Friday, September 2, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Meeting MDGs 4&5; the role of the National Health Insurance Authority.
Consuming Omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy helps protects babies against illness during early infancy, an Emory University study has published. The randomized, placebo-controlled trial followed approximately 1,100 pregnant women and 900 infants in Mexico. The women were supplemented daily with 400 mg of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in the algal form or placebo from 18 to 22 weeks gestation through childbirth. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid found in cold-water oceanic fish oils The research revealed that children whose mothers took DHA supplements had fewer colds and shorter illnesses at one(1), three(3) and six(6) months of age. The study underscored the importance of good nutrition during pregnancy in reducing infant morbidity to the barest, minimum.
Having an Omega 3 deficiency while pregnant can prove very harmful to mother and baby. The baby takes Omega 3 from foods the mother eats and if the baby does not get enough Omega-3 from the food the mother eats, he will begin to take from the mother’s stored reserve. Researchers believe that these stores may be located in the brain, and can result in a loss of up to 3% of the mother’s brain cells. Omega 3 deficiency during pregnancy is linked with:
• increased rates of postpartum depression
• increased chances of having a Low Birth Weight(LBW) baby
• increased chances of preterm labor or cesarean birth
Taking Omega 3 during pregnancy has also been proven to help mother and baby out in the long run. Recent studies were performed on infants who were exposed to adequate levels of Omega 3 while in the womb. These babies showed advanced attention spans and greater visual acuity than non-exposed children. Their development was also two months ahead of non-exposed children. Benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids cannot be over emphasized:
• less chance of developmental or behavioral problems in the future
• less incidence of breast and prostate cancer
Especially in the final trimester of pregnancy, at least 250 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids is recommended daily. During this time the baby uses Omega-3 to form approximately 70% of its brain system, while the mother works on the rest of her baby’s nervous system.
Omega 3 is best found in fish and fish oil products. High levels of Omega 3 are found in:
• oily fish, like mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, salmon, and pilchards
• Omega 3 fish oil supplements
• fresh or frozen tuna
Omega 3 can also be found in non-aquatic sources. Good choices include:
• eggs
• dark green vegetables
• canola, sunflower, and flaxseed oils
• walnuts
The cost of treating postpartum depression may over burden and threaten the sustainability of the NHIS, Low Birth Weight (LBW) is an important predictor of newborn health and survival and very much associated with higher risk of infant and childhood mortality; preterm birth accounts for 70% of neonatal morbidity, mortality. It is therefore in the interest of the National Health Insurance Authority to initiate a public education campaign on the importance of Omega 3 diet in reproductive health care; this in effect will ensure that Ghana meets the MDGs 4 & 5.
Ref. Sciencedaily.com, pregnancy-info.net, wikipedia
Having an Omega 3 deficiency while pregnant can prove very harmful to mother and baby. The baby takes Omega 3 from foods the mother eats and if the baby does not get enough Omega-3 from the food the mother eats, he will begin to take from the mother’s stored reserve. Researchers believe that these stores may be located in the brain, and can result in a loss of up to 3% of the mother’s brain cells. Omega 3 deficiency during pregnancy is linked with:
• increased rates of postpartum depression
• increased chances of having a Low Birth Weight(LBW) baby
• increased chances of preterm labor or cesarean birth
Taking Omega 3 during pregnancy has also been proven to help mother and baby out in the long run. Recent studies were performed on infants who were exposed to adequate levels of Omega 3 while in the womb. These babies showed advanced attention spans and greater visual acuity than non-exposed children. Their development was also two months ahead of non-exposed children. Benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids cannot be over emphasized:
• less chance of developmental or behavioral problems in the future
• less incidence of breast and prostate cancer
Especially in the final trimester of pregnancy, at least 250 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids is recommended daily. During this time the baby uses Omega-3 to form approximately 70% of its brain system, while the mother works on the rest of her baby’s nervous system.
Omega 3 is best found in fish and fish oil products. High levels of Omega 3 are found in:
• oily fish, like mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, salmon, and pilchards
• Omega 3 fish oil supplements
• fresh or frozen tuna
Omega 3 can also be found in non-aquatic sources. Good choices include:
• eggs
• dark green vegetables
• canola, sunflower, and flaxseed oils
• walnuts
The cost of treating postpartum depression may over burden and threaten the sustainability of the NHIS, Low Birth Weight (LBW) is an important predictor of newborn health and survival and very much associated with higher risk of infant and childhood mortality; preterm birth accounts for 70% of neonatal morbidity, mortality. It is therefore in the interest of the National Health Insurance Authority to initiate a public education campaign on the importance of Omega 3 diet in reproductive health care; this in effect will ensure that Ghana meets the MDGs 4 & 5.
Ref. Sciencedaily.com, pregnancy-info.net, wikipedia
Monday, August 8, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Vitamin D deficiency causes mental disorders in children
Vitamin D deficiency causes mental disorders in children: "Vitamin D deficiency causes mental disorders in children"
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Exercise has numerous beneficial effects on brain health and cognition - Natural Healthcare Canada
Exercise has numerous beneficial effects on brain health and cognition - Natural Healthcare Canada: "solid evidence for aerobic training benefiting executive functions, including multi-tasking, planning, and inhibition, and increasing the volume of brain structures important for memory"
Monday, July 25, 2011
What You Didn't Hear in Your Health Class: Health Benefits of Seaweed
What You Didn't Hear in Your Health Class: Health Benefits of Seaweed: "Seaweed and other macro algae have been identified as good sources of functional ingredients such as heart healthy bioactive peptides . The..."
Friday, July 15, 2011
Onions for health: heart, joints, anti-cancer, and more. Nutrition news from Natural Healthcare Canada
Onions for health: heart, joints, anti-cancer, and more. Nutrition news from Natural Healthcare Canada: "According to the study, the brown skin could be used as a functional ingredient high in dietary fibre (principally the non-soluble type) and phenolic compounds, such as quercetin and other flavonoids (plant metabolites with medicinal properties). The two outer fleshy layers of the onion also contain fibre and flavonoids."
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Nkɔmɔ Hwam: Wee; a cure for, or crime against humanity?
Nkɔmɔ Hwam: Wee; a cure for, or crime against humanity?: "The land produced vegetation : plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds..."
Monday, July 11, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Treatment with cannabis in ancient, folk and official medicine up to the beginning of the twentieth century- J. Kabelik
The knowledge of narcotics and stimulants extends far back to ancient and medieval times but since then, as far as is known, no new discoveries have been made. In Europe, of course, some of them appear not to have been known until later, as was the case with the narcotics of the Old World - for example, with hashish [ 44] , [ 88] . Europeans learned of it for the first time through the Crusaders, but its deliberate use as well as abuse - according to Perrot [ 67] - came from Napoleon's soldiers, who introduced it after their return from the Egyptian campaign.
Cannabis is, however, a very old cultivated plant apparently indigenous to central Asia [ 68] . Cannabis was found by our archaeologists to have existed in central Europe in the Bylony Culture (7,000 years ago). The Chinese knew of it perhaps 4,000 years ago, certainly in the 9th century B.C., primarily as a medicinal herb and a century later as a textile plant. According to Herodot, the Scythians knew it as a plant which can be spun and as an oil-producing plant and, apparently, even as a narcotic which they made use of in their steam baths - the sauna. Perhaps the earliest accounts of the medicinal utilization of cannabis may be found in Indian medical literature. Ancient Indian surgery, according to Susrat (Samhita), used hyoscyamus and cannabis as anaesthetics [ 32] . From the Egyptian medical papyruses [ 64] , information has been gained about a plant from which cordage could be made, and it was probably cannabis which was referred to. But no records could be found on its narcotic action. The preparations made from it (in all probability from the cannabis shoots) were applied externally-namely, exclusively as antiseptics - and then perhaps even as analgetics, in the same way as in Hellenic medicine. Cannabis extracts have been employed for irrigation in diseases of the anus, and in form of compresses the drug has been applied to sore toenails. In Rhamses' papyrus, washing sore eyes with extracts from cannabis and also from some other plant is recommended. The papyrus of Berlin recommends fumigation with cannabis in some undefined disease. Cannabis has been prescribed in feverish diseases of the bladder and, even at present, in homoeopathic medicine it ranks first when cystitis is treated. Furthermore, extracts combined with honey were injected into the body of the uterus to achieve constriction of the uterus and, externally, an ointment combined with fat was applied antiseptically in the same way as was done in medieval medicine up to the present time. Cannabis shoots were well known to Galen [ 27] and to Dioscorid [ 85] . Homer's nepenthes - potion of oblivion - has been identified by some authors as a cannabis drug, but generally it is believed to be a preparation made from Hyoscyamus muticus - a plant familiar to the Egyptians. Both these authors make greater use of the seeds and of the oil extracted from them than of the cannabis shoots. It is the same in old popular and even in modem medicine. The seed pulp was a favourite dish, and from the seeds an edible, industrial and medicinal oil was obtained. In Czechoslovakia, a preparation from seed pulp was recently introduced by Širek [ 60] to act as a roborant diet in treatment of tuberculosis.
But hemp seed does not form the subject matter of this paper; it is only treatment with cannabis shoots which is discussed, and only with regard to the healing of wounds, and not to the hashish effect.
The uses mentioned in the Egyptian papyruses point fundamentally to antiseptic use. Analogous uses were known, in varying degrees, to African natives [ 28] , [ 29] , and were recorded in medical herbals. There is no information on the narcotic action. It is of interest that in Egypt they are supposed to have learned of the hashish effect only during the Middle Ages, from the Arabs. This could be explained by the fact that the Arabs were the first to import the variety producing the physiologically active resin, for at present Cannabis indica Lam. is not considered to he a species but a variety of Cannabis sativa L. and not even a particular variety, Cannabis is a very variable and plastic plant of variable height and variously membered and formed leaves; there exists a monoecious variety, too. Any cannabis plant can produce hashish under favourable climatic conditions. Vice versa, according to Pulewka [ 71] the Indian variety does not always produce the narcotic substance, not even in warm countries. Plants cultivated in 369 places in Anatolia did not produce hashish substances throughout; the occurrence was conditioned by the climate and the habitat. Likewise, the hashish effect has not been found present in Cannabis indica cultivated in north Moravia, though this variety grows exceedingly well. The stem attains a height of about 4 m, bears rich seeds, and the tops produce resins which have a very pronounced antibiotic and analgesic effect. It is possible, however, that there was no hashish-producing Variety grown in ancient Egypt, for the climate was, at that time, in all probability rather damp and subsequently much cooler than it is at present. This may be concluded from the fact that in antiquity in Italy and the Balkans snow was a more frequent phenomenon than it is nowadays, and north Africa was the granary of Rome, and not a desert.
All the information obtained from European folk medicine with regard to treatment with cannabis shows clearly that there do not appear to be any narcotic substances in it, or if there are then only in a negligible amount. Instead of that, emphasis has been laid on the antiseptic effect, hence on the antibiotic and to a small extent even on the analgetic effect, which has been upheld in official medicine up to the beginning of this century. In Austria, up to World War I, a salicylate collodion combined with Extractum Cannabis was prescribed for application to corns. Unna's green salve, which was used as a remedy for lupus, contained: Acid salicyl., Liq. Stib. chlorati aa 2.0, Extr. Cannabis ind., Creosoti aa 4.0 , Adeps lanae 8.0. It may be noticed that the substances contained in cannabis have a powerful antibiotic effect upon Myc. tuberculosis, as will be discussed later. On the basis of the results obtained from our investigations, it is suggested that in many analogous cases it would be advantageous to return to cannabis preparations again.
The ancient herbals [ 17] , [ 63] , [ 85] and those of the Middle Ages mentioned medical use of the seed, the roots (emoelients) and of the tops containing resinous substances. As previously stated, only the latter will be discussed here in detail. The leaves and the juice extracted from them or the macerated leaves were used as a vermifuge for horses, and fisherman soaked the ground with a liquid prepared from them to force up the dew-worms, which they used as bait. Tabernaemontanus [ 85] and Kramerarius [ 63] recommended kneading the dried leaves with butter and application of them in form of an ointment to burns. We have obtained positive results with extracts from cannabis in treatment of burns. Ruellius cit. [ 63] , [ 85] advised the use of cannabis extract as ear-drops in the treatment of ear ache, and also for treatment of wounds and ulcers. Women stooping due to a disease of the uterus were said to stand up straight again after having inhaled the smoke of burning cannabis. In cystitis and in urinary diseases, a decoction of hemp shoots with wine and water was recommended; the steam was allowed to rise as hot as could be endured against the perineum, after which the patient was advised to urinate. This use has more to do with the analgetic than the antiseptic effect. As previously mentioned, homoeopaths value highly both the teep cannabis D 2 ? 0.25 g (teep is the fresh drug ground with lactose) and the tinctura Cannabis indicae D 3 up to D 4 which are employed in cases of cycstitis and of urethritis. The homoeopathic utilization of cannabis is fundamentally based on its effect on the central nervous system - i.e., in migraine as discussed in Schoeler's Kompendium [ 76] and by Auster & Schafer [ 9] . The homoeopaths do not otherwise utilize the antiseptic effect when they employ it internally; it is only the centrally sedative action they make use of in the same way as the allopathists did formerly - i.e., in gastralgias and the like. In these cases of internal application the antiseptic effect is, however, doubtful save in the case when the intestinal flora is concerned.
So far the cannabis preparations - hashish preparations - have been frequently investigated therapeutically, particularly in neurology and in psychiatry, but they were abandoned because the results achieved were not uniform. Nevertheless it would be advantageous to utilize the analgetically sedative effect without the narcotic action of the hashish. Burroughs Wellcome & Co. manufacture a special product: Cannabine Tannate - cannabis combined with tan, Hydrastis canadensis and Secale cornutum - which has a sedative effect in metrorrhagias and in dysmenorrhagias. From earlier times, otorhinolaryngologists have preserved a prescription against tinnitus aurium: ZnO, Extr. Valerianae, Extr. Hyoscyami, Extr. Cannabis aa 1.6 M.f. pill No. 60, D.S. 3-5 pills daily per os. Finally, some years ago, in the American Journal of Pharmacy, vol. II (cit. Dinand [ 18] ), the following treatment was recommended in migraine: before meals take for a fortnight conscientiously and daily 0.015 g Extr. Cannabis indicae, the third week 0.02 g, the fourth week 0.03 g, to be continued for some months. In all these cases it is the action on the central nervous system which makes its influence felt. Of rather particular interest is the frequent combination of cannabis with tan both for internal and external application. We have obtained very good results in stomatitis aphtosa, gingivitis, and in paradentoses with a mouth wash of the following composition: Tinct. Cannabis 20.0, Tinct. Salviae, Tinct. Chamomillae, Tinct. Gemmarum populi (or another tan - for example, Tinct. Gallarum) aa 10.0, to be applied in the form of sprays or liniments to the inside of the mouth. The use of cannabis as an analgetic but not as an antibiotic in stomatology has been also briefly mentioned by Hegi [ 34].
In folk medicine particular use is made of the seed. But we also come across the utilization of the shoots for antibiotic and repellent purposes. Around cabbage plants, cannabis plants are grown to repel pieris (caterpillars), and twigs of cannabis are hung in bedrooms to repel gnats and flies.
During the Middle Ages cannabis decoctions were given to cattle for diarrhoea [ 63] , [ 85] . In Argentina cannabis is considered a real panacea for tetanus, melancholia, colic, gastralgia, swelling of the liver, gonorrhoea, sterility, impotency, abortion, tuberculosis of the lungs and asthma. In Argentina [ 58] even the root-bark has been collected in spring, and employed as a febrifuge, tonic, for treatment of dysentery and gastralgia, either pulverized or in form of decoctions. The root when ground and applied to burns is said to relieve pain. Oil from the seeds has been frequently used even in treatment of cancer; we have also come across this application in European folk medicine. Also in Argentina, in folk medicine, hemp shoots extracted with butter ( Extr. Cannabis ind. pingue) are supposed to have a powerful hashish effect, it is believed already, in an amount of 0.1 g; it is employed as a remedy in the Basedow disease. The ethereal extract is less active, and in Argentina it is administered for headache, neuralgia, gout, rheumatism, chorea, melancholia, hysteria, delirium, gastralgia and anorexia. The aqueous macerated product has no narcotic effect at all, and is employed for treatment of tuberculosis of the lungs and as a hypnotic for children and to relieve spastic constipation. An infusion of the leaves is considered to possess a diuretic and a diaphoretic effect. In Europe we also come across many of these uses. Thus Graemer (cit. Dinand [ 18] ) recommends the following for treatment of gastralgia: 0.75 g Extr. Cannabis ind., 10 g ether; 10 drops daily on sugar. For rheumatism a decoction of leaves (15-20 g/0.5 1) is taken internally, and externally poultices prepared of seeds and packings of shreds or tow are used. In Brazil [ 58] hemp is considered to be a sedative, hypnotic and antiasthmatic remedy. A pronounced antibiotic effect has been observed in South America, where fresh leaves after being ground are used as a poultice for furuncles, and in folk medicine in Europe for treatment of erysipelas (Dinand [ 18] ). Even seed pulp is applied in such cases, but as there are no antibiotics in the seeds we must assume that there is another therapeutic factor involved. In the popular treatment of headache, the plant is preserved in vinegar together with juniper, and the extract is used in form of compresses. Githens [ 28] and also Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk [ 89] report on the utilization of cannabis (dagga) in South Africa. There it is smoked because of its narcotic action, but it is also used medicinally. Next to the effect upon the central nervous system we find a considerable use as an antibiotic. For example, the Xosa tribe employs it for treatment of inflammation of the feet. In Southern Rhodesia it is a remedy for anthrax, sepsis, dysentery, malaria and for tropical quinine-malarial haemoglobinuria. The Suto tribe fumigates the parturient woman to relieve pain. These analgetic, 3 sedative and antibiotic properties of cannabis in internal and external application are well known to African tribes.
It may be concluded that ancient and folk medicine have utilized cannabis as an antibiotic and analgesic externally and later as a sedative internally. Narcotic effect has been observed in hot climates only.
source:
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1960-01-01_3_page003.html
Cannabis is, however, a very old cultivated plant apparently indigenous to central Asia [ 68] . Cannabis was found by our archaeologists to have existed in central Europe in the Bylony Culture (7,000 years ago). The Chinese knew of it perhaps 4,000 years ago, certainly in the 9th century B.C., primarily as a medicinal herb and a century later as a textile plant. According to Herodot, the Scythians knew it as a plant which can be spun and as an oil-producing plant and, apparently, even as a narcotic which they made use of in their steam baths - the sauna. Perhaps the earliest accounts of the medicinal utilization of cannabis may be found in Indian medical literature. Ancient Indian surgery, according to Susrat (Samhita), used hyoscyamus and cannabis as anaesthetics [ 32] . From the Egyptian medical papyruses [ 64] , information has been gained about a plant from which cordage could be made, and it was probably cannabis which was referred to. But no records could be found on its narcotic action. The preparations made from it (in all probability from the cannabis shoots) were applied externally-namely, exclusively as antiseptics - and then perhaps even as analgetics, in the same way as in Hellenic medicine. Cannabis extracts have been employed for irrigation in diseases of the anus, and in form of compresses the drug has been applied to sore toenails. In Rhamses' papyrus, washing sore eyes with extracts from cannabis and also from some other plant is recommended. The papyrus of Berlin recommends fumigation with cannabis in some undefined disease. Cannabis has been prescribed in feverish diseases of the bladder and, even at present, in homoeopathic medicine it ranks first when cystitis is treated. Furthermore, extracts combined with honey were injected into the body of the uterus to achieve constriction of the uterus and, externally, an ointment combined with fat was applied antiseptically in the same way as was done in medieval medicine up to the present time. Cannabis shoots were well known to Galen [ 27] and to Dioscorid [ 85] . Homer's nepenthes - potion of oblivion - has been identified by some authors as a cannabis drug, but generally it is believed to be a preparation made from Hyoscyamus muticus - a plant familiar to the Egyptians. Both these authors make greater use of the seeds and of the oil extracted from them than of the cannabis shoots. It is the same in old popular and even in modem medicine. The seed pulp was a favourite dish, and from the seeds an edible, industrial and medicinal oil was obtained. In Czechoslovakia, a preparation from seed pulp was recently introduced by Širek [ 60] to act as a roborant diet in treatment of tuberculosis.
But hemp seed does not form the subject matter of this paper; it is only treatment with cannabis shoots which is discussed, and only with regard to the healing of wounds, and not to the hashish effect.
The uses mentioned in the Egyptian papyruses point fundamentally to antiseptic use. Analogous uses were known, in varying degrees, to African natives [ 28] , [ 29] , and were recorded in medical herbals. There is no information on the narcotic action. It is of interest that in Egypt they are supposed to have learned of the hashish effect only during the Middle Ages, from the Arabs. This could be explained by the fact that the Arabs were the first to import the variety producing the physiologically active resin, for at present Cannabis indica Lam. is not considered to he a species but a variety of Cannabis sativa L. and not even a particular variety, Cannabis is a very variable and plastic plant of variable height and variously membered and formed leaves; there exists a monoecious variety, too. Any cannabis plant can produce hashish under favourable climatic conditions. Vice versa, according to Pulewka [ 71] the Indian variety does not always produce the narcotic substance, not even in warm countries. Plants cultivated in 369 places in Anatolia did not produce hashish substances throughout; the occurrence was conditioned by the climate and the habitat. Likewise, the hashish effect has not been found present in Cannabis indica cultivated in north Moravia, though this variety grows exceedingly well. The stem attains a height of about 4 m, bears rich seeds, and the tops produce resins which have a very pronounced antibiotic and analgesic effect. It is possible, however, that there was no hashish-producing Variety grown in ancient Egypt, for the climate was, at that time, in all probability rather damp and subsequently much cooler than it is at present. This may be concluded from the fact that in antiquity in Italy and the Balkans snow was a more frequent phenomenon than it is nowadays, and north Africa was the granary of Rome, and not a desert.
All the information obtained from European folk medicine with regard to treatment with cannabis shows clearly that there do not appear to be any narcotic substances in it, or if there are then only in a negligible amount. Instead of that, emphasis has been laid on the antiseptic effect, hence on the antibiotic and to a small extent even on the analgetic effect, which has been upheld in official medicine up to the beginning of this century. In Austria, up to World War I, a salicylate collodion combined with Extractum Cannabis was prescribed for application to corns. Unna's green salve, which was used as a remedy for lupus, contained: Acid salicyl., Liq. Stib. chlorati aa 2.0, Extr. Cannabis ind., Creosoti aa 4.0 , Adeps lanae 8.0. It may be noticed that the substances contained in cannabis have a powerful antibiotic effect upon Myc. tuberculosis, as will be discussed later. On the basis of the results obtained from our investigations, it is suggested that in many analogous cases it would be advantageous to return to cannabis preparations again.
The ancient herbals [ 17] , [ 63] , [ 85] and those of the Middle Ages mentioned medical use of the seed, the roots (emoelients) and of the tops containing resinous substances. As previously stated, only the latter will be discussed here in detail. The leaves and the juice extracted from them or the macerated leaves were used as a vermifuge for horses, and fisherman soaked the ground with a liquid prepared from them to force up the dew-worms, which they used as bait. Tabernaemontanus [ 85] and Kramerarius [ 63] recommended kneading the dried leaves with butter and application of them in form of an ointment to burns. We have obtained positive results with extracts from cannabis in treatment of burns. Ruellius cit. [ 63] , [ 85] advised the use of cannabis extract as ear-drops in the treatment of ear ache, and also for treatment of wounds and ulcers. Women stooping due to a disease of the uterus were said to stand up straight again after having inhaled the smoke of burning cannabis. In cystitis and in urinary diseases, a decoction of hemp shoots with wine and water was recommended; the steam was allowed to rise as hot as could be endured against the perineum, after which the patient was advised to urinate. This use has more to do with the analgetic than the antiseptic effect. As previously mentioned, homoeopaths value highly both the teep cannabis D 2 ? 0.25 g (teep is the fresh drug ground with lactose) and the tinctura Cannabis indicae D 3 up to D 4 which are employed in cases of cycstitis and of urethritis. The homoeopathic utilization of cannabis is fundamentally based on its effect on the central nervous system - i.e., in migraine as discussed in Schoeler's Kompendium [ 76] and by Auster & Schafer [ 9] . The homoeopaths do not otherwise utilize the antiseptic effect when they employ it internally; it is only the centrally sedative action they make use of in the same way as the allopathists did formerly - i.e., in gastralgias and the like. In these cases of internal application the antiseptic effect is, however, doubtful save in the case when the intestinal flora is concerned.
So far the cannabis preparations - hashish preparations - have been frequently investigated therapeutically, particularly in neurology and in psychiatry, but they were abandoned because the results achieved were not uniform. Nevertheless it would be advantageous to utilize the analgetically sedative effect without the narcotic action of the hashish. Burroughs Wellcome & Co. manufacture a special product: Cannabine Tannate - cannabis combined with tan, Hydrastis canadensis and Secale cornutum - which has a sedative effect in metrorrhagias and in dysmenorrhagias. From earlier times, otorhinolaryngologists have preserved a prescription against tinnitus aurium: ZnO, Extr. Valerianae, Extr. Hyoscyami, Extr. Cannabis aa 1.6 M.f. pill No. 60, D.S. 3-5 pills daily per os. Finally, some years ago, in the American Journal of Pharmacy, vol. II (cit. Dinand [ 18] ), the following treatment was recommended in migraine: before meals take for a fortnight conscientiously and daily 0.015 g Extr. Cannabis indicae, the third week 0.02 g, the fourth week 0.03 g, to be continued for some months. In all these cases it is the action on the central nervous system which makes its influence felt. Of rather particular interest is the frequent combination of cannabis with tan both for internal and external application. We have obtained very good results in stomatitis aphtosa, gingivitis, and in paradentoses with a mouth wash of the following composition: Tinct. Cannabis 20.0, Tinct. Salviae, Tinct. Chamomillae, Tinct. Gemmarum populi (or another tan - for example, Tinct. Gallarum) aa 10.0, to be applied in the form of sprays or liniments to the inside of the mouth. The use of cannabis as an analgetic but not as an antibiotic in stomatology has been also briefly mentioned by Hegi [ 34].
In folk medicine particular use is made of the seed. But we also come across the utilization of the shoots for antibiotic and repellent purposes. Around cabbage plants, cannabis plants are grown to repel pieris (caterpillars), and twigs of cannabis are hung in bedrooms to repel gnats and flies.
During the Middle Ages cannabis decoctions were given to cattle for diarrhoea [ 63] , [ 85] . In Argentina cannabis is considered a real panacea for tetanus, melancholia, colic, gastralgia, swelling of the liver, gonorrhoea, sterility, impotency, abortion, tuberculosis of the lungs and asthma. In Argentina [ 58] even the root-bark has been collected in spring, and employed as a febrifuge, tonic, for treatment of dysentery and gastralgia, either pulverized or in form of decoctions. The root when ground and applied to burns is said to relieve pain. Oil from the seeds has been frequently used even in treatment of cancer; we have also come across this application in European folk medicine. Also in Argentina, in folk medicine, hemp shoots extracted with butter ( Extr. Cannabis ind. pingue) are supposed to have a powerful hashish effect, it is believed already, in an amount of 0.1 g; it is employed as a remedy in the Basedow disease. The ethereal extract is less active, and in Argentina it is administered for headache, neuralgia, gout, rheumatism, chorea, melancholia, hysteria, delirium, gastralgia and anorexia. The aqueous macerated product has no narcotic effect at all, and is employed for treatment of tuberculosis of the lungs and as a hypnotic for children and to relieve spastic constipation. An infusion of the leaves is considered to possess a diuretic and a diaphoretic effect. In Europe we also come across many of these uses. Thus Graemer (cit. Dinand [ 18] ) recommends the following for treatment of gastralgia: 0.75 g Extr. Cannabis ind., 10 g ether; 10 drops daily on sugar. For rheumatism a decoction of leaves (15-20 g/0.5 1) is taken internally, and externally poultices prepared of seeds and packings of shreds or tow are used. In Brazil [ 58] hemp is considered to be a sedative, hypnotic and antiasthmatic remedy. A pronounced antibiotic effect has been observed in South America, where fresh leaves after being ground are used as a poultice for furuncles, and in folk medicine in Europe for treatment of erysipelas (Dinand [ 18] ). Even seed pulp is applied in such cases, but as there are no antibiotics in the seeds we must assume that there is another therapeutic factor involved. In the popular treatment of headache, the plant is preserved in vinegar together with juniper, and the extract is used in form of compresses. Githens [ 28] and also Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk [ 89] report on the utilization of cannabis (dagga) in South Africa. There it is smoked because of its narcotic action, but it is also used medicinally. Next to the effect upon the central nervous system we find a considerable use as an antibiotic. For example, the Xosa tribe employs it for treatment of inflammation of the feet. In Southern Rhodesia it is a remedy for anthrax, sepsis, dysentery, malaria and for tropical quinine-malarial haemoglobinuria. The Suto tribe fumigates the parturient woman to relieve pain. These analgetic, 3 sedative and antibiotic properties of cannabis in internal and external application are well known to African tribes.
It may be concluded that ancient and folk medicine have utilized cannabis as an antibiotic and analgesic externally and later as a sedative internally. Narcotic effect has been observed in hot climates only.
source:
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1960-01-01_3_page003.html
Monday, June 13, 2011
Providing financial risk protection against the cost of basic quality health care in Ghana; the role of preventive health care.
Health care financing is a major challenge for both the developed and developing economies of the world. Questions we should be asking ourselves, in anticipation of overcoming such a challenge are;
• Can money buy a person’s optimum health?
• Which begets what, health for wealth or wealth for health?
We are told that diseases (dis-eases) are a result of unbalanced or unhealthy life styles. Medicines account for 90% of Ghana's National Health Insurance Authority's cost drivers; broken down as shown below.
Therapeutic Class % of Cost
Anti-malaria 26.9
Anti-infective (other than malaria) 25.2
Analgesics 13.5
Vitamins 11.0
Cardiovascular 9.2
Anti-diabetics 4.2
Source: Health Summit April 2010.
Putting cost of Vitamins, Cardiovascular care and Anti-diabetics together, 24.4% of cost to NHIA provides financial risk protection against life style diseases. This may seem a minor cost component, but the risk of it expanding exponentially is sky high. There is a danger trending, whereby people are eating not for Strength and Nutrition but to have a fill and for taste. This is a risk that could collapse any health insurance scheme, given that cardiovascular and other ill health conditions as diabetes can only be controlled and are not entirely curable. It is therefore in the interest of the National Health Insurance Authority to manage such a spiral risk by the most cost effective means.
1. Introduce the DEER healthy concept to NHIS subscribers.
• D-rink a lot of water
• E-at fruits and veggies (fav)
• E-xercise daily
• R-est is in our best interest
Be DEER healthy today; Live it well! (In collaboration with Ministry of Health)
2. Have fruits and vegetable distribution shops in districts and communities to supply at subsidized prices, these essentials to NHIS subscribers.
3. Organize community summits to educate NHIS subscribers on the essence of plant diet to human health, and well being.
Prevention they say is better than cure, for an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; to be the Model of a sustainable and equitable social health insurance scheme in Africa and beyond, the NHIA must announce the good NEWS (Nutrition Exercise Water and Sleep) of preventive health care to its subscribers.
• Can money buy a person’s optimum health?
• Which begets what, health for wealth or wealth for health?
We are told that diseases (dis-eases) are a result of unbalanced or unhealthy life styles. Medicines account for 90% of Ghana's National Health Insurance Authority's cost drivers; broken down as shown below.
Therapeutic Class % of Cost
Anti-malaria 26.9
Anti-infective (other than malaria) 25.2
Analgesics 13.5
Vitamins 11.0
Cardiovascular 9.2
Anti-diabetics 4.2
Source: Health Summit April 2010.
Putting cost of Vitamins, Cardiovascular care and Anti-diabetics together, 24.4% of cost to NHIA provides financial risk protection against life style diseases. This may seem a minor cost component, but the risk of it expanding exponentially is sky high. There is a danger trending, whereby people are eating not for Strength and Nutrition but to have a fill and for taste. This is a risk that could collapse any health insurance scheme, given that cardiovascular and other ill health conditions as diabetes can only be controlled and are not entirely curable. It is therefore in the interest of the National Health Insurance Authority to manage such a spiral risk by the most cost effective means.
1. Introduce the DEER healthy concept to NHIS subscribers.
• D-rink a lot of water
• E-at fruits and veggies (fav)
• E-xercise daily
• R-est is in our best interest
Be DEER healthy today; Live it well! (In collaboration with Ministry of Health)
2. Have fruits and vegetable distribution shops in districts and communities to supply at subsidized prices, these essentials to NHIS subscribers.
3. Organize community summits to educate NHIS subscribers on the essence of plant diet to human health, and well being.
Prevention they say is better than cure, for an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; to be the Model of a sustainable and equitable social health insurance scheme in Africa and beyond, the NHIA must announce the good NEWS (Nutrition Exercise Water and Sleep) of preventive health care to its subscribers.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
living it well; the role of natural health centres
A spa is a heart cheering facility where the primary interest is health. It's a centre for scientific relaxation, rejuvenation, health promotion, exercise and wellness of body, spirit and soul. Treatments offered include massages, skin treatments, diet, hydrotherapy and saunas. A spa experience offers one the time to relax, reflect, and revitalize to restore the body's natural balance and functional ability. A health farm is an environment where general health can be improved. Caught in a web of anxiety, stress as a result of pressure from work, fatigue, drinking, over consumption of stimulants as coffee, tea, cola drinks; smoking, insomnia, overweight, and addictions? A health farm may be your most effective relief. Modeled on the ten (10) pillars of healthcare;
• Regular and appropriate physical exercise
• Scientific relaxation and restful sleep
• Healthy diet
• Detoxification (including fasting)
• Management of stress and stress disorders
• Supplements
• Positive attitudes
• Spirituality
• Health through water (spa)
• Medical and dental health care
A health farm and spa provides the holistic health care for the entire wellness of every being.
Hydro therapy is the use of water as a curative agent of wellness. In Europe, the application of water in the treatment of fevers and other maladies had, since the seventeenth century, been consistently promoted by a number of medical writers. In the eighteenth century, taking to the waters became a fashionable pastime for the wealthy classes who decamped to resorts around Britain and Europe to cure the ills of over-consumption. It must be noted that disease (dis ease) is as a result of imbalance in the normal functioning of the body. Treatment in the heyday of the British spa consisted of sense and sociability: promenading, bathing, and the repetitive quaffing of foul-tasting mineral waters
Water cure practitioners ranged from qualified doctors to self-taught enthusiasts. For example, a famous water cure in Malvern, Worcestershire was begun in 1842 by Dr James Manby Gully using Malvern water. Famous patients of Gully included Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Thomas Carlyle, Florence Nightingale, Lord Tennyson and Samuel Wilberforce. One form of water therapy advocated by some alternative medicine proponents, is the consuming of a gutful of water upon waking in order to 'cleanse the bowel'. A litre to a litre and half is the common amount ingested. This water therapy, also known as Indian, Chinese, or Japanese Water Therapy, is claimed to have a wide range of health benefits; that which cannot be overstated or exaggerated. While living is impossible without water, it must be noted that it is possible to live longer with water.
Going to a spa is a way of getting taken care of that is psychologically and culturally acceptable and we can carry that feeling of being cared for with us for a period of time, very often that can help us cope better with stress," says NYU professor of psychiatry Virginia Sadock, MD. "Physical contact is necessary to our well-being, and even if the touching is from a stranger, if that stranger is a professional there to pamper you, that touch will have a beneficial effect," says Sadock. Studies show that these benefits can translate into better health. In one study of more than 3,300 Japanese government workers, frequency of spa use was linked to better physical and mental health, including better quality sleep and fewer sick days. In a similar study on German data conducted by researchers from Florida State University and George Mason University, spa therapy reduced work absenteeism and hospitalizations significantly.
Reference links:
http://www.altmedicinezone.com/alternative-health/water-therapy-to-cleanse-and-release-toxins-from-your-body/
http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/features/spas-the-risks-and-benefits
http://www.holytrinityspa.com/About_Us.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cure_(therapy)
• Regular and appropriate physical exercise
• Scientific relaxation and restful sleep
• Healthy diet
• Detoxification (including fasting)
• Management of stress and stress disorders
• Supplements
• Positive attitudes
• Spirituality
• Health through water (spa)
• Medical and dental health care
A health farm and spa provides the holistic health care for the entire wellness of every being.
Hydro therapy is the use of water as a curative agent of wellness. In Europe, the application of water in the treatment of fevers and other maladies had, since the seventeenth century, been consistently promoted by a number of medical writers. In the eighteenth century, taking to the waters became a fashionable pastime for the wealthy classes who decamped to resorts around Britain and Europe to cure the ills of over-consumption. It must be noted that disease (dis ease) is as a result of imbalance in the normal functioning of the body. Treatment in the heyday of the British spa consisted of sense and sociability: promenading, bathing, and the repetitive quaffing of foul-tasting mineral waters
Water cure practitioners ranged from qualified doctors to self-taught enthusiasts. For example, a famous water cure in Malvern, Worcestershire was begun in 1842 by Dr James Manby Gully using Malvern water. Famous patients of Gully included Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Thomas Carlyle, Florence Nightingale, Lord Tennyson and Samuel Wilberforce. One form of water therapy advocated by some alternative medicine proponents, is the consuming of a gutful of water upon waking in order to 'cleanse the bowel'. A litre to a litre and half is the common amount ingested. This water therapy, also known as Indian, Chinese, or Japanese Water Therapy, is claimed to have a wide range of health benefits; that which cannot be overstated or exaggerated. While living is impossible without water, it must be noted that it is possible to live longer with water.
Going to a spa is a way of getting taken care of that is psychologically and culturally acceptable and we can carry that feeling of being cared for with us for a period of time, very often that can help us cope better with stress," says NYU professor of psychiatry Virginia Sadock, MD. "Physical contact is necessary to our well-being, and even if the touching is from a stranger, if that stranger is a professional there to pamper you, that touch will have a beneficial effect," says Sadock. Studies show that these benefits can translate into better health. In one study of more than 3,300 Japanese government workers, frequency of spa use was linked to better physical and mental health, including better quality sleep and fewer sick days. In a similar study on German data conducted by researchers from Florida State University and George Mason University, spa therapy reduced work absenteeism and hospitalizations significantly.
Reference links:
http://www.altmedicinezone.com/alternative-health/water-therapy-to-cleanse-and-release-toxins-from-your-body/
http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/features/spas-the-risks-and-benefits
http://www.holytrinityspa.com/About_Us.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cure_(therapy)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
New antidepressant warning - Prozac and other drugs cause thick arteries, raise heart risk
New antidepressant warning - Prozac and other drugs cause thick arteries, raise heart risk: "users of antidepressants see an average 40 micron increase in IMT"
Morphine Information from Drugs.com
Morphine Information from Drugs.com: "An overdose of morphine can be fatal."
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Good News For The Medical Marijuana Movement: pot Proliferates Brain Cells And Boosts Mood | Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging News http://ping.fm/Tpwnc
Monday, February 28, 2011
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency Contributes to Depression | Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging News http://ping.fm/UVlP1
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Road map to creating the youngest Parliament in the World
In order for Ghana to develop scientifically, technologically, economically, socially, politically, etc, Ghanaians need to start a revolution. No, I am not encouraging a gun-trotting revolution; rather, a revolution to fill the Ghanaian parliament with as many independent candidates as possible.
During the NPP regime, every issue or policy that the NPP members wanted to implement in Ghana was implemented. If NPP wanted to sell Ghana to a foreign country, it could have done so because Ghanaian politicians vote along party lines or affiliation. Thus, all NPP parliamentarians (perhaps with the exception of Mr. Appiah-Ofori, MP for Asikuma-Brakwa-Odoben constituency), would have voted to sell Ghana. Today, if NDC wants to sell Ghana to a foreign country, it will have enough votes in the Ghanaian parliament to do so. Again, this is because Ghanaian politicians vote along party lines. An independent parliamentarian, on the other hand, does not pay allegiance to any political party so will be free to vote for the interests of Ghana, not for the interest of any political party. In addition, an independent parliamentarian would be less likely to be corrupted because he or she would not need to steal money to support the running of any political party. Yes it is true that many people steal to enrich themselves but the fact is that those who are independent candidates would not have to steal to sustain any political parties.
Let me give a scenario depicting the importance of having many independent parliamentarians as checks on government decisions and policy making. There 230 seats in parliament. Let us assume that the majority NDC controls 100 seats, NPP controls 90 seats, and 40 seats are controlled by independent parliamentarians. NDC and NPP will need the votes of the independent parliamentarians in order to carry the day as far as decision/policy making is concerned. Thus, in any parliamentary debates and subsequent voting, the dictatorship of the majority would be curtailed since no one party will have absolute majority. If we have many independent parliamentarians, in the present political climate, NDC would have to consider the interests and positions of these independents. NDC and/or NPP parliamentarians would have to convince the independents to vote with them. Ghana needs these check and balances, otherwise we will not make any meaningful progress.
Have you heard that despite the fat salaries they earn; despite the fact that some of our fire service men and women use buckets is putting out fires, despite the fact that some of our hospitals, like the Swedru Government hospital, do not have refrigerators to preserve blood, the parliamentarians want to increase their salaries?
Speaking about the lack of a refrigerator at the Swedru Government Hospital Mr Nkasah said, “the blood fridge of the hospital got burnt when fire razed down the laboratory unit of the hospital about seven and half years ago and had not yet been replaced. The workers had improvised to enable them to monitor the blood so that it would not go waste. The cost of the fridge ranged from between 7,000 and 8,000 Ghana Cedis and that the authorities of the hospital were struggling to purchase one.”
I hope you are aware that on January 16, 2011, six container shops at the Oda Market in the Birim Central Municipal Assembly were engulfed in flames, destroying property estimated at GH¢60,000. Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) used buckets and other small containers to fight the inferno, due to lack of fire tenders.
Supposedly, Ghana cannot afford a refrigerator for one of its major hospitals yet our politicians are considering increasing their salaries. Yes, Ghana cannot afford to provide fire tenders for the Fire Service but the parliamentarians want to increase their salaries. Remember that when it comes to their perks, NDC and NPP parliamentarians are in full agreement with each other!
Successful countries like Norway and Canada have used the power of independent parliamentarians and/or small party members to check the abuse of power by any one political party. Since our recent history is rife with examples of political party greed, we should sponsor, support, and elect independent candidates to the parliament. Independent candidates may be our only hope.
If you have clout in your constituency, please stand for the next election as an independent candidate. My goal is to form an association of interested Ghanaians to raise money to support independent candidates in the next elections. I hope that when that time comes, you will join me in the interest of our dear country.
Kwaku Obosu-Mensah
Associate Professor of Sociology
Lorain County Community College, USA
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=201877
During the NPP regime, every issue or policy that the NPP members wanted to implement in Ghana was implemented. If NPP wanted to sell Ghana to a foreign country, it could have done so because Ghanaian politicians vote along party lines or affiliation. Thus, all NPP parliamentarians (perhaps with the exception of Mr. Appiah-Ofori, MP for Asikuma-Brakwa-Odoben constituency), would have voted to sell Ghana. Today, if NDC wants to sell Ghana to a foreign country, it will have enough votes in the Ghanaian parliament to do so. Again, this is because Ghanaian politicians vote along party lines. An independent parliamentarian, on the other hand, does not pay allegiance to any political party so will be free to vote for the interests of Ghana, not for the interest of any political party. In addition, an independent parliamentarian would be less likely to be corrupted because he or she would not need to steal money to support the running of any political party. Yes it is true that many people steal to enrich themselves but the fact is that those who are independent candidates would not have to steal to sustain any political parties.
Let me give a scenario depicting the importance of having many independent parliamentarians as checks on government decisions and policy making. There 230 seats in parliament. Let us assume that the majority NDC controls 100 seats, NPP controls 90 seats, and 40 seats are controlled by independent parliamentarians. NDC and NPP will need the votes of the independent parliamentarians in order to carry the day as far as decision/policy making is concerned. Thus, in any parliamentary debates and subsequent voting, the dictatorship of the majority would be curtailed since no one party will have absolute majority. If we have many independent parliamentarians, in the present political climate, NDC would have to consider the interests and positions of these independents. NDC and/or NPP parliamentarians would have to convince the independents to vote with them. Ghana needs these check and balances, otherwise we will not make any meaningful progress.
Have you heard that despite the fat salaries they earn; despite the fact that some of our fire service men and women use buckets is putting out fires, despite the fact that some of our hospitals, like the Swedru Government hospital, do not have refrigerators to preserve blood, the parliamentarians want to increase their salaries?
Speaking about the lack of a refrigerator at the Swedru Government Hospital Mr Nkasah said, “the blood fridge of the hospital got burnt when fire razed down the laboratory unit of the hospital about seven and half years ago and had not yet been replaced. The workers had improvised to enable them to monitor the blood so that it would not go waste. The cost of the fridge ranged from between 7,000 and 8,000 Ghana Cedis and that the authorities of the hospital were struggling to purchase one.”
I hope you are aware that on January 16, 2011, six container shops at the Oda Market in the Birim Central Municipal Assembly were engulfed in flames, destroying property estimated at GH¢60,000. Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) used buckets and other small containers to fight the inferno, due to lack of fire tenders.
Supposedly, Ghana cannot afford a refrigerator for one of its major hospitals yet our politicians are considering increasing their salaries. Yes, Ghana cannot afford to provide fire tenders for the Fire Service but the parliamentarians want to increase their salaries. Remember that when it comes to their perks, NDC and NPP parliamentarians are in full agreement with each other!
Successful countries like Norway and Canada have used the power of independent parliamentarians and/or small party members to check the abuse of power by any one political party. Since our recent history is rife with examples of political party greed, we should sponsor, support, and elect independent candidates to the parliament. Independent candidates may be our only hope.
If you have clout in your constituency, please stand for the next election as an independent candidate. My goal is to form an association of interested Ghanaians to raise money to support independent candidates in the next elections. I hope that when that time comes, you will join me in the interest of our dear country.
Kwaku Obosu-Mensah
Associate Professor of Sociology
Lorain County Community College, USA
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=201877
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