Monday, January 31, 2005
News I Wish More People Would Use
"The green-apple two-step" is a euphemism for diarrhea. (As used in Nutrition Action newsletter.)
Friday, January 28, 2005
100 Years Ago at JAMA
Medical News
Missouri.
Declared Insane. -- Dr Moritz F. Wyman, after scattering $2,000 in gold and silver on a wild ride through the streets of St. Joseph, was arrested, found insane and committed to the State Hospital for the Insane, October 24.
Pennsylvania.
An Award for Science. -- By Virtue of an agreement made before her death, the heart of Mrs. Mary O'Neill was awarded to Dr Henry Martin Hall, Pittsburg, by a coroner's jury, October 8.
Foreign.
Wine Adulterer Fined. -- A wine manufacturer of Carcassone, France, has been fined $19,500 for adultering wines with an admixture of ingredients dangerous to health.
Missouri.
Declared Insane. -- Dr Moritz F. Wyman, after scattering $2,000 in gold and silver on a wild ride through the streets of St. Joseph, was arrested, found insane and committed to the State Hospital for the Insane, October 24.
Pennsylvania.
An Award for Science. -- By Virtue of an agreement made before her death, the heart of Mrs. Mary O'Neill was awarded to Dr Henry Martin Hall, Pittsburg, by a coroner's jury, October 8.
Foreign.
Wine Adulterer Fined. -- A wine manufacturer of Carcassone, France, has been fined $19,500 for adultering wines with an admixture of ingredients dangerous to health.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
More Important Science Books for Doctors
This important book, reviewed by Marc S. Nelson in the December 8, 2004 issue of JAMA, falls into the category of medical literature known as "Emergency Fiction," which you might think cannot possibly be as awesome as it sounds. This week's title, Lie Still: A Novel of Suspense, dares to prove you wrong.
I admit I became doubtful of Marc S. Nelson's medical taste when he chose to include this excerpt from the novel:
"No one had to tell us she was tall, classically beautiful, and, from my testosterone-hardened viewpoint, undeniably sexy...She usually wore fitted clothes, so there was ample evidence to believe her body was everything a woman's body...should be."
But my confidence in him as an aesthete and critical reviewer of books was restored when I read this concluding assessment:
"Although this book is not written at the level of The Da Vinci Code (few books are), it has enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested."
I admit I became doubtful of Marc S. Nelson's medical taste when he chose to include this excerpt from the novel:
"No one had to tell us she was tall, classically beautiful, and, from my testosterone-hardened viewpoint, undeniably sexy...She usually wore fitted clothes, so there was ample evidence to believe her body was everything a woman's body...should be."
But my confidence in him as an aesthete and critical reviewer of books was restored when I read this concluding assessment:
"Although this book is not written at the level of The Da Vinci Code (few books are), it has enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested."
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Famous
Every issue of Diabetes Forecast features an article profiling a person with diabetes who is famous or is otherwise noteworthy. My favorite profile is on "Winston Shaw: The Man Who Loves Eagles."
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Weekly Top 40
To fully enjoy this post you must first be familiar with the 1960s hit song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" by Rolf Harris, who is Australian. If you don't know the song (because maybe it was only a hit in the Commonwealth), please look around the internet for a copy. Some versions may contain the racist verse about aborigines that was later taken out.
Here from an issue of Balance: Diabetes UK is a health-oriented homage to the song mentioned above.
"Tie Me Cholesterol Down, Mate"
By Mr. L. Little
Keep your blood pressure down, mate,
Keep that cholesterol in check.
Stay away from the butter and fat, mate,
Although you may think 'what the heck?'
Leave the car and walk instead, mate,
Lose some weight from your tum.
Then you'll be fit as a fiddle, mate,
Even fitter than David Beckham.
Here from an issue of Balance: Diabetes UK is a health-oriented homage to the song mentioned above.
"Tie Me Cholesterol Down, Mate"
By Mr. L. Little
Keep your blood pressure down, mate,
Keep that cholesterol in check.
Stay away from the butter and fat, mate,
Although you may think 'what the heck?'
Leave the car and walk instead, mate,
Lose some weight from your tum.
Then you'll be fit as a fiddle, mate,
Even fitter than David Beckham.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Things Are Different
One of the main differences between NEJM and JAMA is that while the former's pages are rife with awesome and terrifying images of deformities, growths, and skin diseasedness, in addition to really unsettling war injury pictures that I won't post on this site, the latter publishes photos like this one, which they have adorably captioned "A Mouse Goes for a Spin"!
Friday, January 21, 2005
From "100 Years Ago at JAMA"
Medical Errors in Fiction.
It seems to be the rule, unfortunately, for writers of fiction, when dealing with medical subjects, to pay no attention to facts...We have to regret, however, its occurrence in the recent writings of a celebrated author who was educated as a medical man. Dr. Conan Doyle, in "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez," just published, makes Sherlock Holmes say, in commenting on a pair of glasses that has been found, "You will see, Watson, that the glasses are convex and of unusual strength." In another place, speaking of the owner of these glasses, Holmes says: "Unfortunately for her, she had lost her glasses in the scuffle, and as she was extremely short-sighted she was really helpless without them." To make a short-sighted person wear convex glasses, even in fiction, is not to be commended...In this particular instance, the result of the neglect of attention to facts is unusually unfortunate, for it involves our friend, the famous detective, and also his friend, Dr. Watson; and this involvement shows them in a very unenviable light--they are shown to be weak where they should be strong.
It seems to be the rule, unfortunately, for writers of fiction, when dealing with medical subjects, to pay no attention to facts...We have to regret, however, its occurrence in the recent writings of a celebrated author who was educated as a medical man. Dr. Conan Doyle, in "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez," just published, makes Sherlock Holmes say, in commenting on a pair of glasses that has been found, "You will see, Watson, that the glasses are convex and of unusual strength." In another place, speaking of the owner of these glasses, Holmes says: "Unfortunately for her, she had lost her glasses in the scuffle, and as she was extremely short-sighted she was really helpless without them." To make a short-sighted person wear convex glasses, even in fiction, is not to be commended...In this particular instance, the result of the neglect of attention to facts is unusually unfortunate, for it involves our friend, the famous detective, and also his friend, Dr. Watson; and this involvement shows them in a very unenviable light--they are shown to be weak where they should be strong.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
L.A. Friends: I Hope This Helps
I would like to thank my expert correspondent for bringing this website to my attention:
Body Worlds: Anatomical Exhibitions of Real Human Bodies
Some highlights:
Just a dude shootin' hoops.
This I can't explain.
In the service of High Farce, some clever wag placed a fedora on the torn up head of the hapless gentleman shown above. I'd like to meet this hoaxter and learn all I can from him.
(Look near this splayed dude's left nut. You will be rewarded with the awed face of curious child.)
Body Worlds will be on exhibit until January 23rd at the California Science Center. Body Worlds 2 begins January 29th.
Body Worlds: Anatomical Exhibitions of Real Human Bodies
Some highlights:
Just a dude shootin' hoops.
This I can't explain.
In the service of High Farce, some clever wag placed a fedora on the torn up head of the hapless gentleman shown above. I'd like to meet this hoaxter and learn all I can from him.
(Look near this splayed dude's left nut. You will be rewarded with the awed face of curious child.)
Body Worlds will be on exhibit until January 23rd at the California Science Center. Body Worlds 2 begins January 29th.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Some Friendly Suggestions
I was a little disappointed to note that two consecutive issues of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource featured articles addressing that most ladylike of afflictions: headache. Would Julie Abbott, M.D., M.P.H., and the rest of the kittenish coquettes on the editorial board really have us believe that there are no other more pressing medical issues facing women? Have they forgotten about uterus malaria? Boob flu? What about that big tube that connects a woman's face to her butt (internally)? It must get inflamed once in a while. I could probably also come up with several other interesting and fictional diseases for them to write about, which is why I hope they hire me as Ideas-Pitchmaster, a secret position not listed on the masthead.
(If for some reason you would like more, not less, information about headaches, allow me to direct your attention to Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. (It is the official journal of the American Headache Society). And if there isn't enough information from this resource, you might also try the American Council for Headache Education (ACHE).)
(If for some reason you would like more, not less, information about headaches, allow me to direct your attention to Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. (It is the official journal of the American Headache Society). And if there isn't enough information from this resource, you might also try the American Council for Headache Education (ACHE).)
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Old News
I'm assuming you don't need NEJM to tell you that there's a condition called hypogonadism.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Just What the Doctor Ordered
Nothing here should surprise you as this is a very typical system. If you don't have access to the optional components, it appears you can just plug your face directly into the computer.
Friday, January 14, 2005
More From "100 Years Ago at JAMA"
A Physician Withstands a Mob.
...His conduct is in notable contrast to that of many cowardly public officials, whose failures at such times have brought dishonor on their names and on the reputation of their states. In this instance a murderer, himself badly wounded, lay in a hospital. A mob, bent on vengeance, was met at the hospital door by the surgeon-in-charge, who announced his intention to shoot any one who attempted to enter...The physician in this case upheld the best traditions of his profession as a life saver, and should receive the thanks of his brethren and of the community generally. It is a pity that public officials, sheriffs and the like in some portions of the country have not the pluck and regard for their obligations of this physician. He is undoubtedly in his proper place, but otherwise we should recommend the State of Georgia to put him in charge of its militia.
...His conduct is in notable contrast to that of many cowardly public officials, whose failures at such times have brought dishonor on their names and on the reputation of their states. In this instance a murderer, himself badly wounded, lay in a hospital. A mob, bent on vengeance, was met at the hospital door by the surgeon-in-charge, who announced his intention to shoot any one who attempted to enter...The physician in this case upheld the best traditions of his profession as a life saver, and should receive the thanks of his brethren and of the community generally. It is a pity that public officials, sheriffs and the like in some portions of the country have not the pluck and regard for their obligations of this physician. He is undoubtedly in his proper place, but otherwise we should recommend the State of Georgia to put him in charge of its militia.
Awkward!
At the time their November-December issue went to press, I suppose the editors of Balance: Diabetes UK could not have foreseen that their words would mock a great tragedy:
"Governments seem reluctant to adopt the radical public health measures that we know can help to reduce the tsunami of Type 2 diabetes."
"Governments seem reluctant to adopt the radical public health measures that we know can help to reduce the tsunami of Type 2 diabetes."
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Happy New Year
A study published in the December 22/29, 2004 issue of JAMA concluded that, contrary to popular belief, people do not wait until after holidays to die:
"In conclusion, analysis of thousands of cancer deaths show no pattern to support the concept that 'death takes a holiday.' We find no evidence that cancer patients are able to postpone their death to survive Christmas, Thanksgiving, or their own birthdays."
Some people who might take issue with these findings are those who attended the Broadway production of Death Takes A Holiday, starring Antonio Banderas, and they are likely to have a number of questions for the study's authors, such as "Why would someone put Antonio Banderas in a play?" and "Why did I see this play?"
"In conclusion, analysis of thousands of cancer deaths show no pattern to support the concept that 'death takes a holiday.' We find no evidence that cancer patients are able to postpone their death to survive Christmas, Thanksgiving, or their own birthdays."
Some people who might take issue with these findings are those who attended the Broadway production of Death Takes A Holiday, starring Antonio Banderas, and they are likely to have a number of questions for the study's authors, such as "Why would someone put Antonio Banderas in a play?" and "Why did I see this play?"
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Ok
The cover story for a recent issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine for Living Well with Chronic Kidney Disease is "What is Chronic Kidney Disease?" a question you might assume this magazine's readership, in particular, would already know the answer to. Confusingly, the first subject heading of the article is "You may not even have chronic kidney disease."
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Don't Believe the Hype
Recently, Nutrition Action newsletter directed my attention to this study conducted on women employed at semiconductor plants in East Fishkill, New York.
The results of the study state, rather cavalierly, that consumption of alcohol and caffeine reduces the risk of pregnancy. Now before you jump, as I did, to the conclusion that this is incredible news for loose women who love Sparks, I have to stop you. I consulted a colleague of mine (who is an actual scholar in the sciences) and she quickly put the breaks on this sexy, drunk trainwreck of a theory. The study loses credence mainly because the test sample was small and because information was gathered via questionnaires that I will assume consisted of questions like "So how did everything go last night? OMG, did you get drunk and go all the way? Tell me everything." The study did have some merits, for instance including phrases like "women employed at semiconductor plants" and "Fishkill," but it failed to address the well-known facts that alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of unprotected sex, and caffeine is the leading cause of babies. Also, if Hakim et al. are such great scientists, why would they produce data that (when misrepresented by me) indicate that every woman conceives 15 children a year?
The results of the study state, rather cavalierly, that consumption of alcohol and caffeine reduces the risk of pregnancy. Now before you jump, as I did, to the conclusion that this is incredible news for loose women who love Sparks, I have to stop you. I consulted a colleague of mine (who is an actual scholar in the sciences) and she quickly put the breaks on this sexy, drunk trainwreck of a theory. The study loses credence mainly because the test sample was small and because information was gathered via questionnaires that I will assume consisted of questions like "So how did everything go last night? OMG, did you get drunk and go all the way? Tell me everything." The study did have some merits, for instance including phrases like "women employed at semiconductor plants" and "Fishkill," but it failed to address the well-known facts that alcohol consumption increases the likelihood of unprotected sex, and caffeine is the leading cause of babies. Also, if Hakim et al. are such great scientists, why would they produce data that (when misrepresented by me) indicate that every woman conceives 15 children a year?
Monday, January 10, 2005
Massachusetts History Buffs: Did You Know?
The December 2, 2004 New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) informs me that up until the 1960s or so there existed in Waltham, Massachusetts a learning facility for slower children felicitously titled The Fernald State School for the Feebleminded. Along with some really terrifying instances of torture and abuse, activities at the school included "the use of incarcerated children for nontherapeutic experiments, sponsored by Quaker Oats and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, involving radioactive food...The boys were told that they were joining a science club, with perks of special diets and trips to Red Sox games as rewards."
It seems these kids can really teach us the meaning of "Cowboy Up," and in return someone should probably teach them how to read and write.
It seems these kids can really teach us the meaning of "Cowboy Up," and in return someone should probably teach them how to read and write.
Friday, January 07, 2005
First Best Thing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
There is a section in every issue called "100 Years Ago at JAMA," which is a page of century-old excerpts from the publication. Here's a peek into the medical goings on of 1904:
Whisky Preferences.
Julia Marlowe, the actress, announces to the public that she likes her whisky with a little bitter in it. At least, the newspapers are publishing her photograph with the following testimonial: "I am glad to write my endorsement of the great remedy, Peruna, as a nerve tonic. I do so most heartily.-Julia Marlowe." Perhaps it will not be deemed wholly flippant if it is noted that those who take their whisky straight, as a "nerve tonic," do not usually write testimonials thereof.
Whisky Preferences.
Julia Marlowe, the actress, announces to the public that she likes her whisky with a little bitter in it. At least, the newspapers are publishing her photograph with the following testimonial: "I am glad to write my endorsement of the great remedy, Peruna, as a nerve tonic. I do so most heartily.-Julia Marlowe." Perhaps it will not be deemed wholly flippant if it is noted that those who take their whisky straight, as a "nerve tonic," do not usually write testimonials thereof.
Second Best Thing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
There is a section in every issue called "Poetry and Medicine," which is where they publish poems sent in by doctors. Hey, here's one! This is an excerpt from a poem called "The Dancing Circus of my Brain" by Margaret Burns:
"Finally, I understand--
there are clowns in there,
eighteen of them, crowded into
my frontal cortex, riding tiny
silver unicycles back to the striate
gyrus never once stopping for tea
or Oreos."
This is what doctors think a brain looks like!
"Finally, I understand--
there are clowns in there,
eighteen of them, crowded into
my frontal cortex, riding tiny
silver unicycles back to the striate
gyrus never once stopping for tea
or Oreos."
This is what doctors think a brain looks like!
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Important Science Books for Doctors
It seems that the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) would have us believe that the medical text most worth reviewing during the week of November 18, 2004 was the following:
One of Us: Conjoined Twins and the Future of Normal by Alice Domurat Dreger. "Her primary subject is conjoined twins...but she also brings into the story people with cleft lips, dwarfs, giants, and hermaphrodites."
The second most important medical text was this:
Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi. "Leroi starts his discussion with famous 'monsters' in history...Famous examples include cases of conjoined twins, persons with hypertrichosis, and cyclops...He takes up examples of limb malformations, disorders of stature, and cases of intersex (more commonly known as hermpaphroditism)."
The third had to do with deaf people.
One of Us: Conjoined Twins and the Future of Normal by Alice Domurat Dreger. "Her primary subject is conjoined twins...but she also brings into the story people with cleft lips, dwarfs, giants, and hermaphrodites."
The second most important medical text was this:
Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi. "Leroi starts his discussion with famous 'monsters' in history...Famous examples include cases of conjoined twins, persons with hypertrichosis, and cyclops...He takes up examples of limb malformations, disorders of stature, and cases of intersex (more commonly known as hermpaphroditism)."
The third had to do with deaf people.
All This Seems to be in Order
In the January 2005 edition of Harvard Men's Health Watch there is an article on avoiding the flu virus wherein three of the four "tips" for preventing infection take an oddly cryptic tone:
1. "Keep your distance."
2. "Wear a mask."
3. "Protect others."
The fourth is "Wash your hands," which is pretty good advice.
1. "Keep your distance."
2. "Wear a mask."
3. "Protect others."
The fourth is "Wash your hands," which is pretty good advice.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
By Way of Introduction
I am not a doctor, but I have access to a large volume of medical periodicals.
