Moral medicine: Symbolic content in 19th century Shaker therapeutics

This paper presents an analysis of the symbolic meanings implicit in an ostensibly empirical therapeutic system. The Shakers, a celibate communal religious order founded in New York State in the mid 1770s, were practitioners of botanic medicine, as were many other Americans in the nineteenth century. This study analyzes the therapeutic properties of the herbs they produced (such as diuretic, stimulant, narcotic, emetic, astringent), using a classification scheme based on the location of the botanical substance's effect vis-à-vis body boundaries and surfaces. The Shakers' beliefs about the therapeutic properties of their herbs are compared with similar analyses of the properties given by two contemporary nineteenth century New England proponents of herbal medicine, botanist Constantine Rafinesque and sectarian practitioner Samuel Thomson. The comparison shows systematic variation in emphasis given to herbs which regulate internal body processes, or act through the openings of the body or on its surface. In this context Shaker medicine can be characterized as quickening, internal, and purifying in its effects on body processes, effects which are highly consistent with Shaker religious beliefs in active, physical worship, selflessness and spiritual purification by confession.     

The hormonal responses to repetitive brief maximal exercise in humans

The responses of nine men and nine women to brief repetitive maximal exercise have been studied. The exercise involved a 6-s sprint on a non-motorised treadmill repeated 10 times with 30 s recovery between each sprint. The total work done during the ten sprints was 37,693 +/- 3,956 J by the men and 26,555 +/- 4,589 J by the women (M greater than F, P less than 0.01). This difference in performance was not associated with higher blood lactate concentrations in the men (13.96 +/- 1.70 mmol.l-1) than the women (13.09 +/- 3.04 mmol.l-1). An 18-fold increase in plasma adrenaline (AD) occurred with the peak concentration observed after five sprints. The peak AD concentration in the men was larger than that seen in the women (9.2 +/- 7.3 and 3.7 +/- 2.4 nmol.l-1 respectively, P less than 0.05). The maximum noradrenaline (NA) concentration occurred after ten sprints in the men (31.6 +/- 10.9 nmol.l-1) and after five sprints in the women (27.4 +/- 20.8 nmol.l-1). Plasma cardiodilatin (CDN) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations were elevated in response to the exercise. The peak ANP concentration occurred immediately post-exercise and the response of the women (10.8 +/- 4.5 pmol.l-1) was greater than that of the men (5.1 +/- 2.6 pmol.l-1, P less than 0.05). The peak CDN concentrations were 163 +/- 61 pmol.l-1 for the women and 135 +/- 61 pmol.l-1 for the men. No increases in calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) were detected in response to the exercise. These results indicate differences between men and women in performance and hormonal responses. There was no evidence for a role of CGRP in the control of the cardiovascular system after brief intermittent maximal exercise.     

Comparison of antiprogestin stimulation of uterine prostaglandin synthesis in vitro

Progesterone has an inhibitory effect on prostaglandin synthesis in urine tissue and this effect is reversible with progesterone receptor antagonists. Although antiprogesterone steroids such as RU486 (Mifepristone) are effective at inducing abortion in women they have an improved efficacy when used with exogenous synthetic prostaglandin. In the guinea-pig such antagonists sensitize the uterus but do not result in increased myometrial activity and therefore may not induce endogenous PG synthesis. In this study the effects of antiprogestins on a preparation of rat uterus perifused with progesterone were studied. ZK98 734 caused a rapid and sustained increase in 6-oxoPGF synthesis which rose within the first 90 minutes. This rapid response suggested that some mechanism other than the induction of fresh protein synthesis was involved. A similar increase was not seen with pregnant guinea-pig myometrium/decidua perifused in a similar manner, suggesting that some other mechanism was responsible for the relatively low PG production in pregnancy. However increases in 6-oxoPGF in response to antiprogestins were recorded when pregnant guinea-pig decidua/myometrium was incubated for 4 hours. In these experiments 1 microM ZK98 734 and 1 microM ZK98 299 (Onapristone) gave a 2.7 fold increase in PG production whereas RU486 gave a 1.6 fold increase. Both 1 microM ZK98 734 and 1 microM ZK98 299 also gave a significant increase in PGE production but no increase in PGF was observed. These findings suggest that some antiprogestins might have a better effect on the stimulation of endogenous PG synthesis or on the rate of catabolism of prostanoids.     

Alterations in plasma volume, electrolytes and protein during incremental exercise at different pedal speeds

We investigated the effects of pedal speed on changes in plasma volume, electrolytes and protein during incremental exercise. Ten adult males participated in two, 30 minute incremental cycle ergometer exercise tests at room temperature (22° C, rh=56%). Exercise load was increased from 20 to 70% of peak . Five minutes were spent at each of six stages which were equally spaced in exercise intensity. Subjects pedaled at 50 (50 RPM) and 90 (90 RPM) rev · min^–1. Venous blood samples were drawn prior to exercise and during the last minute of each stage. Relative plasma volume changes showed a progressive hemoconcentration during the exercise. There were no significant differences due to pedal speed as plasma volume loss averaged –7.3% during exercise. [Na+], [Cl–], and [K+] increased significantly during exercise but were not influenced by pedal speed. Changes in plasma protein and albumin concentrations indicated that there was a loss of globulin from the vascular volume in both conditions and an addition of albumin to the plasma in 50 RPM. The difference in plasma albumin dynamics was possibly related to an effect of pedal speed on movement of fluid in the lymphatic vessels of the legs.This work was supported in part by Grants from the Theresa Monaco Endowment of the University of Houston College of Education and Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries     

Structural relatedness between mosquitocidal endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis

A mosquitocidal toxin gene, cloned from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, was introduced into mutant crystal-negative B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis cells. Partial toxicity to mosquitos was restored. The 58-kilodalton cloned gene product is a minor protein component of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis crystals and is structurally related to a major, 135-kilodalton crystal toxin.