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MARCH 4, 2022
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MAKING SMALLPOX
SMALL
KILLING A
KILLER
A
ctually, the world’s public health community did more than make smallpox small; as the font above is meant to suggest, they all but made it invisible. That is an amazing accomplishment. Consider that even recently smallpox was still regularly killing hundreds of millions of people. During the 20th century alone, an estimated 300 to 500 million people succumbed to the disease, including roughly 50 million during the 1950s alone. Smallpox has been a literal plague on the human race since pre-Christian times. It’s suspected that one of the earliest smallpox victims known by name was Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses V, who died in 1157 B.C. It kept on killing for centuries. Please see SMALLPOX page 5
R
esistance to mass vaccination programs has a history almost as old as vaccinations themselves. There is, for example, England’s famous Leicester Demonstration March of 1885, when as many as 100,000 anti-vaccinators led an elaborate march against a smallpox vaccination campaign, complete with banners, a child’s coffin, and an effigy of Edward Jenner, the discoverer of the smallpox vaccine. Conversely, in other eras people cheerfully stood in line for hours to be vaccinated to escape some dreaded disease. In 1947, for instance, a Mexican businessman, unaware that he had been exposed to smallpox, travelled by bus to New York City before discovering that he had the disease. Concerned about a smallpox epidemic in such a densely populated place, health authorities quickly launched a pre-emptive mass vaccination campaign. Within one month, six million people were vaccinated, including the thousands lined up on April 14, 1947 (above) outside Morrisania Hospital in the Bronx. Mass smallpox vaccination campaigns across the globe, coupled with the public’s cooperation, led to the eradication of smallpox. For more about what a tremendous achievement that was, see the following article. +
Since Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine was made from cows, critics suggested (only partly in jest?) that vaccine recipients could end up with bovine traits or body parts.
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THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST
PART R OF A 26-PART SERIES
PARENTHOOD by David W. Proefrock, PhD
Your 14-year-old daughter has a new best friend, and you really don’t approve of this friendship. The girl seems well-behaved and polite enough when you’re around her, but she doesn’t seem to have any supervision at home. You know she’s been in trouble at school, and you suspect she might have been in trouble with the law. What do you do? A. Forbid your daughter from spending any time with the new friend. B. Talk with her about the dangers of spending time with unruly friends. You know, the “company you keep” talk. C. Tell her that you don’t approve of her new friend and warn her that she will have to pay the consequences if she and this friend get in trouble. D. Tell her that you have concerns about her new friend and that until you get to know her and her family better, she can only spend time outside of school with her new friend at your house and under your supervision. If you answered: A. This almost never works. Remember they are in school together. This actually creates more problems than it solves. It encourages lying and sneaking. B. She is sure to have heard this before and will most likely ignore you. Anyway, it doesn’t really address your concerns. C. This doesn’t really address the issue either. She’s 14 and most likely she doesn’t agree that she’ll get in trouble with this new friend. D. She probably won’t like this, but it allows her to spend time with her new friend and allows you to learn whether or not your concerns are well-founded. Early adolescence is the time when friends become more important than family. Your challenge is to recognize this and still find a way to provide the structure and supervision your child needs. + Dr. Proefrock is a retired clinical and forensic child psychologist.
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MARCH 4, 2022
R IS FOR RODS If you’ve come here for an article about the rod, a once popular measurement of distance defined as 5½ yards, we are about to disappoint you. Ditto for the instrument of punishment for disobedient little rug rats, as in “spare the rod, spoil the child.” No, this article is about the tiny photoreceptors within the eye called rods which team up with cones to give us beautiful and memorable visual experiences like viewing spectacular sunsets, gazing upon our loved ones, and reading the Medical Examiner. Rods and cones are packed like sardines into an extremely
confined space known as the retina on the back wall of each eye. It’s definitely cozy in there. For starters, the hardest working part of the retina is only a little bigger around than a quarter. In that very small piece of real estate are roughly 7 million cones and 130 million rods. And to think that people are impressed with high def monitors and phone screens offering a few hundred pixels per inch. Since we see the world in glorious color, it might seem like the color receptors would be rods since there are so many of them, but that job goes to cones. Rods take care of black & white and low light situations. As you can see (left), light never strikes the rods and cones. They live their lives in total darkness. Their job is to convert the upsidedown image inside the eye to chemical and electrical signals and send them up the line to the brain through the optic nerve. The whole amazing system is really something to see. +
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MARCH 4, 2022
G(UN)SAFE READER COMMENTS A physician wrote to remind us of the “millions, in fact hundreds of millions, of firearms that are used responsibly almost daily for hunting and sport shooting.” We’re not sure where he gets his numbers, but our article was not intended to be anti-gun, as he supposed; it was about gun safety, not the gun control debate. But his point was well-taken. If you read the online Examiner, a few edits were made (see https:// issuu.com/medicalexaminer/ docs/02.04.22). We also heard from two gentlemen in law enforcement who both carried a gun every day for decades prior to retirement. Our article made the point, as
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This message might sell guns, but it’s not a need based in fact. does the caption to the illustration above, that a person could live two lifetimes and never once
encounter a situation that would require the use of deadly force with a lethal weapon. Interestingly, these officers with their combined service of more than half a century fired their weapons in the line of duty exactly once between the two of them. That’s a single time in more than 50 years of almost daily encounters with law-breakers and criminals ranging from petty mischief-makers to hardened felons. If someone wants to own guns, that’s their choice and certainly a legal right. But to do so for “personal protection” is not a particularly realistic need. +
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WHAT’S THE LATEST ON MASKS? The Centers for Disease Control launched a new tool to assist everyone everywhere to know the best local strategy for helping to put the brakes on this pandemic. COVID-19 Community Levels measures what’s going on county by county as measured by hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. The CDC offers basic guidelines for each locality based on that information in a simple low, medium, or high format. LOW: • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines • Get tested if you have symptoms MEDIUM: • If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines • Get tested if you have symptoms. HIGH: • Wear a mask indoors in public • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines • Get tested if you have symptoms • Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness Of course, none of the newly relaxed CDC recommendations mean that someone who prefers to wear a mask should not or cannot. As the CDC website puts it, “People may choose to mask at any time.” However, “People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.” Wondering where we stand locally? You can check the CDC website any time, but this is how local counties were listed as of Monday morning, Feb. 28 (from a CDC map dated Feb. 24): LOW: Elbert, Wilkes (GA) and Allendale (SC) MEDIUM: Lincoln, Columbia, Richmond, Burke, McDuffie, Warren, Hancock, Taliaferro, Greene, Jenkins (GA) and Barnwell (SC) HIGH: Jefferson, Emanuel, Washington, Screven (GA) and Abbeville, McCormick, Edgefield, Aiken, Saluda, Greenwood (SC). +
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www.AugustaRx.com The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of salubrious news within every part of the Augusta medical community. Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397
(706) 860-5455 www.AugustaRx.com • E-mail: Dan@AugustaRX.com www.Facebook.com/AugustaRX Opinions expressed by the writers herein are their own and/or their respective institutions. Neither the Augusta Medical Examiner, Pearson Graphic 365 Inc., nor its agents or employees take any responsibility for the accuracy of submitted information, which is presented for general informational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment, consult your doctor. The appearance of advertisements in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. © 2022 PEARSON GRAPHIC 365 INC.
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MARCH 4, 2022
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
#160 IN A SERIES
Who is this? ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble, Ph.D., is a retired English and creative writing professor who offers her unique perspective as a patient. Contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com by Marcia Ribble
W
e have before us today an accomplished researcher and intellectual whose reputation, sterling during his lifetime, has come upon hard times with the passing of years. Born in Birmingham, England, in 1822, this man, Sir Francis Galton, was considered a polymath, someone with in-depth understanding of many subjects, especially topics which are complex and not well understood by others. Polymaths are often innovators and discoverers within the branches of specialized knowledge they master. In Galton’s case, he pioneered significant advancements in the gathering, analyzing, and application of statistics. For example, he created and defined the statistical concept of correlation. If you’ve heard or said the phrase “correlation does not imply causation,” you’re quoting Galton. Have you heard people ponder the concept of “nature vs nurture”? Galton coined the term to describe the dual effects of genetics (nature) upon how we act and think versus the effects of our upbringing (nurture). Galton devised the first weather map and is considered to be an inventor (if not the inventor) of scientific meteorology. He also studied fingerprints to determine whether they could reveal significant health markers unique to certain populations. While that line of reasoning came to nothing, the method of classifying fingerprints he devised is used to this day. He was a world traveler, anthropologist and geographer, authoring more than 340 scientific papers and books on a wide range of topics. Where his reputation becomes tarnished is in his advocacy of eugenics. He even invented the word. If you’re not familiar with eugenics, it was a set of principles and practices designed to purify and improve what Galton called “the racial quality of future generations” by excluding various populations from having children. Its targets included orphans, people of color, those with loose morals or physical or mental handicaps, members of ethnic and religious minorities, and those convicted of crimes. Such groups were banned from marriage or forcibly sterilized by practitioners of eugenics principles. Nazi policies of racial purity borrowed heavily from eugenic practices in the United States, and a number of Nazi war criminals attempted to justify their actions at trial after the war by saying what they did was no different from what was being practiced in America. Although widely condemned now, eugenics under a variety of labels — biological racism, scientific racism, and ethnic cleansing, among others — enjoyed full acceptance in the scientific and academic communities for far longer than would have seemed possible, and in fact is still victimizing the disadvantaged in multiple ways all over the world. Galton’s cousin, by the way, was Charles Darwin, from whose On the Origin of Species Galton borrowed heavily. Given that historians say Darwinian principles formed an integral part of Nazi doctrines of racial superiority, it wouldn’t be completely inaccurate to say that between the two cousins, several million deaths resulted from the principles they espoused. +
We left off the story in the previous issue where my husband, Spencer, and I and four other men were lost in dense fog on thin and melting ice in Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As if that wasn’t enough to worry about, I was pregnant and afraid of going into labor and having to deliver my baby in those harsh conditions. I began to cry, and the other men, much older than we were and more experienced with pregnant women than my husband was, immediately told him to take the fishing gear off the sled we used to haul our equipment for the day. They put me on it and began to pull me while Spencer carried our gear. The ice had continued to melt, and now there was three inches of icy slush on top of the ice. Even worse, because it was close to the winter solstice, it was getting dark. Darkness in Michigan at that time of year hits about 5 pm. We had now been on the ice for five hours and walking for four hours, even though before the dense fog suddenly rolled in, it had only been a 15-minute walk from the car to the spot out on the ice where we started to fish. By now, even the men were scared. There was no place to stop. Nowhere to rest. On we trudged through the slush and blinding fog. About 7 pm we heard a train whistle. “We need to head toward that sound,” I said. “There aren’t any trains out on the ice.” And we did. That whistle continued until we finally made it to land at Pop’s Place, near Sebewaing. The light from their neon sign guided us that last few hundred feet. All these years later I still clearly remember the feelings of relief seeing that sign meant to me.
The men took me into the restaurant to warm me up. They ordered a hamburger and a glass of beer for me and for some of them too. I told them I didn’t have any money to pay for that. They waved away my concerns as trivial and said they would cover it. It occurs to me now that maybe they too were concerned about making sure the baby and I were OK. They got someone at the bar to drive one of the men and Spencer back 15 miles to where our cars were parked. When they got there, they discovered that our car wouldn’t start. They hitched a rope to the front bumper and towed the car until Spencer could pop the clutch and start the car. That bumper was not made for towing and acquired a prow-like shape from being towed. A small price to pay for having survived and all of us okay. The three of them drove the three cars back to the bar and picked us up for the trip home. It took about an hour for us to make it back home to Saginaw. This all happened on Christmas Eve, and my folks, who had been expecting us for Christmas Eve dinner, gift opening, and Midnight Mass, had been very worried about us. We got dressed in more appropriate clothing as soon as we got home. Spencer put his red sweatshirt on, stuffed his belly with a pillow, put shaving cream on his face for a beard, stuffed our presents for them into a pillowcase, and we walked over to their place, about 10 feet away since they lived on one side of a duplex and we lived on the other. By New Years Eve I was in the hospital with contractions, but that was still too early. They gave me medicine to stop the contractions, and Frank was born on February 25, two months after our harrowing day lost on the ice. +
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
ADVENTURES IN
Middle Age BY J.B. COLLUM
had to work. He explained that when we are thinking, we flex more than our mind. Including the area related to my surgery. When I did this, it tended to cause the bleeding to get worse and it hurt more and tended to itch or burn. Ultimately surrendering to my predicament, I tried just lying in bed on my side and watching TV. I got caught up on every TV show I watch regularly and some that I had stopped watching. Some days I just slept most of the time. At other times, I did watch some of the online training on TV from bed, but that doesn’t sink in as well as it does when you also do the exercises on the computer. I may have learned a few things but I didn’t get to practice them, so I fear that the lessons won’t stick. Another aspect of my recovery is that I have to take four baths a day. I have to sit in a tub of hot water for at least 15 minutes each time. I didn’t like this at first because I have never been a bath person. I prefer showers. However, this habit might stick. Not that I will continue with four a day, but I may do it a couple of times a week or more. At first, I got out of the tub right at the 15-minute mark, but now I sometimes linger for as long as the water feels warm, even an hour or more, when I get the water really hot. The only thing that gets me out now is that three of my bath times are followed by meals and the final bath is followed by bed. My wife picked the times, and I am convinced now that they weren’t random. She knows me better than I know myself and she is always scheming, but in a good way. Well, mostly. That’s about all we have room for in this issue. Next time, I will tell you how my eyes were opened about some things those of the fairer sex have to go through on a regular basis. While they seem to handle it with aplomb, I was in an almost constant state of perturbation. What am I talking about? Please come back to this spot in the next issue to find out. +
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We usually start with the best of intentions, don’t we? Perhaps optimists like me are the worst offenders when it comes to that. As I mentioned in the previous column, while in the hospital recovering from my surgery and high on pain medicine, I made all sorts of plans about what I would do while convalescing at home for an entire month. It mostly revolved around improving my skills for work, doing some writing, and doing some cleaning and organizing once I was back on my feet and pain free, which I figured would take about a week. When I predicted that I would beat the doctor’s estimate of four weeks and be able to be productive in one week, my wife just laughed. You see, she is the pessimist in our relationship, though she would tell you she is the realist. But to my sanguine mind, it all seemed quite possible as the narcotic quality of the drug augmented my already optimistic personality and took me over the top to irrational confidence and happiness. It was a good feeling. I now see, firsthand, how oxycodone is so addictive. But as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end and in this case, these words are especially fitting since we are talking about my end. My rear end. Yes, it all came crashing down once I was home and the dosage of my pain medicine was cut in half. It took at least a couple of days for all of the feeling to come back, but even when my pain receptors were still just barely emerging from their oxycodone haze, the pain was real. When the last of the anesthetic wore off though, whoo boy! I must admit to doubling the dose of the pain medicine a couple of times after that when it was really bad. Although the pain lessened over time, I began to fear that it might become a permanent fixture in my life. Whenever I tried to sit on my behind, even with a lot of additional cushioning, I regretted it shortly afterward. So then I tried lying on my side in bed with my laptop next to me and took some online classes. As strange as it may sound, even doing that seemed to exacerbate the bleeding and the pain. I finally found out why though, with the help of my son, who visited for the first week to help take care of me when my wife and daughter
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I accomplished roughly nothing on my recovery to-do list.
Sparkle
Two boys with smallpox, one unvaccinated. The vaccinated child on the right only has one or two spots. Vaccines work, even when they don’t work as well as we would like.
SMALLPOX… from page 1
During the era of colonization, when European explorers were traveling the world and discovering lands where smallpox had never been seen, smallpox became an extremely lethal if unintentional export. Up to 95% of some indigenous populations died, and by one historical account, Mexico’s population went from 11 million pre-conquest to just 1 million after. During the 1800s the disease killed an estimated 400,000 Europeans each year, including five reigning monarchs, and was responsible for a third of all cases of blindness. Between 20% and 60% of all those infected — and over 80% of infected children — died from the disease. As recently as 1967, the World Health Organization reported 15 million smallpox cases worldwide resulting in 2 million deaths. That came at about the same time as an intensive vaccination program was being pushed around the world. Within ten years, the last known naturally occurring case anywhere in the world was documented, although that was followed in 1978 by one last smallpox case, the result of a laboratory accident in the UK. When three years went by without a single new smallpox case, WHO officially announced the complete eradication of smallpox. How massive was this accomplishment? Smallpox is the one and only disease medical science has ever certified as eradicated. Or more correctly, it’s the only disease everyone has heard of that has been officially eradicated. (The other one is rinderpest. Have you ever heard of it? We haven’t either.) The secret to killing the killer named smallpox? Mass vaccinations ended the centuries of misery it caused. +
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J.B. Collum is a local novelist, humorist and columnist who wants to be Mark Twain when he grows up. He may be reached at johnbcollum@ gmail.com
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A GARAGE LIKE THIS REALLY DOESN’T MATCH YOUR HOUSE?
by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Chef Coach, Author Follow Kim on Facebook: facebook.com/eatingwellwithkimb
MAPLE WALNUT ENERGY BALLS This heart-healthy snack doubles as a delicious sweet treat!
OUR SUGGESTION: START WITH THE GARAGE. YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD THE HOUSE LATER.
Ingredients • 2 cups walnuts, plus ¼ cup extra for coating • 1 cup old-fashioned oats • ½ cup Medjool dates, pitted (around 7) • 3 tablespoons maple syrup • 2 teaspoons vanilla • ¼ teaspoon salt Instructions Add the walnuts, oats, dates, maple syrup, vanilla and salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth and the dough forms together into cohesive balls, about 1 to 2 minutes. Finely dice the remaining walnuts and add to a plate. Form the dough into 16 balls and roll each ball in the diced walnuts to coat. Store the energy balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.
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Yield: 16 energy balls (1 energy ball per serving) Nutrient Breakdown: Calories 179, Fat 11g (1g saturated fat), Sodium 37 mg, Carbohydrate 18 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 3g
Diabetes Plate Plan: 1 Other Carbohydrate Recipe courtesy of California Walnuts. https://walnuts.org/recipe/ maple-walnut-energy-balls/ +
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ASK DR. KARP
NO NONSENSE
NUTRITION Mike from Appling, Georgia, asks: “Do you have any suggestions for eating healthy fast food?”
When you go into fast-food restaurants these days, all the advertising gives you the idea that there are lots of healthy choices on the menus. The big problem with accepting the restaurant’s idea of “healthy” is that the owners are choosing how to defining the term. “Healthy” is not a legal or standardized term, and may have many different meanings, especially if you are the one selling the food and trying to make a buck. At the most basic level, you might consider a food healthy
the bacon/cheddar, but it is certainly not what nutrition scientists would call healthy. For starters, over half the calories come from fat (recommendations are that no more than 20-25% of calories come from fat). This one item also has more than one-third of all the saturated fat that you should be taking in for the entire day, and it has 460 mg of sodium. Compared to the bacon/cheddar omelet, it is healthier, but I wouldn’t classify it as healthy. If you want a healthy egg
white omelet, make it at home using a little olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs, like basil or rosemary instead of all that salt, and throw in some mushrooms, spinach and red peppers. Now that is healthy. Too busy on a workday morning to do that? Then toast a couple of slices of whole grain bread, make a peanut-butter sandwich and take it with you along with a few strawberries or a peach. This meal is just as easy to balance on your lap and eat while you drive as those greasy sausage biscuits.
What is the “No-Nonsense Nutrition” advice for today? Eating a fast-food meal once in a while is not a great nutrition choice, but do it if you want. But the fact is that every time you eat out, you are putting someone else, not yourself, in charge of the salt, fat, sugar and calories in your diet. When you do eat at fastfood places, you certainly can make healthier choices, but you are fooling yourself if you think the meal will be “healthy.” +
Have a question about food, diet or nutrition? Post or private message your question on Facebook (www. Facebook.com/AskDrKarp) or email your question to askdrkarp@gmail.com If your question is chosen for a column, your name will be changed to ensure your privacy. Warren B. Karp, Ph.D., D.M.D., is Professor Emeritus at Augusta University. He has served as Director of the Nutrition Consult Service at the Dental College of Georgia and is past Vice Chair of the Columbia County Board of Health. You can find out more about Dr. Karp and the download site for the public domain eBook, Nutrition for Smarties, at www.wbkarp.com Dr. Karp obtains no funding for writing his columns, articles, or books, and has no financial or other interests in any food, book, nutrition product or company. His interest is only in providing freely available, evidencedDr. Karp based, scientific nutrition knowledge and education. The information is for educational use only; it is not meant to be used to diagnose, manage or treat any patient or client. Although Dr. Karp is a Professor Emeritus at Augusta University, the views and opinions expressed here are his and his alone and do not reflect the views and opinions of Augusta University or anyone else.
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because it is free of poisons and bacterial contamination and you do not get sick from eating it. This expectation alone is not enough. The bar is set much too low. A healthy food should also meet the nutrition standards of science-based nutrition organizations such as the U.S. National Institute of Health or the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Foods should not contain excessive calories, fat (especially saturated and trans fat), salt, or sugar. Food should be an important source of major nutrients, such as protein, calcium, fiber, vitamins and minerals. In addition, when you think about how much that fast-food meal is going to cost you, include long-term costs, not just the money coming out of your pocket at that moment. The true cost of fast-food includes the cost it exacts on your body. Factor in the cost of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and cancer. Can you actually find a healthy fast-food meal out there? The answer for most people is... probably not. Let’s quickly look at an example. A popular donut franchise is now selling fastfood breakfast omelets. You have two choices, either an omelet made with bacon and cheddar or an omelet made with egg whites and veggies. You might think this is a no-brainer. The egg white/ veggie omelet certainly must be healthy. Well, the fact is that the egg white/veggie omelet may be healthier than
MARCH 4, 2022
ARKS
HARMACY
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MARCH 4, 2022
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
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IS IT TIME FOR HOSPICE? surfaced, I put my volunteering on hold. I didn’t want to risk the possibility of infecting a patient who already had a compromised immune system from their illness. I have many treasured memories from hospice experiences over the years. I remember Lucinda in particular, who lived in Colorado Springs. She and her family decided she would receive hospice care in her home. This dear lady left an indelible impression on my heart. I loved Lucinda. She was special. When she mentioned one day that she would like pig’s feet soup, I was not familiar with that dish. (I later learned it’s Southern soul food.) I could not find the main ingredient, so I mad a ham and macaroni soup for her and her husband. They were pleased. Lucinda’s husband was a loving spouse. One day when Lucinda was sleeping, he was sitting in a rocking chair in their living room. I sat down on the floor facing him and listened to his story of growing up in the South. His family worked long, hard hours. Life was economically difficult for them.
Guest column by Dolores Eckles
Are your parents aging, or do you know someone who has a terminal disease or illness? Perhaps a doctor has diagnosed that the patient has 6 months of less to live. Although that diagnosis is devastating news, there is hope for the patient and family. That hope is hospice. While the service it offers is not curative, it is palliative care, which eases the burden for the patient and provides emotional support for patient and family alike. A hospice care team often consists of a consulting doctor, a nurse, nurse’s aide, a social-work counselor, a chaplain, and a volunteer. The patient may be served in his home, a hospital, nursing home, or a hospice facility, some of which have suites so the family can be near their loved one continuously. I was a hospice volunteer for several years in Colorado Springs and in Charlotte. When I moved to Evans 2½ years ago, I immediately went through volunteer orientation and training at a local hospice, but when the COVID pandemic
When the end was near, Lucinda said that she was seeing angels. I had the same experience during a 12-day hospital stay in 2011. One afternoon I saw a large angel in the corner of my hospital room, and that evening I had a near-death experience. A family member gave the eulogy at Lucinda’s funeral. She thanked me for being an angel in Lucinda’s life. In truth, Lucinda was the angel. She taught me the meaning of courage when she was a part of my life. Although I was not with Lucinda when she died, I know she was at peace. What does being a hospice volunteer mean to me? It means supporting patients and families who may be confused, stressed, fearful and sad in this life situation. It means being respectful of where they are in the process of their grief. Hospice is about the patient, not the caregivers. It involves reflective listening and being a loving presence in the patient’s life. You may wish to read two classic books relevant to the topic of hospice. One is On Death and
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Dying (1979) by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swiss psychiatrist who identified five stages of grief. They are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The stages are not necessarily sequential, nor are all experienced in every case. The second book is Final Gifts (1992) by two hospice nurses, Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelly. I found the chapter on non-verbal communication very perceptive in determining when a patient is near the end of life. Because both books were written many years ago, they may be out of print, but they are often available as used books, such as at www.thriftbooks.com, and may be purchased for a nominal amount. Before a life ends, hopefully there will be time to: • Say “I love you” to persons you love • Mend relationships • Draw up a will, a living will, and a list of special requests • Join a grief support group When is it time for hospice? That’s an individual decision for each patient and family. +
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
MARCH 4, 2022
CRASH
COURSE
More Americans have died on US roads since 2006 than in World Wars I & II combined
O
ne of the principles that is basic to safe driving is that we share the road with every other driver out there. That includes slowpokes and lead foots, big rigs and buses and dump trucks as well as Mini Coopers, mopeds and motorcycles. But one of the most important (and simplest) applications of the “share the road” principle is how the road should be shared with emergency vehicles. It’s also one of the most ignored and/or abused traffic laws. That is definitely odd when you consider how many traffic laws are the subject of a catchy rhyming phrase to help you remember them. How many can you think of that fall under that description? Actually, we can only think of one: “Move to the right for sirens and lights.” It’s not complicated, but you would never know it to watch motorists when an emergency vehicle enters the picture. Some people speed up. Some drivers promptly stop, regardless of whatever lane they happen to be in at that moment. Some go left and stop in the suicide lane. Others ignore the emergency vehicle altogether and just drive normally. Not too long ago in this space we wrote about a case where a fire truck was following an ambulance traveling west down Columbia Road from the direction of Bobby Jones. Both emergency vehicles had their lights and sirens activated. Following the lead of the ambulance, the fire truck pulled into the center lane to turn into the Spring Lakes neighborhood, but had to sit and wait for the driver of a black pickup truck that was barreling toward it well over the speed limit. Two cars in front of the pickup had ample time to stop, but the pickup driver barreled past them.
Had police witnessed the pickup, its driver would have been subject to a fine of up to $500 for failing to move over (assuming it was a first offense), 3 points on their license, plus court costs and other charges, to say nothing of the speeding violation and a separate citation for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. It would have been a very expensive way to get to the traffic light in front of the Columbia Road Kroger (which was red when the pickup got there), a full 20 seconds ahead of the vehicles which did lawfully stop. Let’s clarify the safe and simple and legal responses to emergency vehicles in two situations: when they are traveling down the road en route to an emergency; and when they are stopped on the roadside. For a stopped police officer, fire fighter, tow truck driver, EMT or paramedic, the Move Over Law in Georgia does not specify left or right. It requires one of two options: 1. move into a lane not adjacent to the emergency vehicle(s), which would usually mean moving to the left if the emergency responders are on the right shoulder (but the opposite if they happen to be on the opposite shoulder); or 2. if a lane change is not possible, slow down to a “reasonable and proper” speed below the posted speed limit appropriate to the traffic and situation. There is nothing wrong with doing both: move over and slow down. When it comes to moving emergency vehicles on their way to a call, Georgia law says “every other vehicle” other than the emergency vehicle shall promptly and safely move to the right and “shall stop” until the emergency or law enforcement vehicle has passed. In other words, “Move to the right for sirens and lights.” +
WIN A MUG! The Mystery Word Contest winner will be sipping coffee from one of these babies! Additional details on page 14
READ THE EXAMINER ONLINE www.issuu.com/medicalexaminer
QUANTUM ENGINEERING FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS In this month’s Technobabble-Free Zone, we will examine the emerging field of nanotechnology. “Nanotechnology,” says the CDC, “is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials, and devices. Nanotechnology refers to engineered structures, devices, and systems.” Imagine going to the doctor for a kidney stone problem. Typically, urologists would take an x-ray to determine if there is a blockage in the bladder, and if so, they may set a time to remove the stone(s) surgically. However, in this by Dr. Chuck Cadle instance, the doctor inserts a small robot (nanobot) directly into the kidney. The robot identifies the kidney stone and wirelessly sends information back to the doctor indicating its size and type. With this information, the doctor decides to insert another nanobot. The robot’s instructions are to grab the stone and take it NANO: A PREFIX out through the urethra. This example is just one of the emerging biotechnology applications MEANING engineers can use nanotechnology to “ONE BILLIONTH.” quantum address. Quantum engineers develop devices that control nanomaterials. They rely on the principles of quantum mechanics, a significant theory in physics that explains how things move and interact at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. Nanomaterials scale in length between 1 and 100 nanometers (nm). Materials at this size can be engineered for in situ and in vivo biomedical applications. However, these engineered materials may be slow to market due to the lack of engineers who work in this field. According to Lee Bassett, an assistant engineering professor at the University of Pennsylvania, “We’ll need more quantum engineers to tackle the inherent challenges of technologies that exploit quantum effects.” (Physics Today, 67, 2014). Bassett further posited that “developing those technologies will require a deep understanding of quantum physics, which is typically lacking in
The Technobabble-Free Zone
Please see TECHNOBABBLE page 11
MARCH 4, 2022
the blog spot — posted by Lealani Mae Acosta, MD, on November 2, 2020
PUTTING ON MY DAILY MÁSCARA Signs encouraging mask-wearing compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic are posted in English and Spanish at my hospital. I was fascinated that a Spanish word for mask is máscara, since “mascara” in English signifies the cosmetic that darkens the eyelashes. While I am vigilant about wearing my máscara, I can’t remember the last time I put on mascara. While I typically eschew make-up, one concession I make is lipstick when public speaking. Preparing for an in-hospital presentation this summer, I rummaged for my infrequently-used lipstick. I realized, though, that with the requisite hospital mask donned, if I’d put on lipstick, who would see it? Many women have bemoaned changes to their beauty regimen secondary to COVID-19. A woman’s beauty routine should present her authentic image. The problem is when women internalize a message suggesting she, and specifically a woman physician, has to look a certain way. Do I have to wear/not wear [insert cosmetic] to be taken seriously? Why don’t male physicians fret as much whether or not to dye their hair? Competent practice of my profession should be enough to be “professional,” not aesthetics. Evidence for make-up is mixed. Many maintain a certain look appears more attractive or may instill a greater sense of competence, trustworthiness, and, a sticking point for women in particular, likability. Other research has found that cosmetics have a negligible effect on perceptions or may even lead to more negative opinions. One study on physician hair color did not find a difference in patients’ impression of the quality of care, but patients who were cared for by gray-haired physicians had decreased mortality compared to other hair colors. Perhaps those statistics would have changed if the surveyed physicians reported whether hair color was natural or dyed. With COVID-19 has come other fashion expectations. Traditional white coats are discouraged for fear of transmission between patients. Scrubs are now de rigueur to avoid clothing that cannot be laundered daily. I rarely wore scrubs, with the exception of being the inpatient attending. With my youthful appearance, I thought my white coat and work clothes helped me look more mature. Too often a male resident on the team was mistaken for the attending while we were rounding (anger, not shame, would make me blush), so I compensated by dressing “older.” Now I am denied these sartorial crutches, I have not noticed any difference in patients’ perception of my clinical skill. I support physicians keeping kempt and professional. We should not need to look dowdy or airbrushed to be taken seriously. Women physicians during the current pandemic may welcome the opportunity to revisit the foundation of their beauty regimen and do what is best for them, not for anybody else. In preparation for residency interviews, among my many stressors was finding matching heels for my navy blue suit. I bemoaned my sartorial plight to a fellow classmate, who quizzically asked, “Why don’t you just wear black shoes?” I responded, “You’re a guy! People have different perceptions of a woman’s appearance.” My mind flashed to preparing travel accoutrements: mascara, eyeliner, blush, foundation, and lipstick resurrected from the back of the cabinet. I thought, “You’re right! Why should it matter if my shoes aren’t the exact same color as my suit?” While I worry about many things during COVID, my aesthetic routine is not one of them. My longer-than-usual ponytail, overdue for its biennial trim since I do not deem going to the salon essential, is tucked under a surgical cap, which I do choose to complement the color of my scrubs. On top of it all, I wouldn’t dream about leaving the house without my daily máscara. +
Should make-up matter?
Lealani Mae Acosta is a neurologist.
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
From the Bookshelf Guest review by Christine Hurley Deriso
Great idea: A drug company could use its vast cache of resources, many of them taxpayer-subsidized, to develop a medication that treats a specific disease, alleviating human suffering and contributing a greatly to mankind. But where’s the fun in that? The fact that it’s hardly any fun at all, and with a yawn-inducing profit margin, is the premise of Patrick Radden Keefe’s book, “Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty” (Doubleday, 2021). The book casts a withering spotlight on the hopelessly indifferent Sackler family, founders of Purdue Pharma. Wouldn’t it be scads more fun, the family posits, to take an opiate known for centuries for its highly addictive nature and repurpose it as a wholesome tonic for whatever the heck ails ya? Enter OxyContin. Keefe chronicles the Sackler family’s business evolution from owning a barely respectable drug company (Valium was their super-fun foray into the mass marketing of a highly dangerous drug) to the Billionaires’ Club of high-end dope dealing in
the 1990s. With a green light from the Food and Drug Administration, plus politicians of all stripes and a coterie of bribed health care professionals in their back pocket, the Sacklers managed to hook an astounding 2.5 million Americans on their product. Keefe’s highly readable book is meticulously researched despite the family’s longstanding aversion to publicity unless affixing their name to a building or museum. The author includes court transcripts, congressional testimony, interviews with former Purdue Pharma employees, internal emails and much, much more. But it’s the action on the ground that keeps the reader riveted: the hapless everyday Americans who became hopelessly, and
TECHNOBABBLE… from page 10 engineering curricula.” One of the inherent benefits of working at the quantum level is the creation of “nanobots” that can travel within the human body. These nanomachines could perform nanorobotic therapeutic procedures, such as diagnosing, monitoring, and treating diseases. These procedures could include continuous surveillance of vitals by nanobot wireless data transfer; surgical applications for cancer, heart conditions, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and kidney stones; and cancer treatment where nanobots with chemical sensors could detect tumors or treat them by carrying chemotherapy chemicals directly to the tumors. These nanobots will be able to move independently with the addition of flagella (sperm-like tails — see illustration on page 10, bottom) or by external means using magnetic fields.
Clearly, these new technologies need vetting and testing before being approved for in vivo treatments. In its special issue on micro-robotics, the guest editors for the Journal of Applied Sciences posited that these new technologies” require a common effort to make micro-robotics play a significant role in the future. Micro-scale effects have to be further explored to improve the predictability of micro-robot behavior and its controllability. Innovative approaches for the design, fabrication, and deployment of intelligent micro-robotic systems have to be investigated to pave the way for frontier applications” (https://www.mdpi. com/si/47901). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the leading federal agency conducting research and providing guidance on nanotechnology’s safety and health implications
often lethally, addicted to OxyContin after innocently filling a prescription for, say, a bad back or bum knee. (Eventually, some unscrupulous physicians dispensed the drug without even the pretense of a reason for the prescription, operating revolving-door pill mills instead.) The author readily acknowledges that despite its legitimate uses the drug is frequently abused; that pain is a real problem that demands effective solutions; and that well-meaning health care professionals had no reason to suspect the Sacklers’ safety claims were fraudulent, particularly in light of the FDA’s imprimatur. But caveats aside, few emerge unscathed from this dismal tale, Well, except for the Sacklers. Settlements to date have left most of their billions untouched by those pesky state attorneys general who finally demanded an accounting of the deadly detritus left in their wake. And that’s the most bitter pill to swallow of all. Read this book if you can stomach it. + Empire of Pain, The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe; 560 pages, published in 2021 by Doubleday
and applications. Given the interest in this area of medical technology, NIOSH established the Nanotechnology Research Center in 2004 with a mission to identify critical issues and to develop action plans and partnerships to investigate advances in this technology and to publish their findings. The Center identified ten critical topic areas that will guide its work in addressing knowledge gaps, developing strategies, and providing recommendations (see www.cdc.gov for more information). The future bio-medical technologies developed by quantum engineers will broadly impact medicine, wellness, and healthcare. Some scientists are already touting the life-saving and life-enhancing benefits of using nanorobotics. Stay tuned. Maybe the 1966 movie Fantastic Voyage was not so unrealistic after all. +
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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
The Examiners
MARCH 4, 2022
THE MYSTERY WORD
+
by Dan Pearson
It seems like you’re more What’s that drug and more forgetful lately. that’s supposed to help memory?
So you can’t remember to take your memory pill.
Right. I got some of that but I keep forgetting to take it.
Prevagen?
Is it available in a patch?
The Mystery Word for this issue: MARLBU
© 2022 Daniel Pearson All rights reserved.
Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com
EXAMINER CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
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We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!
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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2022 All rights reserved.
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DIRECTIONS: Every line, vertical and horizontal, and all nine 9-square boxes must each contain the numbers 1 though 9. Solution on page 14.
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QUOTATIONPUZZLE
29. Type of tunnel 30. Bowl ranking system 31. Tolkien letters 32. Suggestion 33. Weapons abbrev. 35. Opp. of bro 37. Letters in many front yards 40. Doctors 41. Beginning 42. Type of hoop 43. Giant of the Giants 45. Banks of note (1931-2015) 46. Savannah, for one 48. Grinding tooth 49. Study suffix 50. Umbilical scar 51. Eat sparingly 52. Shepherd Moons singer 53. Built-up embankment 55. Hippocratic follower 58. English monk 60. Contend 61. Queen ____ 62. Grand ____
Y E B S N I N E B H T Y E M V I H L L O M V T O S E E L W L E O M E O E E H E N A F D P
4 9 2 7 5 1 7 2 A 8 5 3I 6 6K 3 9 4 1 8
— Plato
by Daniel R. Pearson © 2022 All rights reserved
DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may be used only once. Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line. Solution on page 14.
Solution p. 14
Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle above. All the listed letters following #1 are the first letters of the various words; the letters following #2 are the second letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.
T 1 2 3 4
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— A. Lincoln
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1 . A A AT T T T T I C I B O F D 2 . O U A E I B N T T S H H H H 3 . AT M M E E Y E S O I 4 . U U T T N E E 5 . R G S T 6 . E
SAMPLE:
8 6 3 9 4 1 2 7 5
1. ILB 2. SLO 3. VI 4. NE 5. D =
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by Daniel R. Pearson © 2022 All rights reserved
BY
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18 19 ACROSS 1. Beijing prize 22 23 5. Blue 26 8. Having two or more colors, like a piper, perhaps 30 31 32 33 12. Stir up 36 37 13. Legal rights gp. 14. Main artery of the body 39 40 41 15. Chateau in Georgia 44 45 16. Lustful; licentious 47 18. Jewel 19. Sick 51 52 53 54 55 20. WJBF’s affiliation 59 60 61 21. Bethesda agcy. 22. Village in Augusta 63 64 24. Maj. CSRA employer 66 67 26. Possess 27. Garden beginning? by Daniel R. Pearson © 2022 All rights reserved. 30. Pancakes served with sour cream 67. ____ Excellency 33. Pale 68. Julia’s ex 34. Ring-sghaped ocular membrane DOWN 36. Liver oil source 1. Norman of note 37. Grant born in Augusta 2. Greased 38. Black bird 3. Andes pack animal 39. Stern’s opposite? 4. Lair 41. Eccentric 5. Regattta craft 42. Grasps 6. Long-sleeved clergy garb 44. Augusta’s ________ Blvd 7. _____ mater 46. Furrow 8. Hawaiian food 47. Last year’s Jrs. 9. _____ lung 48. First name of MCG’s 1828 10. Sewing case founder 11. Morse element 51. Belle of the ball, in brief 13. Burns’ wife 54. Classical intro? 14. Capital of Ghana 56. Eggs 17. Norwegian dramatist 57. Chocolate _____ 19. Hawaiian honeycreeper 59. Certain to occur 62. Intro to in, out, over, along 23. Invasive beginning (sometimes) 63. Eagle’s nest (Var.) 25. “Star Wars” letters 64. Duct type 27. Might 65. Like fine wines 28. Thermometer type 66. Domesticated
WORDS NUMBER
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Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, MAR. 14, 2022
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MARCH 4, 2022
AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER
THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...
A
man walked into a seafood restaurant and asked for a lobster tail. The waitress smiled sweetly and began, “Once upon a time, there was this handsome lobster...” A man is walking through the desert when he stumbles upon an old lamp, half hidden in the sand. As he brushes the dust and dirt from the lamp, a genie pops out. The genie says that he will grant the man only one wish, and that he has to pick from three choices. He can either be the richest man in the world, the most popular man in the world, or the wisest man in the world. The man says, “Everybody knows that money does not bring happiness, and that popularity just makes you a slave to the whims of others, but wisdom is everlasting. So ok, I want to be the wisest man in the world.” There is a sudden flash and immediately the man’s face assumes a serene expression. He sits down, stroking his chin in thought. Then he looks towards the genie and says, “I should have taken the money.”
A government employee sitting in his office one day decided out of boredom to see what was in an old storage closet that he had never explored. As he poked through the dusty contents he came across an old brass lamp. “This will look good on my mantel,” he thought, so he took it home with him. While polishing the lamp that evening, a genie suddenly appeared. “Noble sir,” the genie said, “you have three wishes I will gladly and gratefully grant you.” “Well, well!” said the government clerk. Knowing how priceless each wish would be all by itself, he felt comfortable squandering the first one. “I would like an ice-cold Coke right now.” Poof! His Coke appears and drinks it down. Taking his time, he states his second wish. “I wish to be on an island surrounded by beautiful women who find me irresistible.” Poof! Instantly, he’s on a tropical island with gorgeous women eyeing him lustfully. He tells the genie his third and final wish. “I wish to never have to work again.” Poof! Instantly, he’s back in his government office. Genie: You have three wishes. Man: Oh, no you don’t. I know how this works. Somehow, whatever I wish for will come back and bite me in some way. Genie: No! I promise that won’t happen. I’m so sure it won’t I will grant you infinite wishes if it does. Man: Well since you put it that way, I wish for a boomerang with teeth. Genie: Son of a...! +
Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean?
Staring at my phone all day has had no Effect on ME!
Because try as they might, no one can stare at their phone all day.
The
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Advice Doctor ©
Dear Advice Doctor, I was recently fired from my job, although officially they allowed me the small dignity of asking for my resignation instead of outright firing me. The whole thing was a series of misunderstandings rather than anything I actually did or didn’t do that was wrong. Because of that, half of me feels like I should try to get right back into the job market, and the other half wants to lay low while I lick my wounds for awhile. What’s your advice? — Down, But Not Sure If I’m Out Dear Down, This is a common reaction — at least among animals — but you don’t see people literally licking their wounds all that often. What is common, however, is for someone to cut their hand or finger and immediately stick it in their mouth. We’ve probably all seen this, and perhaps we’ve even done it. It seems to be almost instinctual. Some people say the mouth is the dirtiest part of the body. On that point it should be noted that, unlike people, all germs are not created equal. Some bacteria is very beneficial. While it would be inaccurate to say our oral flora and fauna is totally benign, simple logic would suggest that it’s relatively safe. If it wasn’t, things like kissing, coughing and even talking would leave behind a trail of sickened people. But we don’t have to rely on simple logic, which isn’t always foolproof. A study published in 2008 found that our saliva contains a protein called histatin that kills bacteria and accelerates healing. As part of the study, researchers cultured cells from the inner check in petri dishes until the container was completely covered in cells. They they made a scratch across the unbroken field of cells. Some dishes were then bathed in a neutral isotonic fluid, while others were bathed in human saliva. After 16 hours, the petri dishes with saliva were almost completely healed, while in the others the wound was still open. The study helped to explain one reason why oral wounds, like tooth extractions or accidentally biting the inner wall of our cheek, tend to heal faster that comparable wounds elsewhere in the body. It also suggested additional avenues of research for scientists to look at component of saliva as a source for new drugs to assist healing. I hope this answered your question. + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will only be provided in the Examiner.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICALEXAMINER +
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Why read the Medical Examiner: Reason #22 BEFORE READING
By popular demand we’re making at-cost subscriptions available for the convenience of our readers. If you live beyond the Aiken-Augusta area, or miss issues between doctor’s appointments — don’t you hate it when that happens? — we’ll command your mail carrier to bring every issue to your house! NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP Choose six months for $20 ____ or one year for $36 ____. Mail this completed form with payment to Augusta Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta GA 30903-0397
AFTER READING
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THE MYSTERY SOLVED The Mystery Word in our last issue was: CORNEA ...cleverly hidden in the pills in the p. 8 ad for PARKS PHARMACY
THE WINNER: LAUREN QUARLESS! If that’s your name, congratulations! Send us your mailing address using the email address in the box on page 3. The new Mystery Word is on page 12. Start looking!
THE PUZZLE SOLVED G R E G
O I L E D
B L C O S T R D I E T
E N Y A
L L A M A
D E N
A L I L N I E O W N I N I D E M O A D E N S R S B N E E V I T R I E M E
S A D P C L U A O U B R I C I L A B C L S R S M E A D W A N I A M Y D D H O T R U T M I L T O O V A A B L E M T E A R A H E R L
I R O N
E T U I
D A S H
O R A L
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...wherein we hide (with fiendish cleverness) a simple word. All you have to do is unscramble the word (found on page 12), then find it concealed within one of our ads. Click in to the contest link at www.AugustaRx.com and enter. If we pick you in our random drawing of correct entries, you’ll score our goodie package! SEVEN SIMPLE RULES: 1. Unscramble and find the designated word hidden within one of the ads in this issue. 2. Visit the Reader Contests page at www.AugustaRx.com. 3. Tell us what you found and where you found it. 4. If you’re right and you’re the one we pick at random, you win. (Winners within the past six months are ineligible.) 5. Prizes awarded to winners may vary from issue to issue. Limited sizes are available for shirt prize. 6. A photo ID may be required to claim some prizes. 7. Other entrants may win a lesser prize at the sole discretion of the publisher. 8. Deadline to enter is shown on page 12.
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Dr. Eric Sherrell, DACM, LAC Augusta Acupuncture Clinic 4141 Columbia Road 706-888-0707 www.AcuClinicGA.com
CHIROPRACTIC Evans Chiropractic Health Center Dr. William M. Rice 108 SRP Drive, Suite A 706-860-4001 www.evanschiro.net
COUNSELING Resolution Counseling Professionals 3633 Wheeler Rd, Suite 365 Augusta 30909 706-432-6866 www.visitrcp.com
DENTISTRY Jason H. Lee, DMD 116 Davis Road Augusta 30907 706-860-4048
DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS Karen L. Carter, MD 1303 D’Antignac St, Suite 2100 Augusta 30901 706-396-0600 www.augustadevelopmentalspecialists.com
DRUG REHAB Steppingstones to Recovery 2610 Commons Blvd. Augusta 30909 706-733-1935
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Steven L. Wilson, DMD Family Dentistry 4059 Columbia Road Martinez 30907 706-863-9445
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EMF Safe Homes Sheila Reavill Certified Building Biology Specialist 209-625-8382 (landline) SURVEY•ASSESSMENT•REMEDIATION
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WOODY MERRY www.woodymerry.com Long-Term Care Planning I CAN HELP! (706) 733-3190 • 733-5525 (fax)
PHARMACY Parks Pharmacy 437 Georgia Ave. ARKS N. Augusta 29841 HARMACY 803-279-7450 www.parkspharmacy.com
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Aiyan Diabetes Center
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Julian Nussbaum, MD Ophthalmology
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