Mesothelioma – An Overview

Mesothelioma is a lethal form of cancer, usually found in the lungs, that has inextricably been linked to asbestos fibers. In fact, the story of mesothelioma is really the story of asbestos. Asbestos fibers are tiny particles that can be inhaled by a worker who is exposed to asbestos, or a family member that is exposed to asbestos fibers brought home on clothing and shoes. One of the critical elements of this story is the fact that mesothelioma often develops twenty to fifty years after asbestos exposure.Asbestos has been used in many types of construction materials including insulation, roofing, and pipe fittings. It was used to insulate electrical wiring; was an important component of caulking and joint compounds; was incorporated into flooring and ceiling tiles; auto brakes and engine gaskets. It has great insulating properties for both sound and temperature, is resistant to water and electricity and acts as a flame retardant. Widespread use of asbestos took off in the 1880s. By the 1930s, medical personnel were beginning to recognize a potential link between asbestos and various respiratory problems among people who were exposed to it. A respiratory illness given the name asbestosis was diagnosed in England in 1931. During this period 30s a new form of lung cancer was detected and named mesothelioma, although it was not associated with asbestos until sometime in the 1940s. Also in the 1930s, employees of American asbestos producer Johns Manville produced evidence of high levels of illness in asbestos miners and provided testimony to the extremely dangerous nature of asbestos dust. The company successfully kept both this information and any lawsuits that developed from it out of the public eye. Other U.S. companies also successfully suppressed information about the dangers of asbestos exposure.During the 1950s both Johns Mansville and National Gypsum went to extraordinary lengths to suppress or edit their own research and staff recommendations regarding the dangers of asbestos fibers and the need to protect employees from it. Evidence continued to grow linking ,a mesothelioma and asbestos, as did the lawsuits against asbestos companies. By 1979, asbestos use was virtually banned for use in the United States by the EPA.In the 1970s and 1980s, a series of class action lawsuits representing mesothelioma and asbestosis victims established liability among both asbestos producers and industries that manufactured products using asbestos. Among the crucial points of evidence were multiple actions taken by asbestos producers and users to suppress information about dangers of the substance.Between 1973 and 1984, mesothelioma has tripled among white males. From 1980 to the late 1990s, the annual death rate from mesothelioma in the USA increased by 50% to 3,000. The numbers of people who were exposed to asbestos fibers and the liability assigned to the companies who profited from asbestos has led to multiple bankruptcies among major corporations – among them Johns Mansville and W.R. Grace. Multi-billion dollar trust funds have been established by these companies and others to provide compensation for mesothelioma lawsuit victims who spent careers working with asbestos, while management in the firms were well aware of the dangers deriving from asbestos exposure.

History: Treatment Of ED

Aphrodisiacs Innumerable substances have been used to increase sexual performance. Oysters, lobsters, eggs, and spices are examples. Spanish Fly, a substance made by grinding the wings of certain beetles, was a favorite of that party animal, the Marquis de Sade. It is illegal in the United States both because of the unproven nature of its effectiveness and a tendency to cause seizures or death. Many of these substances actually do nothing more than irritate the genital organs. The user interprets this irritation as increased sensitivity, thereby giving the impression of increased performance. Rhinoceros horn has been used (unsuccessfully) for so long that its name has become synonymous with sexual arousal. Unfortunately, its popularity has led to such widespread slaughter of the animals that they face extinction. Ancient Egyptians believed eating crocodile penises increased virility. Anyone capable of eating a crocodile’s penis probably didn’t need any more help proving his manhood. Surgery/Transplants The idea of using animal testes to treat impotence began in the Middle Ages, when a standard treatment for %26quot;the male malady%26quot; was to place the testicles of a cock under the bed. Another option was eating the rooster’s testes. You could guess that putting them under the bed was much more popular. The Malleus Maleficarum was a guide to witchcraft during that era that asserted witch’s spells caused impotence. This was a major reason witch-hunting became so widespread. French physiologist Charles Edouard Brown-Sequard injected himself in the 1880s with an extract from the testicles of dogs that he claimed made him smarter, stronger, and more virile. After ten injections, he reported improved erections, as well as a stronger jet of urine and %26quot;power of defecation.%26quot; He made no claims about the effect this had on the dogs. His %26quot;Elixir of Life%26quot; became an instant best-seller. Its 1889 launch rivaled that of Levitra, even without a famous spokesman. Eugen Steinach in 1920 pioneered surgical treatment of impotence with a revolutionary idea-vasectomy. He believed blocking the vas deferens (the tubes semen passes through) would force maleness factors back into the bloodstream instead of letting them go to waste on the sheets. The erections probably weren’t much better, but with female partners spending less time pregnant, there was much more opportunity. Two recipients of the Steinach procedure were Sigmund Freud and Nobel Prize winner William Butler Yeats. Freud, the person most responsible for the mistaken impression that impotence was primarily psychological, set back our understanding of the disorder by decades. Taking him out of the gene pool probably did more to help the science of impotence therapy than anything else Steinach did. Many respected universities have subsequently been involved in the transplantation of animal or human testicular tissue. Swiss professor Paul Niehans treated tens of thousands of men with testicular cell injections in the early twentieth century. His procedure sometimes went straight to the root of the problem by injecting a booster shot directly into the patient’s testes.* Patients receiving the treatments included Charlie Chaplin (and you wondered why he walked that way), Aristotle Onassis, and Pope Pius XII. Chaplin was a well-known womanizer, but the Pope’s interest in this treatment remains a mystery. Another researcher in Chicago proudly stated his initial patient checked himself out of the hospital four days after surgery in order to satisfy his newfound potency. He fully understood the rule: %26quot;Never waste an erection.%26quot; Dr. Leo Stanley removed the testicles of recently executed prisoners at San Quentin in the 1920s. He transplanted them into other, more fortunate (albeit impotent) prisoners, reporting improvement in strength, well-being, and libido among the recipients. When the supply ran low, he substituted goat, ram, boar, and deer testicular tissue. Why he wanted to improve libido among prisoners is still not evident. It remains unclear whether any of these early attempts at treating impotence with human or animal testicular tissue actually worked. Most of the researchers mentioned eventually fell into disrepute-but at least Aristotle Onassis got the girl. Mechanical Hot metal rods inserted into the urethra during medieval times failed to revive erections. No one wanted a second treatment, so failures went unreported. Many types of splints have been used, including hollowed-out antlers and horns. Encouraged by finding the penis bone (baculum) in some animals, early surgeons placed rib cartilage into the penis. Although these initial attempts failed, penile prostheses have more recently proven particularly reliable.

The Rise, Fall and Rise of the School of Naturopathy

Naturopathy, which is also referred to as natural medicine or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on using the body’s natural abilities to heal itself in order to fend off illness and maintain its health. By following a holistic approach to body care, naturopathy involves taking certain natural steps to increase the body’s natural defenses while also supporting the use of conventional medicine methods to fend off illness.The History of NaturopathyThe history of Naturopathy is long and interesting. Although many people have never heard of this form of alternative medicine, it has actually been in use since the 1880s. It was during this time that Dr. Thomas Allinson began advocating the medical practice in Scotland. Allinson promoted following a natural diet and performing regular exercise in order to improve the body’s health and to help cure illness and disease. The concept of naturopathy didn’t reach the United States until the late 1890s. At this time, the term was used by Benedict Lust, who was also schooled in other forms of natural medicine such as hydrotherapy. Lust went on to found the American School of Naturopathy in 1905, which was opened in New York. The American School of Naturopathy was the first college of its kind to be opened in the United States, but the practice of naturopathy began losing followers in the 1930s when synthetic drugs and penicillin started to be used more regularly. The rise of other forms of alternative medicine, including herbalism and homeopathy, also contributed to the downfall of naturopathy. Despite its setbacks, naturopathy continued to be practice by some alternative medicine practitioners. By 1956, a new school of naturopathy was opened in Portland, Oregon. The National College of Naturopathic Medicine, which integrated scientific methodologies along with naturopathic practices, was the first modern medical school to offer studies in naturopathy.The Principles of NaturopathyIn order to encourage the body to heal naturally, naturopathy follows seven basic principles. These include:• Do no harm to the body by providing the most effective health care possible while putting the patient at the least amount of risk• Respect and promote the body’s self-healing power• Remove all causes of illness rather than simply suppressing the symptoms• Inspire hope and encourage the patient to take responsibility for his or her health• Consider individual health influences and factors when treating a patient• Promote well being in individuals and throughout the worldAlthough modern medical practices are put to use with naturopathy, following these steps follows the least invasive method possible.A look at the history of naturopathy, including the rise and fall of the School of Naturopathy and the subsequent revival of this natural method for healing the body.