Henry M. Parrish

Time interval from castration in premenopausal women to development of excessive coronary atherosclerosis

Abstract The autopsy records of 80 patients who had a bilateral oophorectomy before age 50 were matched with 80 control patients. Castrated patients had an excess of coronary atherosclerotic blockage and myocardial infarcts, but this was directly related to the time interval from castration to “expected menopause” and the time interval from castration to death. Women castrated 0 to 9 years before age 50 did not have excessive coronary atherosclerosis. Those castrated 10 or more years before age 50 did have significantly more severe coronary artery disease. It took an average of about 14.4 ± 2.57 years after castration before excessive coronary atherosclerosis became apparent. Thus, women castrated before age 40 who are expected to survive more than 14 years are at high risk to developing coronary heart disease. These patients should receive estrogen replacement therapy.

Are Schools Safe? Analysis of 409 Student Accidents in Elementary Schools

A study of 409 school accidents from elementary schools showed that boys have more accidents than girls, nonwhites more than whites, and second graders more than children in other grades from kindergarten through grade six. More accidents happened during the lunch hour and recesses than at other times during the day. Sixty-four per cent were head injuries. It is recommended that schools report and analyze school accidents and organize a safety committee.

Relationship of pregnancy to coronary artherosclerosis

Abstract The relationship between pregnancy and coronary atherosclerotic blockage in Caucasian women was studied in a necropsy population. The records of accident victims and patients who died with cancer of nine primary sites were used for this purpose. Adjustments were made for age, sex, race, year of death, hypertension, and other factors known to be associated with coronary atherosclerosis. Reproductive rates, based on a value of 1.5 for twins, 1.0 for a single term birth, 0.5 for a stillbirth, and 0.25 for an abortion, were calculated for each patient. No association, either positive or negative, was found between coronary atherosclerotic blockage and the reproductive rate (pregnancy).

Poisonous Snakebites Causing No Venenation

Poisonous snakebites which do not result in venom poisoning, or venenation, occur more often than is realized. These non-venomous bites should be treated conservatively. The wound should be cleaned with germicidal soap and water, tetanus prophylaxis accomplished, and a broad-spectrum antibiotic given if necessary. Antivenin is not required, and its administration introduces the unnecessary risk of serum sickness. If venenation does occur, prompt and complete treatment is of course required.

EPIDEMIOLOGY IN PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNING FOR NATURAL DISASTERS.

EPIDEMIOLOGY has proved useful in the study and prevention of accidents of various types as well as epidemics of communicable diseases. Disasters may be defined arbitrarily a,s epidemics of accidents in which 25 or more people are seriously injured or killed. Therefore it seems reasonable to believe that when the epidemiology of various kinds of natural disasters is known many of them can also be predicted and prevented or at least controlled (1). Moreover an epidemiologic analysis of the disaster provides a sound basis for public health program planning. The word epidemiology, derived from the Greek epi (on or upon) and demos (the people) implies something inflicted upon the people. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, as well as diseases, fit this definition. At 10:51 p.m. on September 1, 1962, an earthquake devastated part of the Central Plateau of Iran, a country which suffered motre than 115 major earthquakes from 1904 to 1961. A detailed report of this catastrophe by Saidi (2) is used in this paper as a basis for examination of the epidemiologic approach to public health planning for a natural disaster. It should be made clear that we did not have firsthand observation of the Iranian earthquake. This earthquake was merely used as a conceptual model to illustrate the epidemiology of a natural disaster. Epidemiologists conveniently classify three major types of factors which influence the incidence of a disease-agent factors, host factors, and environmental factors. In natural disasters, the agent would be the factor producing the actual injury or disease; the hosts would be human beings and to a lesser extent animals; and environmental factors, the physical, chemical, biological, and social climates in which a disaster occurs. The epidemiologist initially takes three steps in investigating an epidemic: (a) He confirms the diagnosis. Was there an earthquake and if so, was it a major or a minor one? (b) He determines if there is an epidemic. Was there a disaster killing or seriously injuring 25 or more people? (c) The epidemiologist next characterizes the epidemic as to time, place, and the victims. When did the earthquake take place, how large an area was affected, how much damage was done, approximately how many people were injured, dead, or missing, and what are the immediate needs of the survivors? This type of community diagnosis is essential for intelligent public health program planning and is needed as soon as possible. Like diseases, disasters have definite patterns, so that a knowledge about their usual characteristics may prove valuable. For example, in earthquakes fractures and crushing wounds are the usual types of injuries if seicondary fires have not caused burns and tidal waves have not caused people to drown. Information on the occurrence, duration, direction, and intensity of an earthquake can be obtained through seismograph reports as well as by telephone, radio, and wireless. In the Dr. Parrish is associate professor, Dr. Baker is assistant professor, and Dr. Bishop is associate professor in the department of community health and medical practice, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia.

Snakebite A Pediatric Problem

Poisonous Snakebite! An event which evokes terror and fear in the victim and his parents. It presents the physician with an emergency which requires knowledge and skill in management. The purposes of this report are: ( 1) to define the snakebite problem, (2) to describe how to identify poisonous snakes, (3) to discuss the diagnosis of snake venenation, and (4) to provide a guideline for treatment.Poisonous Snakebite! An event which evokes terror and fear in the victim and his parents. It presents the physician with an emergency which requires knowledge and skill in management. The purposes of this report are: ( 1) to define the snakebite problem, (2) to describe how to identify poisonous snakes, (3) to discuss the diagnosis of snake venenation, and (4) to provide a guideline for treatment.

Functional Role Activities of the Private Practitioner: A Method of Investigating Office Practice and Time Study of the Typical Day of 25 Physicians

routine tasks which fall within the competence of their training. With time a vital commodity of modern living and with demands upon their limited manpower increasing steadily, physicians are asking such questions as: How much time do I spend in patient care? How is my time distributed between diagnosis, treatment, administration, counseling and other activities? Can I improve my method of providing health information? Can I save much time with the newer diagnostic and therapeutic aids? Can I arrange my functionalrole activities more expediently and release more time for additional patient care? Can ancillary personnel perform some medical activities? Can the efficiency of may current office

Experimental residency program in veterinary public health.

THE PRACTICE of veterinary medicine is changing rapidly to adapt to the needs of society, and the specialty of veterinary public health has assisted in meeting those needs. Its progress has been rapid, productive, and imaginative, especially when one realizes that the American Board of Veterinary Public Health was not incorporated until 1950, and not recognized as a specialty board by the American Veterinary Medical Association until 1951. Today public health veterinarians are working in such diverse fields as radiation safety, air pollution control, heart disease control, and accident prevention, as well as the more traditional functions, such as food hygiene, control of communicable diseases, and research and teaching in the zoonoses and comparative medicine. Veterinarians are even beginning to function in such areas as health services administration.