| T O P I C R E V I E W |
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Posted - 11/06/2005 : 08:14:00
Some time ago there was a series of postings regarding taking a flu shot. Here is an interesting Q&A in the Epoch Times:
Ask the Doctor: Bird Flu Phobia: Part I
By Franklin McCoy, M.D.
Epoch Times New York Staff Oct 30, 2005
https://english.epochtimes.com/news/5-10-30/33923.html
Question: I have read so much in the media about bird flu and how it may cause the next global pandemic and how a flu shot or taking Tamiflu may protect me from getting it. Should I start taking Tamiflu or get the flu shot?
Answer: I do not recommend either a flu shot or taking Tamiflu. A flu shot is useless unless the specific strain of the bird flu is isolated and then the vaccine made accordingly. However, since the organism may mutate rapidly to another form, against which a flu inoculation may not be effective, taking a flu shot to prevent the bird flu is questionable. Additionally, if a bird flu pandemic occurs, by then the organism may be resistant to Tamiflu. Of course, adverse reactions to Tamiflu have been documented, which we will not address here.
If one is neither taking an antiviral medication nor taking the flu shot, what can one do? The most reasonable approach would appear to be to strengthen one’s immune system. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways.
In his classic, “Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient,” Norman Cousins related his fascinating story of his treatment of an apparently incurable illness with high doses of vitamin C and laughter.
Lee Berk, Dr.P.H., M.P.H. and Stanley Tan, M.D., of Loma Linda University School (LLUS) of Medicine have been conducting research on laughter and its immunological effects. Their findings demonstrate the following beneficial effects of laughter: activation of T lymphocytes and an increase in immunoglobulin A, gamma interferon, immunoglobulin G and complement 3. Additionally, they demonstrated that stress hormones, which interfere with the immune system, decrease following laughter.
As a result of the above findings, many programs have been introduced into LLUS, including one in which Dr. Berk developed with Barry Bittman, M.D.—SMILE, Subjective Multidimensional Interactive Laughter Evaluation—based on the idea that each of us has his or her own preferred forms of humor. Those who are interested in knowing their own humor preferences can take a 10-minute computer questionnaire.
Further information on humor and its effects can be found here: www.llu.edu/news/today/mar99/sm.htm and www.mind-body.org/laugh.htm
SMILE computer software can be purchased here: www.cancerclub.com/assorted.htm
Next week: Nutrition and supplements that strengthen the immune system.
Questions or comments please contact dr.mccoy@epochtimes.com
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| art |
Posted - 11/12/2005 : 16:48:18
quote:
Our media is giving us a blow by blow account of every case anywhere in the world, but people don't seem that worried - we've had so many health scares and scandals over here in recent years.
I think one thing to keep in mind, for those inclined to worry about these things, is that while many people would die of course, in relative terms it's a very small percentage of the population. I've heard that maybe 2 percent would die, so while that's an ungodly amount of people, you've still got a 98 percent chance of survival, which ain't too bad.
Then if you factor in the chances that this thing will never happen, you're really looking pretty safe.. |
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Posted - 11/12/2005 : 11:20:32
Interesting article about the politics of bird flu, Peter. Something that is worth thinking about - apparently in 1918, 550 000 people died in tenth months in the USA as a result of the global pandemic of bird flu: more than died as a result of combat in the whole of the 20th Century.
I got that information from the tv listings in my newspaper today. The British television Channel 4 is showing a programme tonight about that pandemic - apparently, there was a big cover-up in many countries at the time.
The reason that that particular strain of bird flu was named Spanish Flu was because the authorities in Spain did not take part in the cover-up and were open about how many people were affected.
Our media is giving us a blow by blow account of every case anywhere in the world, but people don't seem that worried - we've had so many health scares and scandals over here in recent years. |
| art |
Posted - 11/11/2005 : 14:58:13
Then you made a mistake on purpose...
There's a logical fallacy called "post hoc ergo propter hoc" which means, "after this therefore because of this"...
So, in the case of Mr. Cousins, you are saying that he got well after laughing a lot...Therefore, he got well because of the laughter...
But he also took large doses of vitamin C, so by the same logic you very well might say that because he got well after taking vitamin C he got well because of that...
But how can you know for sure?
Perhaps it was the laughter..perhaps it was the vitamin C...
Or maybe it was both..
Or perhaps it was because of something else entirely..Maybe he got better because he was getting a lot of rest....or maybe he was going to get better anyway...
The only way you could actually "prove" such a thing in one direction or another would be to run controlled experiments using Norman Cousins clones..
There was (and I'm sure in some quarters there still is) a belief that echinacea cures colds...
People took the echinacea, got over their colds and said...aha...I got better because of the echinacea..
Now, a well regarded study has come out and demonstrated that echinacea has no effect on a cold whatsoever...
The kind of fallacy you're talking about leads to all sorts of superstitions...ballplayers who won't change their socks because they had a good day wearing a particular pair..
You simply have no basis to say Norman Cousins "proved" anything...
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Posted - 11/11/2005 : 07:29:25
The proof is that over time using his method he got up and walked out of bed with no pain. Nothing else worked despite him trying. What more do you want? I used the word proof on purpose. |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/11/2005 : 07:26:51
More on the politics of bird flu. Does this deception and playing with the health of millions ever end? Read on.....
Bird flu and capitalism
by William Blum - Nov 10, 2005
Preparing for and combating the threatened bird flu pandemic would be tough enough under the best of circumstances. But the circumstances the United States has to deal with include the reality that the country, more than any other on earth, is privately owned. It’s corporations that we have to rely on to make virtually all the vaccines and drugs needed. The corporations, however, need financial incentives, perhaps the government paying for most or all of the research, and then turning the patent over to the corporations, as has often been the case; the corporations are concerned with being stuck with the cost of overproduction if it turns out that there’s no pandemic; they’re concerned about lawsuits from the inevitable cases of individuals who suffer ill effects from the vaccines or drugs; they get rather upset about a generic version being made available anywhere in the world; and they’re highly concerned about obtaining a suitable profit margin, perhaps leading them to hold back on the supply to cause the price to rise. On top of all that, the corporate medical system has dumped millions of uninsured people into society’s lap. How will these people fare during a pandemic?
What is needed is a mobilization reminiscent of World War Two. At that time the government commandeered the auto manufacturers to make tanks and jeeps instead of private cars. When a pressing need for an atom bomb was seen, Washington did not ask for bids from the private sector; it created the Manhattan Project to do it itself, with no concern for liability protection or profit margins. Women and blacks were given skilled factory jobs they had been traditionally denied. Hollywood was enlisted to make propaganda films. Indeed, much of the nation's activities, including farming, manufacturing, mining, communications, labor, education, and cultural undertakings were in some fashion brought under new and significant government control, with the war effort coming before private profit.
Those who swear by free enterprise argue that this “socialism” was instituted only because of the exigencies of the war. That’s true, but it misses a vital point. The point is that it had been immediately recognized by the government that the wasteful and inefficient capitalist system, always in need of the proper financial care and feeding, was no way to win a war.
I would add that it’s also no way to run a society of human beings with human needs. Most Americans agree with this but are not consciously aware that they hold such a belief. For this reason I’ve written an essay entitled: “The United States invades, bombs, and kills for it, but do Americans really believe in free enterprise?”{1}
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William Blum is the author of: Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War 2 & Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower. His website is www.killinghope.org and he can be reached via e-mail at: BBlum6@aol.com
Footnote:
{1} http://members.aol.com/superogue/system.htm
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| art |
Posted - 11/10/2005 : 18:28:34
I've read the book a couple of times. And while I find the book quite interesting, you can't go so far as to say he proved anything...
He watched funny movies, took mega-doses of vitamin "C" and recovered from an illness, although as I recall it was not an "incurable" illness necessarily.
But there's no way to know whether he would have gotten better anyway without the laughter and the vitamins. Or perhaps the vitamins themselves would have done the trick..
Not trying to give you a hard time, but you have to be careful tossing around words like "proof." This stuff is complicated. Who really knows? |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/10/2005 : 11:45:41
the point of the orignal message was that our state of mind/ emotions can have an impact on our immune system. Norman Cousins proved that himself with his amazing recovery from an incurable disease. His book "The Anatomy of an Illness" is worth reading as it is highly inspirational |
| art |
Posted - 11/10/2005 : 08:28:09
As to the conspiracy theories...Please.
quote:
My parents are 70 years old, have never gotten a flu shot, and have never had the flu. They are healthy in body, mind and spirit!!
As to your question, what inference would you suggest I draw from the above?
quote:
In fact, many people instinctively know about and believe in the link between physical health and rheir emotions. I
Again, since we're discussing the flu here, just what am I supposed to infer?
What an odd reaction.
To cap it all off, why don't you show me where I said anything about the flu itself being a state of mind? The flu exists. That is indisputable. What I thought we were discussing was the role that emotions played in 1: worrying about it and 2: catching it...
My basic point was, that if you think boosting immune systems, by whatever means, but in this case emotions, is a good way to fight the flu, you're wrong...or at the very least, not completely right..A too vigorous immune response can prove deadly due to inflammation as was shown during the pandemic of 1918..
It may be a good way to lessen one's chances of getting it, or it might not be..I'm not a doctor..However, I would say that if you inhale enough virus, nothing's going to stop you from coming down with it..
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Posted - 11/10/2005 : 06:37:48
please let us know where anyone said Avian flu was a state of mind thing Art. You might, however, consider who the government is manipulating this story for its own advantage. See: http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/bush-fowlplay.html |
| art |
Posted - 11/10/2005 : 06:03:19
If some are of the opinion that flu is somehow linked to state of mind, I'm going to respectfully disagree.
As to the flu shot causing bird flu, like to hear the rationale for that one...
Avian flu has been around for a very long time in one form or another |
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Posted - 11/08/2005 : 19:58:19
Michele, your father is one of those lucky ones who are not hoodwinked by the medical establishment with its narrow-minded Cartesian medical philosophy. In fact, many people instinctively know about and believe in the link between physical health and rheir emotions. It is the medical establishment which has brainwashed people into believing this link does not exist or that it is of minimal importance. |
| Michele |
Posted - 11/08/2005 : 15:39:29
My husband is the supervisor of the bird department of a large midwest zoo. He's not at all worried about the bird flu, and doesn't get a flu shot. He's of the opinion that the flu shot probably caused the bird flu. 
My parents are 70 years old, have never gotten a flu shot, and have never had the flu. They are healthy in body, mind and spirit!! Better yet, I have converted my Dad to Dr. Sarno!! I lent him my CD of the book and he asked if he could keep it for a while longer because he wanted to share it with several of his friends. |
| MrBushido |
Posted - 11/07/2005 : 05:37:57
I thought I was coming down with bird flu this morning, it was quite frightening.
When I woke up i felt really peckish
I'll get my coat |
| art |
Posted - 11/06/2005 : 17:02:00
This is an interesting topic. Actually, it turns out that a healthy immune response is what killed many millions of young adults during the great flu pandemic of 1918. There was a lower mortaility rate among older people because their immune response was not as vigorous..
IN the case of the younger people, their strong immune systems induced greater inflammation in the lungs, thus leaving them more susceptible to pneumonia..Many literally drowned in their own fluids..Sorry to be so graphic...
For any members who are fans of great writing, one of the most unforgetable scenes in all of American literature is Thomas Wolfe's description of Ben's death in "Look Homeward Angel."
A warning though..not for the faint of heart.. |
| celestica |
Posted - 11/06/2005 : 08:29:10
Interesting.
I was catching a cold and feeling body aches and some beginnings of fever. All went away after a 10 minute laughing session with my newborn son.
Amelia. |
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