Gertrude Stein, opium queen: notes on a mistaken embrace.

Gertrude Stein was not only a fairly open lesbian but also Jewish, expatriate, and androgynous-all attributes that often retarded mass-market success. Why then was she so popular? The article offers original research highlighting how Stein was constructed as a kind of "opium queen" in the popular American press, and the ways that this decadent, bohemian celebrity persona allowed her to operate as "broadly queer" rather than "specifically gay" in the American cultural imaginary-a negotiation that accounts for the mass-market success rather than censure of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas despite the unparalleled visibility of its lesbian erotics.

British media attacks on homeopathy: are they justified?

Homeopathy is being attacked by the British media. These attacks draw support from irresponsible and unjustified claims by certain teachers of homeopathy. Such claims include the use of 'dream' and 'imaginative' methods for provings. For prescribing some such teachers attempt to replace the laborious process of matching symptom picture and remedy with spurious theories based on 'signatures', sensations and other methods. Other irresponsible claims have also been made. These "new ideas" risk destroying the principles, theory, and practice of homeopathy.

[Amalgam. XVIII. Group characteristics in the attitude to and perception of amalgam]. / Amalgaam. XVIII. Groepskenmerken in de houding ten aanzien van amalgaam.

Based upon their answers to a questionnaire, 1147 respondents could be divided into four groups. One group has a critical attitude to amalgam, the second is 'uncritical', the third 'uninformed' and the fourth, among which many with health complaints attributed to amalgam fillings, is named 'imaginary group'. The division is based upon nine out of 15 variables: 1. potential harmfulness of amalgam; 2. worry about the general health because of amalgam; 3. attribution of existing health complaints to amalgam; 4. reading/hearing about harmfulness of amalgam; 5. visits to alternative healers and quacks; 6. knowing that fish contains mercury; 7. knowing that amalgam contains mercury; 8. opinions on homeopathic medicines; 9. presence of dental amalgam. Among others preventive health and environmental actions were not of importance. The respondents, distinguished by sex, age and education, are not evenly distributed. An analysis of a second sample is considered in general to corroborate the findings. Although the analysis cannot reveal causal relationships, the results suggest the possibility that the population is kidded into distrust towards amalgam by the mass media and alternative healers.

Una Polémica sobre la Homeopatía entre los Años 1873 y 1874: El Propagador Homeopático vs El Observador Médico / A Controversy on Homeopathy between the years 1873 and 1874: The Homeopathic Propagator vs The Medical Observer

En el siglo XIX mexicano, la prensa fungió como un medio para dirimir cuestiones políticas, económicas, sociales, literarias, religiosas y científicas, motivo por el cual no debe sorprender que, tras la publicación de El Propagador Homeopático (el órgano de difusión del Instituto Homeopático Mexicano), se produjera una polémica sobre la Homeopatía en la que El Observador Médico, rotativo editado por la Asociación Médica Pedro Escobedo, fungió como su principal antagonista. La discusión tuvo su origen en la petición realizada al Congreso, por parte de los médicos adscritos al Instituto Homeopático Mexicano, de que se les permitiera establecer una escuela para la enseñanza de ese sistema curativo y se reconociera el ejercicio de su profesión. La propuesta no sería bien recibida por los articulistas de El Observador Médico y uno de ellos, en un principio, buscó criticar los principios en los que se sustentaba la doctrina de Hahnemann, pero después la polémica adquirió tintes acusatorios, lo cual impidió el establecimiento de un diálogo que fructificara en el fortalecimiento de la ciencia médica mexicana. (AU)

In the Mexican XIX century, the press served as a means to resolve political, economic, social, literary, religious and scientific issues, which is why it should not be surprising that after the publication of El Propagador Homeopático, which served as the organ of dissemination of the Mexican Homeopathic Institute, there was a controversy over homeopathy in which El Observador Médico, a rotating journal edited by the Pedro Escobedo Medical Association, served as its main antagonist. The discussion had its origin in the request made to Congress, by doctors attached to the Homeopathic Institute, to be allowed to establish a school for the teaching of this healing system and to recognize the exercise of their profession. The proposal would not be well received by the writers of El Observador Médico and one of them, at first, sought to criticize the principles on which Hahnemann's doctrine was based, but afterwards the controversy acquired accusatory overtones, which caused that establish a dialogue that would bear fruit in the strengthening of Mexican medical science. (AU)

[The situation of complementary medicine in Germany]. / Zur lage der komplementärmedizin in Deutschland.

With the amendment of the German Medicinal Products Act in 1976 and the inclusion of naturopathy and homeopathy into the German Medical Licensure Act from 1988, the German government set up a comparatively favorable framework for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). But no comprehensive integration into the academic operating systems followed, because the universities as well as the legislative body seemed to have no further interest in CAM. Therefore, research projects in the field and suitable professorships had and still have to be financed by third-party funds. Notwithstanding the success of several CAM-projects, no sustainable development could be established: When the third-party funding runs off and the protagonists retire the institutional structures are supposed to vanish as well. Although the public demand for CAM is high in Germany, the administration detached homeopathy as a compulsory subject from the German Medical Licensure Act in 2002 and restricted severely the refunding of naturopathic medicines by the statutory health insurance in 2004. Moreover, the trend for CAM bashing takes root in the media. Unfortunately the CAM scene does not close ranks and is incapable to implement fundamental data collection processes into daily clinical routine: A wide range of data could justify further efforts to the government as well as to the scientific community. To say something positive, it must be mentioned that the scientific standard of CAM research is high for the most part and that third-party funded projects deliver remarkable results ever and on.

[Manuscript "Many different remedies for headache treatment" from the archives of Sinj Friary]. / "Mnoge Razlicite Likarie Od Bolesti Glave""­ Fragment Ljekaruse Iz Arhiva Franjevackog Samostana U Sinju.

Manuscripts containing collections of folk recipes for treatment of deseases were written mostly by Catholic priests especially Franciscians in Croatia in the past centuries. They were used as manuals for preparation of remedies and gave directions for their use. These writtings provide valuble data for etnographers and historians of ethnomedicine. The paper describes the manuscript "Many different remedies for headache treatment" written by unknown author probably in 18. century in Sinj, Dalmatia. The manuscript was found in the archives of Sinj Friary. The collection contains 16 recipes for headache treatment. Materia medica of the manuscript is composed of drugs of plant origin. Valuable information is given about the folk names for medicinal plants as well as descriptions of the ways of preparing remedies. Latin as well as contemporaly croatian names are attributed to the plants species mentioned in the manuscript. Use of the plants for treatment of the specific deseases were compared with their use in modern fitotherapy.

Homeopathy and the new fundamentalism: a critique of the critics.

Though in use for over 200 years, and still benefiting millions of people worldwide today, homeopathy is currently under continuous attacks for being "unscientific." The reasons for this can be understood in terms of what might be called a "New Fundamentalism," emanating particularly but not exclusively from within biomedicine, and supported in some sections of the media. Possible reasons for this are discussed. New Fundamentalism's hallmarks include the denial of evidence for the efficacy of any therapeutic modality that cannot be consistently "proven" using double-blind, randomized controlled trials. It excludes explanations of homeopathy's efficacy; ignores, excoriates, or considers current research data supporting those explanations incomprehensible, particularly from outside biomedicine: it is also not averse to using experimental bias, hearsay, and innuendo in order to discredit homeopathy. Thus, New Fundamentalism is itself unscientific. This may have consequences in the future for how practitioners, researchers, and patients of homeopathy/complementary and alternative medicine engage and negotiate with primary health care systems.

Use of herbal supplements and nutritional supplements in the UK: what do we know about their pattern of usage?

Within the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in the sale and use of herbal supplements and food supplements by Western populations and within the UK. This increased usage has coincided with a resurgence of interest in nutritional therapy and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, such as herbal medicine, naturopathy and homeopathy, in which therapists may provide dietary advice and advocate the use of food or herbal supplements. The rise in the use of CAM therapies by the UK population can be attributed to several factors, including: promotion via health programmes and the media; a change in public attitudes; training of more nutritional and CAM therapists as a result of the increased availability of courses; a greater use of CAM and food and herbal supplements, particularly by patients with cancer. The aim of the present paper is to identify the pattern of usage of food and herbal supplements in the UK.

The medical content of English almanacs 1640-1700.

There has been a great deal of recent interest in popular health care in early modern England, resulting in studies on a range of topics from practitioners through remedial treatment. Over the past decade, the history of books has also attracted growing interest. This is particularly true for the seventeenth century, a period marked by a dramatic rise in all types of printed works. The 1640s are especially significant in the evolution of printed vernacular medical publications, which continued to flourish during the rest of the century. While recent studies on popular medical books have contributed greatly to our understanding of contemporary medical beliefs and practices, they have failed to properly recognize the effect that almanacs had on early modern medicine. Although their primary function was not to disseminate medical information, most provided a great deal of medical information. Furthermore, these cheap, annual publications targeted and were read by a wide cross-section of the public, making them the first true form of British mass media. This article is based on the content of 1,392 almanacs printed between 1640 and 1700, which may make it the largest comparative study of the medical content of any early modern printed works. The project has resulted in two major findings. First of all, almanacs played a major part in the dissemination, continuing popularity, and longevity of traditional astrological and Galenic beliefs and practices. Secondly, at the same time, almanacs played an important early role in the growth of medical materialism in Britain.

Opiate addiction and the entanglements of imperialism and patriarchy in Manchukuo, 1932-45.

In the Japanese colonial state of Manchukuo, opiate addiction was condemned by officials and critics alike. But the state-sponsored creation of a monopoly, opium laws, and rehabilitation programs failed to reduce rates of addiction. Further, official media condemnation of opiate addiction melded with local Chinese-language literature to stigmatise addiction, casing a negative light over the state's failure to realise its own anti-opiate agenda. Chinese writers were thus transfixed in a complex colonial environment in which they applauded measures to reduce harm to the local population while levelling critiques of Japanese colonial rule. This paper demonstrates how the Chinese-language literature of Manchukuo did not simply parrot official politics. It also delegitimised Japanese rule through opiate narratives that are gendered, consistently negative, and more critical of the state than might be expected in a colonial literature.

Alternative therapy for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis: patient-reported motivation, information source and effect.

In a questionnaire study, 227 patients with atopic dermatitis and 215 with psoriasis, who had used alternative medicine, were asked to state their main reason for trying alternative medicine. The answers indicated that the absence of satisfactory effect of physician-provided therapy was the most decisive factor. Their main information sources on alternative therapies were persons without skin disease, and the mass media. The majority reported no improvement, or even aggravation of their skin disease, as a result of alternative treatments (except for diet changes). These findings emphasize the need for documentation of effect of alternative medicine, as well as for further research and education efforts in order to improve therapy for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

Airing method-specific advertisements.

PIP: The Turkish Family Health and Planning Foundation initiated the commercial marketing of contraceptives in 1989 as part of a Contraceptive Social Marketing (CSM) program to make available low-cost contraceptives. In 1988 modern methods were used by 31% and traditional methods by 32.3%, while 36.6% used no contraceptives. Only 6.2% were current pill users mainly because of health reasons since high-dose pills dominated the market. A 1990 survey among urban consumers indicated a 94% awareness of contraceptive methods, 76.1% of current use, and preference for the IUD. The side effects of the pill were cited for disliking it, and the condom was rated higher. The CSM project aims at popularizing low-dose pills by explaining the differences and benefits regarding high-dose pills. It collaborated with manufacturers: Schering, Wyeth, Organon, and Eczacibasi Ilac. In 1991 a TV and radio advertisement campaign started that involves the low-dose products Microgynon, Triquilar, Desolet, Lo-Ovral, and Tri-Nordial. The introduction of the Okey condom by Eczacibasi Ilac. In June 1991 also entailed extensive promotion with newspaper ads and TV spots after getting official permission. 1.3 million condoms were sold in the 1st 2 months in 13,000 retail outlets, and 4 million more were projected to be sold. A shift of the attitude of supermarket owners allowing stocking of condoms and the support of the Turkish Ministry of Health, USAID, and the Turkish Radio and Television Bureau has facilitated the CSM project implementation that will profoundly affect family planning in Turkey.^ieng