[The natural experiment--health systems with special reference to prevention in East germany and West Germany]. / Das natürliche Experiment--Gesundheitssysteme unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Prävention in der DDR und der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

Even now, decades after the partition, the GDR and the FRG have a few things in common besides many differences in their Public Health systems. Although the roots were originally common and date back to a time long before von Bismarck was at the helm of German affairs, the differences that are now in evidence have evolved under the influence of different politicocultural systems-a natural experiment. This situation is now reviewed in the following article, although very little literature or current comparable data are available. Particular emphasis in this review is on preventive care.

[Public and non-public--opposing or complementary aspects in health education?]. / Staatlich und nicht-staatlich--Gegensätze oder Ergänzung in der Gesundheitserziehung?

Health education is presently undergoing renaissance in times of an increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases and especially of AIDS and environmental problems. In respect of health education measures, children play a very prominent role. Hence, both on non-governmental and governmental levels--represented in this synopsis by the Federal German Association for Health Education and the Dortmund Public Health Service--model initiatives for the intensification of health education are translated into reality. In this context, coordination and co-operation are essential factors.

[3 mg telenzepine nocte in the treatment of benign stomach ulcer disease: a double-blind comparative study with 300 mg ranitidine nocte]. / 3 mg Telenzepin nocte in der Therapie der benignen Ulcus-ventriculi-Erkrankung: Eine doppelblinde Vergleichsstudie mit 300 mg Ranitidin nocte.

163 patients with endoscopically proven benign gastric ulcers were randomly allocated to treatment with either telenzepine 3 mg nocte or ranitidine 300 mg nocte for up to 8 weeks in a prospective double-blind study. The two groups were similar with regard to age, sex, number of patients with ulcer recurrence, smoking habits etc. After 4 weeks treatment 51/80 patients (64%) healed on telenzepine 3 mg nocte and 49/83 patients (59%) on ranitidine 300 mg nocte. The corresponding healing rates after 8 weeks were 85% (68/80) on telenzepine and 89% (74/83) on ranitidine. At each time there was no statistical difference between the two groups. After 8 weeks of treatment 58 patients (73%) on telenzepine and 72 patients (87%) on ranitidine were totally free from stomach pain (n.s.). Other ulcer related symptoms such as fullness etc. were more rapidly relieved with ranitidine. Anticholinergic side effects occurred significantly more frequent in patients on telenzepine than in patients on ranitidine. Dry mouth was the most frequent side effect in the telenzepine group. Telenzepine 3 mg at night appears to be as good as ranitidine 300 mg at night in the healing of benign gastric ulcer disease.

[Diphtheria, an imported disease]. / Die Diphtherie, eine Importkrankheit.

A comparative analysis of 4256 persons living in the Federal Republic of Germany and 4751 applicants for asylum in the FRG allows the conclusion that in the FRG diphtheria is caused by imported toxinogenic strains, originating mostly from developing countries. Since 1975 a total of 109 cases have been observed, 22 ending in death. Such severe cases can be avoided by systematic revaccination even of adults.