Monthly Archives: February 2014

Traditional medicine: Environment change threatens indigenous know-how

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The way indigenous cultures around the globe use traditional medicines and pass on knowledge developed over centuries is directly linked to the natural environment, new research has found.

This makes indigenous cultures susceptible to environmental change, a threat that comes on top of the challenges posed by globalisation.

"Traditional medicine provides health care for more than half the world's population, with 80 per cent of people in developing countries relying on these practices to maintain their livelihood. It is a very important part of traditional knowledge," says Dr Haris Saslis-Lagoudakis, from The Australian National University's (ANU) Research School of Biology.

"This knowledge is typically passed down from generation to generation, or it is 'borrowed' from neighbours. Because of this borrowing, globalisation can homogenise medicinal practices of different communities, leading to loss of medicinal remedies."

But this is not the only challenge that indigenous cultures face.

"Imminent changes in the environment also pose a threat to traditional knowledge," explains Dr Saslis-Lagoudakis.

"Traditional medicine utilises plants and animals to make natural remedies. Despite a lot of these species being under threat due to ongoing climatic changes and other human effects on the environment, the effect that these changes can have on traditional medicine is not thoroughly understood."

Dr Saslis-Lagoudakis and a team of international researchers led by the University of Reading (UK) investigated how the environment shapes medicinal plant use in indigenous cultures, specifically Nepal, a country in the Himalayans that has outstanding cultural, environmental and biological diversity.

"By understanding the relationship between environment and traditional knowledge, we can then understand how cultures have responded to changes in the environment in the past," he says.

The team studied 12 ethnic groups from Nepal and recorded what plants different cultures use in traditional medicine. They calculated similarities in their medicinal floras and also calculated similarities in the floras these cultures are exposed to, how closely related they are, and their geographic separation.

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Traditional medicine: Environment change threatens indigenous know-how

AAFP Foundation Strengthens Family Medicine

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By the time many of you read this, I'll be in Haiti.

Each year, the AAFP Foundation sends a delegation to this Caribbean country as part of its Family Medicine Cares International program. Twenty-two people -- including 17 family physicians -- will make this year's trip, which is scheduled for Feb. 15-22. We will be split into three teams:

The patient care team will see patients who otherwise might have a long wait to see a physician. Haiti, with a population of 9.7 million people, has less than 50 residency-trained family physicians. During last year's trip, our clinical team provided care to more than 600 patients. This included performing physical exams and providing a year's worth of vitamins to 100 orphans. We will be bringing medical equipment, medications and more with us again this year.

New this year, the Foundation is providing a scholarship for a resident to make the trip. Zita Magloire, M.D., from Wichita, Kan., will be traveling with the medical education team and will give a presentation about her experience to her peers later this year at the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students.

More on that event later.

Helping people appeals to the philanthropic heart of family physicians, and few nations need help more than Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The country continues to recover from the devastating earthquake of January 2010. This will be my fourth visit, and with every visit, I can see progress as Haitians rebuild their country. The participants in our first delegation trip in February 2013, agree that this is a life-changing experience.

Although our delegation makes the trip only once a year, family physicians can work with the AAFP Foundation(www.aafpfoundation.org) to contribute at community clinics in Haiti by volunteering for one week or more to provide patient care at any time during the year.

Family Medicine Cares International is just one of the numerous programs the AAFP Foundation supports throughout the year. These efforts -- which increase the visibility and impact of family medicine -- are possible because of support from AAFP members. The work we do is only limited by the amount of support we receive.

How can you help? One way is to simply go to the Foundation's website and see what programs appeal to you(www.aafpfoundation.org). Members can make donations to a specific program, such as Family Medicine Cares International, or make an unrestricted donation to the Annual Fund.

So where does the money go?

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AAFP Foundation Strengthens Family Medicine

Janik traces modern medicine's roots amid 19th century outcasts

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Madison author Erika Janik's new book is "Marketplace of the Marvelous," out now in hardcover from Boston's Beacon Press. (PHOTO: Dutcher Photography) Published Feb. 13, 2014 at 9:02 a.m.

There's no doubt about it, medicine has come a long way over the past century. But, ask Wisconsin historian and author Erika Janik and she'll tell you, medicine in the 19th century wasn't all snake oil and trickery.

In fact, many of the ideas we now embrace herbal remedies, drinking a lot of water, chiropractic care, regular exercise, massage therapy were born out of 19th century practitioners who were considered outcasts in their day.

While Publisher's Weekly says Janik's "Marketplace of the Marvelous: The Strange Origins of Modern Medicine," is "a must-read for medical history buffs," the book is, in fact, a fascinating and readable look into the roots of modern medicine, with some bonus ties to Wisconsin for hometown readers.

We caught up with the Madison-based Janik who is also the author of "A Short History of Wisconsin," "Odd Wisconsin" and "Madison: History of a Model City," among other works to discuss the new book, which is published in hardcover by Beacon Press.

OnMilwaukee.com: How did you come to the subject of the new book?

Erika Janik: This book really began with two things: an article from the archives of the Journal of the American Medical Association congratulating the state of Wisconsin for finally capturing the Reinhardt brothers of Milwaukee, and the unexpected discovery that my great-grandmother practiced a form of hydrotherapy, or water cure, in Chicago in the early 20th century.

I ended up co-writing an article on the Reinhardts with my husband for the "Wisconsin Magazine of History." This research led me deep into what we now call alternative medicine but what was known as "irregular" medicine in the 19th century. I discovered a world filled with quirky characters with big ideas and irregular healing practices that welcomed women as professional doctors long before they were welcomed into mainstream medicine. I love offbeat stories, utopian ideas and women in unexpected places.

OMC: Do you have any connections to medicine, other than as a user, like the rest of us?

EJ: My husband is a physician, or a regular doctor as I would call him in the book, with a deep interest in history. His input was invaluable to me even as we disagreed about certain points. His insights certainly pushed me to a deeper understanding of medicine and made me think twice about my assumptions. I think my research changed the way he thinks about his field or at least I hope so!

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Janik traces modern medicine's roots amid 19th century outcasts

Medical students concerned over new school

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The Malta Medical Students' Association (MMSA) has expressed its concern over the health minister's announcement that the Barts Medical School is set to open in Malta.

MMSA today said that its members have voiced their concerns about the agreement reached between the Maltese Ministry of Health and the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) to open a new campus of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in Malta.

"The main concern of medical students at this point is that the introduction of a new medical school on the Maltese islands may directly affect their daily learning experience which may already be compromised by the increasing number of students admitted to the medical course," the association said.

It added that this might in turn result in "less proficient doctors to care for the Maltese population."

But acting head of the post-graduate training centre Ray Galea said that with the introduction of a new a medical school, the general situation regarding the Malta Foundation Programme "should not be affected".

"There may be more applicants, but this is bound to happen anyway, with or without the new medical school," he said.

"There is no limit that can be imposed on the number of applicants since all eligible EU citizens have an equal right to apply."

The programme was set up in 2009. According to Galea, the scope of the programme has been reached: "It is providing excellent training to newly qualified doctors, making it unnecessary for them to leave our island."

The programme, he added, has met all the stringent criteria set up by the UK Foundation Programme (UKFPO), so much so that it has been accredited as a recognized Foundation Programme training centre for the next two years by the UKFPO.

"This is no mean feat considering that it is the only such Foundation Programme outside the UK," Galea said.

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Medical students concerned over new school

Penis tattooed Anadarko’s R.A Walker–Liberty Mutual–Brammier & ChicPooWell – Video

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Penis tattooed Anadarko #39;s R.A Walker--Liberty Mutual--Brammier ChicPooWell
Man #39;s penis is tattooed with R.A. Walker on it. While questioning Dr. Brammeier about his knowledge of treating toxic chemical poisoning or related poisoning...

By: Charles McLerran

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Penis tattooed Anadarko's R.A Walker--Liberty Mutual--Brammier & ChicPooWell - Video

354 Princeton Ave Jc, Greenville NJ 07305 – Mayra Solis – Liberty Realty Corporate Headquarters – Video

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354 Princeton Ave Jc, Greenville NJ 07305 - Mayra Solis - Liberty Realty Corporate Headquarters
http://propertytours.libertyrealestate.com/viewer/default.aspx?tourid=853770 refURL=youtube Contact: Mayra Solis Liberty Realty Corporate Headquarters 201.61...

By: Liberty Realty Property Tours

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354 Princeton Ave Jc, Greenville NJ 07305 - Mayra Solis - Liberty Realty Corporate Headquarters - Video

Jindal gives speech on defending religious liberty

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BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Gov. Bobby Jindal delivered a speech Thursday evening at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library where he expressed his belief in the importance of defending religious liberty.

Jindal outlined the attacks on religious liberty, including from Obama's administration, and he offered solutions to fight against these efforts. Below are his remarks in their entirety.

Speech provided by the office of Gov. Bobby Jindal:

Thank youit's an honor to speak hereI've been looking forward to this night.

I have spoken out aggressively in recent months about the disastrous effects of Obamacare, about our dire need to reform American education, and about the urgency for our country to re-endorse the concept of growing our economy that President Reagan so uniquely championed. These are issues of great importance, essential for the future of America.

But tonight, I'm going to talk to you about an entirely different topic, and that topic may surprise you. Tonight I want to give a speech I've never given before, about an issue lurking just beneath the surface that issue is The Silent War on Religious Liberty.

I can think of no better place to give this speech than the Ronald Reagan Foundation and Library. President Reagan himself said that, "Freedom is not the sole prerogative of a chosen few, but the universal right of all God's children."

When he said this, he was not expressing a strictly personal belief in the nature of man as a created being as a child of God. He was reaffirming the most basic contention of the American Founding, set forth in the Declaration of Independence, that we are a nation constituted in accordance with the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," and that we are a people "endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights."

Let me make this explicit: the source and justification for the very existence of the United States of America is and always has been contingent upon the understanding of man as a created being, with a Creator conferring his intrinsic rights "among [them] Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

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Jindal gives speech on defending religious liberty

Libertarian group quietly emerges in Gregg County

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A third party is quietly emerging in Gregg County, where one proponent of the Libertarian movement is explaining who they are.

We are too liberal for the Republicans, and we are too conservative for the Democrats, Gregg County Libertarian Chairwoman Brandee Brown said. Most people in East Texas are very libertarian-minded Little L. And they have a hang-up with (legislating) social issues.

A couple of examples might help: Libertarians dont take a stand on gay marriage or decriminalization of marijuana, as part of their live-and-let-live philosophy; the party also believes people, not the government, should be helping those who lack adequate food, housing or other necessities.

Thats not to say we dont believe in helping other people we do, said John Spivey, a Fort Worth party member who directs, libertarianboosterpac.org, which helps candidates with marketing and building their own websites.

The social tolerance tends to work more for most social liberals or Democrats, he said. And the fiscal conservatism tends to work well for Republicans and tea party people.

He said $2 out of $3 of the trillions of dollars the government takes from taxpayers for welfare programs simply feeds the bureaucracy.

And one-third of that money gets to the people who need it, he said. Wed rather give to organizations where 90 percent goes to the needy.

But, would churches, nonprofit agencies or individuals reliably donate those trillions of dollars?

Keep in mind that two-thirds of that is going to the (federal) apparatus, Spivey replied. Could they take care of roughly one-third of that? I believe they can.

Diane Day of Longview, who urged Brown to investigate the party, said she had been attracted to it by her disillusion over the two dominant parties. She heard former Rep. Ron Paul making the same point, too.

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Libertarian group quietly emerges in Gregg County