HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: distef@milton.u.washington.edu (Sandra Distefano)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Do "deodorant rocks" contain aluminum?
Date: 31 Aug 92 21:05:35 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Washington

sasjcs@canoe.unx.sas.com (Joan Stout) writes:


>In article <16476@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, peerson@neyman.ucdavis.edu (Jan Peerson) writes:
>|> My apologies if this is not the appropriate newsgroup for this
>|> question.
>|> 
>|> My sister has seen advertisements for some sort of rock which
>|> is supposed to replace deodorant or anti-perspirant.  Apparently
>|> one moistens the rock and applies it to the underarms (armpits
>|> if one is male!).
>|> 
>|> She would like to get away from aluminum-containing anti-perspirants,
>|> but does not know if the effective ingredient of this rock is
>|> aluminum.
>|> 

I am pretty sure these rocks are alum which is aluminum potassium
sulfate.

Since no one seems to know how much aluminum enters the body 
through the skin due to the aluminum chlorhydrate in most
antiperspirants, I'll bet they have no idea what alum will do.

Perhaps a chemist or toxicologist out there knows something 
about the differance between these two aluminum compounds.

Sandra
distef@u.washington.edu
Organization: Philosophy, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: sci.med
Date: Thu,  3 Sep 1992 13:34:22 -0400 
From: Cristina Bicchieri <cb36+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: diet pills and cancer 


I was diagnosed with breast cancer 1 1/2 year ago. I underwent chemo,
and as a result gained a lot of weight. Now, I am on a diet program and
my doctor prescribed an anorexant called Fastin (phentermine). My
question is: Can such pills have an effect on cancer cells? For example,
in case they speed up metabolism, does it mean they also speed up the
rate of division of cancer cells? Can the substance be mutagenic? Thanks
From: Kurt.Ullman@p0.f290.n231.z1.fidonet.org (Kurt Ullman)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Medical Journalists
Date: 26 Aug 92 13:35:51 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:231/290.0 - The RoadHouse BBS (, Indianapolis IN

As a R.N. with a BS degree in journalism, I am often upset with
the lack of basic knowledge in health beat reporting.  In order to vent
my spleen and maybve make some kind of dent in the problem, I am talking
with a local J-School about teaching a semester long course on
BioMedical writing. As currently envisioned it would be mostly geared
toward the person who will one day be working for the Local Picayune
Intelligence. This would not be for Drug Company FDA-writers or ghost
writers for journal articles, etc.
        I would have access to speakers from a Medical School, Nursing
 School, Dental School, Health Administration School and a number
 of Pharmacuetical and/or healthcare-related manufacturers.
        Any suggestions on topics that should be covered would be
greatly appreciated. Due to the resources available, please feel free to
let your imaginations run wild.

 

--  
Internet: Kurt.Ullman@p0.f290.n231.z1.fidonet.org
From: dfield@zeus.calpoly.edu (Daniel R. Field)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: My personal acne anecdote
Keywords: acne, bacteria
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:41:43 GMT
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

In article <Btvqzv.1o8@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> ec332saq@steam.uwaterloo.ca ([Fall BEACON account]) writes:
>Hi, I have some questions that I like to ask :
>
> Anyone willing to post their experiences or expert knowledge? 
>

You won't get any expert knowledge from me, but personally I have had great
success controlling my acne to the point of virtual elimination with the
following:

Washing my face OFTEN.  I have very oily skin, and about two hours after
washing I have an oily shine visible on my face.  Washing 5 to 8 times per
day does not leave my face too dry, and my skin is very comfortable.

Rotating to a clean towel every couple of days.  A moist towel makes a
wonderful nursery to grow pet bacteria.  Then when you use the towel again,
you put right back the colonies you just washed off, I guess.  I notice that
when I keep the same towel for about a week, my acne seems to return.  Note:
This was not a controlled study  ;)

Trying to avoid touching my face.  I have a habit of cradling my chin in
my hand with my elbow on a desk when I'm sitting.  I seem to recall that
the warmth of sandwiching your pores between both your face AND hands
provides great incubation for bacteria to grow, not to mention the fact
that you pick up bacteria with your hands throughout the day.


Antibiotics are part of the arsenal against acne because bacteria causes
acne (ALL ACNE?  I DON'T KNOW-- ANYONE?)  It seems logical to treat an  
acne problem as a bacteria control problem, and use some aseptic 
technique in daily life when dealing with the problem area.

I'm not taking any medication, and don't regularly use any special cleaning
agents, and my acne has gone from pretty heavy to almost nonexistant.
-- 

                                -Daniel R. Field
                                 dfield@nike.calpoly.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: wisdom teeth removal
From: king@reasoning.com (Dick King)
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 22:31:37 GMT
Organization: Reasoning Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA

In article <KPC.92Sep1172935@zog.arc.nasa.gov> kpc@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov writes:
>does anybody have any wisdom to offer to a 27 year old who has to have
>all 4 wisdom teeth removed?
>
>ideas, comments, warnings or bay area oral surgeon
>recommendations/disrecommendations would be great.
>
>(it's actually a suggestion, by a dentist who noticed 3 cavities, to
>have all 4 teeth removed by an oral surgeon.)

I had mine removed because there was not enough room for them.  

To erupt, they all pointed outwards; they didn't do any chewing, and more
importantly they dug a hole in the inside of my cheek now and again.

Merely a few cavities doesn't really seem to me to be a good reason to remove
these teeth.

-dk
From: lindae@netcom.com
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Baclofen
Date: 4 Sep 92 20:42:02 GMT
Article-I.D.: netcom.h2mnx4#.lindae
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)


  
Is anyone familiar with the drug called Baclofen?  If so, I'd like to
know what it is, what it's used to treat, and any possible side effects.

Thanks.
From: kja@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Kevin Joseph Almeida)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: RADIAL KERATOTOMY
Date: 1 Sep 1992 15:17:37 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

I am on the lookout for certain info. on RADIAL KERATOTOMY the surgical cure for myopia. This is for a friend in India and would appreciate any valuable input from those in the field.

1. What are the pros and cons of this surgery ?
2. What are the after-effects if any ?
3. What are the side-effects if any ?
4. What are the risks involved ?
5. What is the succes rate ?
6. What is the best place(country) to do this, WHY? and most economical place too ?
7. What are your reccomendations and advice that you might want to pass on to someone contemplating this kind of cure ?
Thanks in advance ... would appreciate a reply as soon as poosible
my address is 'kja@matt.ksu.ksu.edu' bye ..take care
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: Nigel.Allen@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Children's Car Seats
Organization: Echo Beach
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 02:38:08 GMT

Here is a press release that may be of interest to readers of this newsgroup.

 News Conference to Kick Off National Public Awareness Campaign to
Improve Child Passenger Safety
 To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor, Transportation Writer
 Contact: Stephanie Leontis of Freeman/McCue Public Relations,
          Santa Ana, Calif., 714-557-3663

 News Advisory:

 WHAT:   News conference at the National Press Club to kick off a
national public awareness campaign and safety promotion
designed to improve child passenger safety and increase
vehicle safety inspections.

Safety experts from Monroe Auto Equipment, the National
Safety Belt Coalition, Cosco Inc. and other safety
organizations will discuss the importance of these issues to
prevent needless deaths and injuries of children each year.

 WHERE:  The National Press Club, Murrow Room

 WHEN:   Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 10 a.m.

 WHY:    More than 600 children died and 53,000 were injured in
vehicle crashes last year, many of which could have been
prevented by the correct use of child safety restraint
seats, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.

In addition, findings released in July by the University of
California, Irvine, suggest that many parents still believe
on-lap riding is safe...a position better referred to by
experts as the "Child Crusher."  Unfortunately, nothing
could be further from the truth.

 -30-

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: jgnassi@athena.mit.edu (John Angelo Gnassi)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: CFIDS and Lyme
Date: 1 Sep 92 15:07:12 GMT
Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital - Lab of Computer Science

In article <1992Aug31.195028.4974@lamont.ldgo.columbia.edu> odp@ldgo.columbia.edu (carl brenner) writes:
>modify your attitude. Seronegativity is real; there is nothing scientific
>about pretending it isn't. Withholding treatment for seronegative patients
>with symptoms highly suggestive of Lyme: *That's* quackery. I promise

Seems to me that physicians who decline to treat people with unproven
therapies hardly could be be considered quacks.  If good studies show
that treating people suspected of having MS, but also of perhaps
having seronegative Lyme, with intravenous ceftriaxone for 6 weeks
leads to objective improvement, then you might have something to
complain about.  But until then, "modify your attitude", and save
the term "quackery" for egregious practices.

--
     John Angelo Gnassi			Lab of Computer Science
   jgnassi@hstbme.mit.edu		Massachusetts General Hospital
     "Eternal Student"			Boston, Massachusetts, USA
		"24 years of school down, 2 to go!"
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: jod@equator.com (John Setel O'Donnell)
Subject: CFIDS (was: Re: Re: What are the symptoms of Epstein-Barr virus?)
Organization: Equator Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 16:21:20 GMT

>For those of you who missed it, there was an article recently in
>Annals of Internal Medicine summarizing the results of a recent
>NIH workshop on CFS. It is not overly technical:
>
>Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research - Definition and Medical Outcome
>Assessment. Annals of Internal Medicine:117:325-331. August 15, 1992.

Just a note -- many people in the CFIDS community are most unhappy
with NIH's approach to the disease, and specifically with the
individual who authored the paper reference above.  The most recent
issue of The CFIDS Chronicle from the CFIDS Association has some
discussion regarding NIH denial and "psychosomatizing" of the disease.
(See my previous post re contacting the CFIDS Association)



-- 
- - -
John Setel O'Donnell                      jod@equator.com
Equator Technologies, Inc.                206-328-6544 voice/fax
Seattle, WA                               Read everything by Alice Miller.
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Re: What are the symptoms of Epstein-Barr virus?
Date: 3 Sep 92 15:20:12 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <7540094@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM> ron@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Ron Miller) writes:

>> But, but, but, there really are patients who have EBV.  Infectious
>> mono patients, for one.  EBV can also cause meningoencephalitis.
>
>I didn't know this. I thought that EBV was distributed in the population
>and had no correlation to anything in particular. But note that
>a "diagnosis" of EBV is not the same as a diagnosis of infectious mono or
>meningoencephalitis. EBV is not a diagnosis any more than "elevated
>temperature" is a diagnosis. It may or may not be a symptom of something.
>

Most people are exposed to EBV in childhood and have antibodies.
What you meant was having antibodies doesn't mean you have the
disease.  It does mean you were infected at one time.  Your
mom probably thought you just had "the flu".  Some older
people get it for the first time and get "mono".  The other
complications are rare.

>At that time Laurie couldn't sit up for 20 minutes a day.  When standing
>it would take 5 minutes for her blood pressure to go to 80/80 at 150 bpm.
>Real mental illness. Can mental illness cause dyslexia too?
>

Normally dyslexia is considered "organic".

>This is why I warn people who are "diagnosed" with EBV that they are not
>getting a "real" diagnosis. An expert would know that EBV has no presently 
>known meaning for a CFS sufferer. This is an indication that the MD is NOT up 
>to date on the subject like Dr. Banks. (Admittedly it has to be difficult to
>be up to date on everything. Which makes it all the more remarkable that
>no doctor we've ever seen uses any books or references before making a
>pronouncement. I would not trust an engineer who works that way........) 
>
Please, don't make me out to be a CFS expert.  I do know that EBV
antibodies don't explain CFS, but I can only speculate as to what
is the ultimate cause.  I also have very little to offer such patients
(although I will give them a letter saying they really are sick,
if that helps.)  Unfortunately, when dealing with an illness so
poorly defined, that may be about all a doctor can do for you beside
prescribing things that might help and aren't dangerous.  The psychiatrist
can help too, even if it is just helping you deal with the problems the
illness causes.




-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: noujaim@hsi.com (Nazih G. Noujaim)
Subject: Help in treating an ankle injury
Summary: Microscopic surgery
Organization: 3M Health Information Systems, Wallingford CT
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 19:37:54 GMT

I broke my ankle from a couple of places and my doctor noticed some bone chips
in 3 different spots which she said where from previous injuries ( I sprained
the same ankle 3 times before in the last 3 years). Anyway she recommended
that I have a microscopic surgery to remove the bone chips to try and prevent
any calcium buildup in the future. The fractures healed but I still get some
pain even if I didn't do anything that puts a lot of pressure on the ankle
and it wasn't raining.
I went for a 2nd opinion and the 2nd doctor wouldn't recommend having the
surgery and he saw the spots on the X-rays. He put a lot of pressure on the
ankle trying to see where it would hurt but I didn't get any pain that day.
When I asked him about calcium buildup in the future, he said that I was a
good candidate for that and if he was treating me, he would have me go back
to my normal exercise of playing tennis and soccer and see me in 2 months and
see if there's any change.

I'm confused. Has anyone experienced anything similar and can anyone help me
in trying to prevent having any problems in the future and what does anyone
think of microscopic surgeries.

thanks in advance.

Nazih G. Noujaim

-- 
----------- noujaim@hsi.com -----------------------         333 M   M
--------------{uunet, yale}!hsi!noujaim -----------          33 MM MM
----------------Nazih G. Noujaim ------------------         333 M M M   
------------------Wallingford, Conn. 06492 --------  3M-Health  Info.  Systems
From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Chinese Herb for Malaria
Date: 31 Aug 92 15:39:52 GMT
Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.

In article <1992Aug28.134352.4312@newstand.syr.edu> mdkline@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark D. Kline) writes:

>establishment."  Despite the enthusiasm with which news of this kind
>might be greeted on fidonet, this does not mean that all 2000 year old
>chinese herbal remedies are effective :)
>
This is pure innuendo.  I recall Greestein definitely said *5000*
years.  Obviously, 2000 years is not nearly enough.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: lc2b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Lawrence Curcio)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: wisdom teeth removal
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:54:08 GMT
Organization: Doctoral student, Urban and Public Affairs, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Responding to David Scheim's comment on the ease with which wisdom tooth
removal is recommended: I too ignored my dentist, years ago when she
told me to have my wisdom teeth removed. I too have had no ill effect.
In fact, I had been told to have a root canal on my back molar, and to
have the (as yet unseen) wisdom tooth removed. I had the molar removed
and the wisdom tooth filled in the space. The other wisdom teeth came in
without a struggle, though one of them was also supposed to go too.

A dental surgeon once confided to me that he and his colleagues get
about 80% of their revenue from wisdom tooth extraction. Now THAT'S a
piece of wisdom for you. I admit that health care professionals are not
the only professionals (or people, for that matter) who would like to
see their incomes increase, and this point has been made in this very
group. That fact does not make it immoral for the patient to look out
for his/her own best interests as well.
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: seanna@bnr.ca (Seanna Watson)
Subject: Re: lung transplants
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 17:27:17 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.154300.210@news.wesleyan.edu> RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:
>I was just reading something about heart/lung transplants & came to wonder:
>
>1)If an organ donor was asthmatic & his/her lungs were transplanted, would the
>recipient then also develop asthma?
>
>2)Would the recipient's [new] lungs be sensitive to (a) whatever the donor was
>allergic to before the transplant? (b) whatever the recipient was allergic to
>before the transplant? (c) both? (d) neither, because of immunosuppressant
>drugs?
>
Well, I'm nowhere near being a doctor, but wouldn't the immunosuppression
drugs being given to prevent transplant rejection also control the allergies?  (Presumably both host allergies and graft allergies.)

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

Opinions, what opinions?  Oh *these* opinions. | It's hard to seize the
No, they're not BNR's, they're mine.           | day when you must first
I knew I'd left them somewhere.                | grapple with the morning.
From: km@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Diabetic coma
Date: 3 Sep 92 12:55:11 GMT
Reply-To: km@cs.pitt.edu (Ken Mitchum)
Organization: Computer Science Dept., University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Sep2.001736.6037@philmtl.philips.ca> ray@philmtl.philips.ca (Ray Dunn) writes:

-For my pains, I've been called dense, I've been told to screw myself, it's
-been suggested that I hate doctors and think they are all jerks, and I've
-been called a jerk myself.


No, it's not for your pains that you've been called these things.
It's for your *netside-manner*.  :-)

 -km
From: John Werner <werner@soe.berkeley.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Therapy and Psychiatry  (was: Anti-psychiatry)
Date: 3 Sep 1992 22:03:41 GMT
Organization: UC Berkeley School of Education
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: tol7mac19.soe.berkeley.edu
X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1


In article <16318@pitt.UUCP> gordon e. banks, geb@dsl.pitt.edu
writes:
>Not the future of psychiatry, the present.  Most psychiatrists are
>now biologically oriented and drug prescribers.  Especially
>the young ones.  Psychoanalysis is practically dead except among the
>elderly psychiatrists.  It is a very inefficient way of doing
>psychotherapy anyway.

I just started seeing a psychologist/therapist, and reading this
last post has made me curious.  I realize this is an incredibly
over-generalized question, but what is the role of therapy in
psychiatry these days?

My naive impression was that treatment was still mostly therapy,
with drugs prescribed as well (sometimes as a temporary measure,
sometimes long-term) when the psychiatrist thinks they will help. 
Is it now starting to be the other way around?

(I don't mean for this to sound "anti-psychiatric" or judgemental. 
Whatever works is fine with me.  In my particular case I decided
that there are enough underlying causes for my problems that therapy
was what I needed.  I can function pretty well in everyday life, so
it seemed like drugs would be overkill.)  

--
John Werner                         werner@soe.berkeley.edu
UC Berkeley School of Education     510-642-9651
Newsgroups: sci.med,connect.audit
From: shoup@netcom.com (Richard Shoup)
Subject: Re: Hernia Surgery via laparoscopy?
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 02:44:44 GMT
Organization: netcom

In article <viking.714715703@vincent1.iastate.edu> viking@iastate.edu (Dan Sorenson) writes:
>	Since hernias are so common, I figured I'd post for comment:
>
>In <j8=nk5n.shoup@netcom.com> shoup@netcom.com (Richard Shoup) writes:
>
>	Mine was general anaesthetic, just over two hours, and no other
>option was even discussed.  I did discuss the details with my surgeon,
>including everything from just what a hernia is to how he'd decide what
>whether to use sutures or staples. At my age (23 at the time), mesh was
>not considered necessary.  Incidentially, I'd had the hernia for at least
>six years and had not known it until I went on vacation (sigh!).
 
Sounds like you may have had a more serious defect than I did.  How
was '6 years' determined?  I'm 49 and noticed it several months ago,
but it may have been small for some years.  My impression is that
the general anaesthetic makes a big difference in your recovery.
I also took some vicodin for the first day or two.  Only a few years
ago, the standard was a 3-to-5-day hospital stay.
From: sjnaccar@apgea.army.mil (Susan J. Naccarato <sjnaccar>)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Nizoral
Keywords: sci.med
Date: 1 Sep 92 15:19:42 GMT
Organization: Edgewood

To the person who was talking about Nizoral: Not to scare you, but just
keep this in mind.  In some people, Nizoral can send them into Ana-
phylactic Shock.  I was one of them a few years aga ("911, the ambulance
ride, etc.).  Funny thing was, I had taken it 1 or two years before for
the same fungus, and I was fine.  First time think I only had to take
a pill a day for three days; second time, took first one and all hell
broke loose.  As I said, just be mindful of it, scared me about half
to death, and my dermotologist (who met me at the hospital) seemed a
bit panic stricken himself.


Susan
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: bf455@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bonita Kale)
Subject: Re: Siamese twins
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 11:41:58 GMT




In a previous article, Jay.Hergert@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org (Jay Hergert) says:

>Does any body know how often Siamese twins are born and how long do they live?  
>Do they live to adult hood?
>


Look up a biography of Chang and Eng.  They were adult siamese twins in
P.T.  Barnum's show. 

Bonita Kale