© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY

Ptomaine: naming your poison, and your disease

Ever had ptomaine poisoning? Ever heard of it? I hadn’t until I was loaned a scrapbook which included newspaper clippings from 1929 reporting the hospitalization in Newcastle of more than 40 children suffering from this dread ailment. It was March 10, 1929, the day of Mayfield Baptist Church’s annual picnic. About 150 children, with various adults in attendance, had traipsed off to “Beresford” [Beresfield?] at about 9am, spending their morning at various games. They had lunch, some picnic sports and then were called to the canteens for ice cream. Not long after the ice cream, one…

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Covid-19: bring on effective treatments

AS far as the Covid pandemic is concerned, what I’m wishing for most of all is a major breakthrough in treatment. Something that will nullify the virus and prevent whatever over-reactive immune responses cause the worst effects in those susceptible. Ideally, like the treatment being explored by the Doherty Institute in Australia, it will be adaptable to deal with variants and with similar viruses that might erupt in future. I particularly want this to happen because: A) it will save lives and let society get back to ‘normal’, and B) it will mean (I hope) that…

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