long flights (> 24 hours) too
stressful, is it okay for such a person to be at an altitude of say
10000feet; and what precautions would be necessary if they can do these
things but with caution.

I would appreciate any info or pointers to literature that I can get for
such info.

Thanks,
Aruna

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller)
Subject: Re: Mercury fillings
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 20:47:38 GMT

In article <17481@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>In article <1992Nov9.032517.7728@netcom.com> sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller) writes:
>>In article <1992Nov7.125214.2187@cnsvax.uwec.edu> nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye) writes:
>>>In article <1dgrnoINNa3a@darkstar.UCSC.EDU>, starfish@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Smarter than the Average Blur) writes:
>>>> 
>>>> Are they still used and if not, when did they stop being used?
>>>Don't worry.  The mercury is not bioavailable.  There is absolutely
>>>no evidence of any medical problems from it.  The allegations of
>>>MS-like symptoms from it were crazy.
>>>
>>
>>The original poster asked a yes or no question, and then asked for
>>a date.  You have not answered either question, and have then gone
>>on to answer question(s) that were not asked.  You guessed the poster
>>had a fairly specific but unstated underlying motivation for asking
>>about mercury fillings.  And you may very well be correct. But why not
>>give people the benefit of the doubt and just answer questions as they
>>are asked, and then answer more questions as the 'conversation'
>>progresses?  Suppose the poster had completely different reasons
>>for asking about mercury fillings?
>
>Since when it is your prerogative to specify how people can post
>or answer questions?  Dave can post whatever he likes and give
>whatever information he likes.  If you want to answer the question,
>just go ahead and do so.  I answered it anyhow.


You're giving the impression that you don't read very well.  I
didn't specify anything.  I asked a favor, and it certainly
wasn't an unreasonable one.  

I also don't quite understand why you think that I should
believe that "Dave can post what he likes" but that I can't.


>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

If you've got one of those versions of rn that require more lines
of followup than quoted text, you needn't send blank lines in order to
defeat it.  Hint:  the filter counts lines that begin with
">" characters.
From: akbar@cs.mcgill.ca (Alain BOUCHARD)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Those darn antihistamine/decongestants
Date: 16 Nov 92 20:30:34 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: SOCS - Mcgill University, Montreal, Canada

In article <wf13q7q00WBNA7UL06@andrew.cmu.edu> Wendy Sherman 
<ws1d+@andrew.cmu.edu> has:
>a favorite anti-histamine to recommend. 
>It's called Hismanal. I have no idea which drug company manufactures it.
>

It worked well for me too for a while.  Right now, I'm taking Reactine from
Pfizer.  Tiny pills, rather expensive, but lasts forever. I use them combined
with Tilade pump. Now I can stand being around dogs, cats, horses and other 
large furry mammals (!!? moose, bears, tigers, steve).

Some friends reported it also worked wonders with plant and fungi allergies.

It is available only by prescription in Canada, I don't know about the US.
(They again, we could be guinea pigs again!  yes, I'm allergic to those too,
 even the laboratory hairless ones)  

Alain
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Inoculation aggro
From: RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg)
Date: 16 Nov 92 08:56:38 EDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Philosophy Dept., Wesleyan University
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20In-Reply-To: king@reasoning.com's message of 13 Nov 92 18:10:13 GMTLines: 45

In <1992Nov13.181013.517@kestrel.edu> king@reasoning.com writes:
> In article <1992Nov13.072854.437@news.wesleyan.edu> RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:

> >This was about the best version of the game-theoretic puzzle, known
> >to philosophers as the Prisoners' Dilemma, as I've ever seen!  I think I'll use
> >it in for my intro ethics classes...

> This is NOT Prisoners' Dilemma .  This is Tragedy of the Commons.

oops.  thanks for the correction.

Puzzles from game theory often make interesting ethics examples, because they
illustrate well the different outcomes of different sorts of "survival
strategies."  Vaccination (or the prescription of antibiotics) is a place where
physicians often run into conflicts between responsibilities to public health
as-a-whole and responsibilities to the particular individual sitting in the
examining room at that particular moment.(*see ex below*) One could use other
kinds of examples (like notification of partners of HIV+ individuals), but
using examples of prescription of antibiotics and/or vaccination is less
emotionally charged & allows for calmer discussion of the underlying ethical
issues.

(*ex of conflict described above*):  Suppose the individual involved were a
VERY, VERY important individual w.r.t world affairs & public safety at the
moment (e.g., Boris Yeltsin), presenting with a sore throat and a cough.  Would
it make sense to avoid prescribing broad spectrum antibiotics on the basis that
(1) no bacterial illness yet identified, and (2) overuse or inappropriate use
of antibiotics is a public health problem?  Would it make sense to tell Mr.
Yeltsin to rest in bed & take 2 tylenol & come back for a throat culture and/or
a chest x-ray if additional symptoms develop?  Or would it make MORE sense to
treat the guy with <some extremely expensive & hard-to-pronounce broad spec
anti> PROPHYLACTICALLY just because it would not be a good thing to risk that
particular individual's health because of his world political position of
responsibility?  Would the same apply to the pipe-fitter down the street?  Is
this just class prejudice, or are there some folks whose (individual) health
REALLY DOES matter more than some (remote) chance of a widespread public health
problem?.   These are interesting questions to pose in ethics classes (FLAMERS
PLEASE NOTE: I do not have one answer which I think is better than the other
here;  the pt is to get students thinking about the situation & discussing
their reasoning in arriving at a decision, not to get them to believe that one
answer is obviously any better than another).

------------------------
Ruth Ginzberg <rginzberg@eagle.wesleyan.edu>
Philosophy Department;Wesleyan University;USA
From: c23sn@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com (Siva Nadarajah)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Lymph cancer treatment info needed
Date: 17 Nov 1992 13:55:09 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Hello,
 
I am looking for information on hospitals that provide low cost or
free treatment for lymph cancer patients in the United States. 
                
Please let me know of any information you have regarding this.
 
I don't read sci.med so if you could respond with an email message
I will appreciate it. 
 
Thank you in advance,
 
Siva
--
c23sn@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com
From: cmriggin@iastate.edu (Christin M Riggins)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Toothbrush sterilizers any good?
Date: 20 Nov 92 18:21:30 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA

In article <1992Nov20.034751.23333@athena.cs.uga.edu> mcovingt@aisun3.ai.uga.edu (Michael Covington) writes:
>In article <curtisg.722196457@sco> curtisg@sco.COM (Curtis Galloway) writes:
>>I almost bought a toothbrush sterilizer the other day.  It has a UV bulb
>>inside a case that holds your toothbrushes, and it claims to kill all kinds
>>of bad germs that can, for example, re-infect you with a cold if you've had
>>one recently.  Is this a waste of money, or are they on to something here?
>>I'd gladly get it if it would make my colds go away one day sooner.
>
>Hmmm... if toothbrushes need sterilizing, why not dunk 'em in rubbing
>alcohol?  
>

Well for one, what about the taste? |P  Yuck!

>
>-- 
>:-  Michael A. Covington     internet mcovingt@uga.cc.uga.edu 
>:-  Artificial Intelligence Programs       phone 706 542-0358
>:-  The University of Georgia                fax 706 542-0349
>:-  Athens, Georgia 30602-7415 U.S.A.     amateur radio N4TMI

Marie :)


-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 C. Marie Riggins          |    The people who walked in darkness have seen a
 cmriggin@iastate.edu      | great light.  They lived in a land of shadows, but
 TYAU7@isuvax.iastate.edu  | now the light is shining on them.  -Isaiah 9:2-
From: nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Vitamin C and colds/flu
Date: 20 Nov 92 23:23:28 -0600
Followup-To: sci.med.nutrition
Organization: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

In article <1992Nov20.154812.27152@pixel.kodak.com>, young@serum.kodak.com (Rich Young) writes:

[about diarrhea and nosebleeds from vit. C]

It's hard to draw much of a conclusion from such a small, uncontrolled
study.  A placebo control with a crossover design would have been nice.
I should state that I'm not a fancier of vitamins myself.  That aside,
there is a potential mechanism for at least the GI symptoms that I have
seen once before as a medical student.  A woman was taking very large 
doses of vit. C, something in excess of the amounts reported in this
study, and developed abdominal pain.  The more pain she got, the more
C she took, thinking it would help.  When she finally came to surgery,
she was found to have crystalized out the C in the lining of her bowel,
which had caused some minor hemorrhaging and was presumed to be the
cause of her pain.

David Nye
nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu
From: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc (Paul Johnson)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: safe headphone use?
Date: 19 Nov 92 10:42:51 GMT
Reply-To: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc (Paul Johnson)
Organization: GEC-Marconi Research Centre, Great Baddow, UK

In article <722033136.5064.0@elara.esl.acs.cmu.edu> kz08+@andrew.cmu.edu (Ken Zuroski) writes:

>I don't like to wear headphones because my ears seem to be especially
>sensitive to 'em; even if I use them with the volume turned quite low
>my ears still ache a bit after extended use.

I recall hearing that headphones, particularly the small walkman
types, set up a resonance cavity between the headphone and eardrum.
This resonates at ultrasonic frequencies, so you cannot hear it.  But
the energy still damages the ear.

This may be the cause of the problem.  On the other hand it could also
be urban myth.


Paul.
-- 
Paul Johnson (paj@gec-mrc.co.uk).	    | Tel: +44 245 73331 ext 3245
--------------------------------------------+----------------------------------
These ideas and others like them can be had | GEC-Marconi Research is not
for $0.02 each from any reputable idealist. | responsible for my opinions
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 14:11:47 EST
From: <EWN1@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: eyelid twitches (again)

This is an FAQ, I'm sure, but I can't remember the remedies people suggested;
how does one get rid of those annoying eyelid tics?  I've been having the
problem off and on for a few weeks, and it's been getting significantly
worse this week (i.e. pretty constant and in both eyes; it's extremely
annoying to try to sleep when your eyelids are twitching! :-) ).  E-mail
would be fine if you don't want to start the discussion here again.  Thanks
in advance!
*************************************************************************
 Ellen Newman                     | You can name your own salary here --
 LCS - Library Computing Services | I call mine Fred.
 ewn1@psuvm.psu.edu               |       - taken from a Ziggy cartoon
 ************************************************************************
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: storch@draper.com (Joel Storch)
Subject: Myopia
Keywords: Myopia, lenses, close work
Reply-To: storch@draper.com (Joel Storch)
Organization: Draper Laboratory
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 19:58:54 GMT

I have been sufferring from myopia since my college days and now at age 43 it 
still is progressing. It has been my experinece that after each increase in 
the lens prescription, my eyes accomodated and my vision deteriorated 
further. This vicious cycle continued each year until I took matters into my 
own hands. I decided to only use the full correction for distant vision 
switching off to the old prescription for reading and other close work. When 
I brought this up to the opthomologist, he stated that this was a futile 
excercise and that I would not suffer a greater degree of myoipia by doing 
close work with the new lens. There seems to be a dicotomy of opinion as to 
whether or not doing a lot of close work aggrevates myopia. All the 
opthomologists that I have consulted reject this concept, but the 
optomotrists agree with my layman diagnosis. As an additional data point, I 
also suffer from amblyopia in one eye and the degree of myopia in that eye is 
negligible compared with the other eye  the one that I essentialy use.  It 
seems that the opthomoligists are mainly concerned with eye disease and not 
preventative measures against myopia. My optometrist's suggestions make sence 
to me: Be careful not to focus in on close objects for prolonged periods of 
time, look up periodicaly and focus on distant objects. Do not use the full 
correction for close work. 

What is the bottom line here? How do you explain an increase in myopia in an 
adult? My uneducated hunch is that this is a muscle related problem (the eye 
isn't getting any longer at this stage). When pressed for an explanation, my 
opthomologist stated that the lens of the eye can become thicker with age and 
that this was a possible explanation. He gave me a thorough exam and ruled 
out degenerative myopia. I have great fears that after submitting to this 1 
diopter increase I will find myself in his exam room next year only to have 
this conversation once more. I would appreciate any feedback on this topic or 
the name of a good specialist in the Boston area. I have researched the 
surgical procedures for correcting myopia and understand that the results are 
not conclusive.



Newsgroups: sci.med
From: linda@frcs.Alt.ZA (Linda Jacobson)
Subject: Re: What homing device does a virus use?
Organization: Onderstepoort School of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 20:46:25 GMT

Thus spake turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin):

> But as I wrote originally, they clearly exhibit specificity in
> the tissue they infect, and it was this specificity that puzzled
> me when the tissues concerned seemed identical.  Does skin on the
> cheek by the mouth really have different cell receptors than skin
> on the cheek over by the ear?  And if not, how does the herpes
> virus "know" to infect one place and not the other? 

Herpes viruses grow better at lower temperatures, so do quite well on
mucous membranes "outside" or "on the edges of" the body. So I'm told.
(They never stopped to explain how they cope with ganglia.) 

Linda

PS I thought Gordon's explanation was inspired. This issue has
bothered me from time to time and that idea made a lot of sense. 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linda Jacobson				'That's fine, boy, never mind
Department of Medicine			 the tulips.'
Faculty of Vet Science			     
Onderstepoort, South Africa			(Hunter S. Thompson)
From: haynes@cats.ucsc.edu (Jim Haynes)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Circumcision...
Date: 24 Nov 92 01:03:22 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: hobbes.ucsc.edu


In article <7147.466.uupcb@travel.com> carl.camurca@travel.com (Carl Camurca)  writes:
>...but the foreskin obtained is an invaluable source for fresh and
>healthy fibroblast cultures!
So maybe the doctor should pay the parents, rather than the other way
around...
-- 
haynes@cats.ucsc.edu
haynes@cats.bitnet

"Ya can argue all ya wanna, but it's dif'rent than it was!"
"No it aint!  But ya gotta know the territory!"
        Meredith Willson: "The Music Man"
From: englhq@rosie.uh.edu (Franklet, Duane L.)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Can't Touch This
Date: 18 Nov 1992 13:15 CST
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: rosie.uh.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

One of our local news channels here in Houston is running a segment
on local women who are HIV+. Last night one woman described how she
found out--she was going to have some sort of nose operation
and the morning she was scheduled to go in, her doctor
called and said, Nope, Don't bother. I'm not going to do it.
Turns out she had tested positive. This was surprising to me, 
and raised some questions. 

Was her experience the exception or the rule? In other words,
what percentage of surgeons do this type of screening? I'm not 
interested in the ethics, pros and cons, etc.--we've seen
those discussions in this newsgroup. What I'm interested to know is
the percentage of Drs. who do actively screen out patients on this 
basis. e.g. (Of the ten surgeons who work here, 1 won't see HIV
patients. Or 9 won't)

Do clinics or hospitals have policies on this, or is it up to the
individual doctor?

If testing takes place as a matter of routine, so that those results
are "available" prior to the operation, what sort of arrangements
are made when a person does test positive? I can't imagine that the
norm is for the doctor to call at the last minute and cancel out. 

____________________
Duane Franklet
englhq@jetson.uh.edu