THE PROBLEM OF PROGNOSIS IN PANCREATITIS

Prognosis in pancreatitis is at best difficult and uncertain. Certain complicating factors, however, occur in statistically established percentages of chronic cases: Calcification in 35 to 50 per cent, diabetes (usually mild) in 15 to 25 per cent, and cysts, pseudo-cysts or abscesses in 10 to 15 per cent. Steatorrhea (which may cause severe malnutrition) and diabetes are more common in cases in which calcification develops.     

THE OBSTETRICIAN'S RESPONSIBILITY IN INFANT MORTALITY

Although infant mortality has been remarkably reduced, stillbirth and neonatal death rates have been improved very little. Efforts at lowering the fetal death rate must be directed to those conditions affecting the fetus during labor or immediately afterward.Prevention of premature labor and better care of the premature infant during labor and the neonatal period offer hope of a greater salvage of premature infants. Proper environment and trained personnel are necessary.Spontaneous delivery is safest for the infant. Difficult operative procedures are associated with a high incidence of birth trauma, asphyxia and death.Since asphyxia is one of the chief causes of infant death, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of it are most important. Administration of oxygen to mildly asphyxiated infants before the injury has become irreversible may help to prevent late manifestations of anopia.     

ALCOHOLISM: THE ROLE OF PSYCHIATRY IN MEETING THE PROBLEM

The extensive devastation resulting from excessive ingestion of alcoholic beverages is not widely recognized. Brief statistics indicate the extent of alcoholic beverage production and consumption, of the consumer outlay for products, and of losses in wages and the cost of increased illness incident to excessive drinking. Also indicated are the cost of law enforcement requirements coincident with drunkenness, and the factor of drinking in accidents and charitable care.Some of the sociologic and economic effects are recognized by agencies involved in the problem of alcoholism, but the extensive involvement of the personality of the addict and of his family and associates, the most devastating effect of all, is inestimable. Coordination of reorganized facilities is necessary to improve the situation. As the entire problem basically involves the personality, psychiatric principles need to be applied by means of studied recommendations and advice to coordinated groups making efforts to meet this extensive problem and to assist the alcoholic addict.     

CONTRASTS IN THE CELL SAP OF VALONIAS AND THE PROBLEM OF FLOTATION

The marine alga Valonia macrophysa contains in its cell sap K and Na in the proportion of 5.72 to 1. In a form regarded as closely related, Valonia ventricosa, growing in similar environment, the ratio of K to Na is as 0.0278 to 1. The former contains no Mg but in the latter it is present. There are other differences in the composition of the sap. These differences bring about a remarkable contrast in behavior in that Valonia ventricosa floats in sea water while Valonia macrophysa sinks.