So much pandemonium caused by so small a thing.

How can something as minute as H1N1 influenza cause so many problems?

Ebay?

Is it time to put these chaps on Ebay?

Pandemic Flu?

Hat-tip New Humanist magazine

Good to see the homoeopaths helping with a cure for Pandemic flu.

"At present we do not have a nosode, i.e.a remedy made from the disease material. However, we do have existing remedies which have been used successfully over many years to treat all stages of flu. These are effective and safe for everyone from babies to the elderly.
Our advice regarding Swine flu is that your best protection against disease comes from looking after your health generally and taking simple common-sense preventative measures. There are a number of vitamin and mineral supplements and herbal remedies that will help to boost the immune system. These can be viewed on our website Home Page, select Newsletters, then WINTER ALERT for more information."

"At present" suggests that research is being carried out. How does that work? Do they need to find something that makes your nose run and eyes hurt? How about a ridiculously dilute onion tincture. Hey, right first time, I'm good at this.

Nice to see the old "boost the immune system" chestnut being promoted again too. I have a pile of Tamiflu, I think I wil stick with that.

Levonelle Advert

Quite an interesting advert for Levonelle which is shortly to be advertised on the television in the UK. The only problem is it does not mention the price (£26 in my pharmacy, about 38 USD)

Obviously, the patient can choose to get it from their doctor instead, at no cost to themselves. I suspect most people in the target age-range are going to be unable to pay, or not want to pay. It's a good tool to have in one's therapeutic armoury but I cannot see it flying off the shelves. (Unlike Alli which is flying off the shelves, and then down the toilet!)

131 Viagra

This is what 131 Viagra 100mg looked like shortly before I destroyed them. These were returned by one patient who did not want them. Even though he did not use them he still ordered them from his doctor every single month! Why did he do this? Well, in the United Kingdon people over the age of sixty, people on limited incomes and people with certain illnesses pay exactly zero towards their medications.

This results in horrendous wasteage. People do not, in general, value things that they get for free. Total cost to the NHS of this one episode? Approximately £800! ( 1122 USD)

I suppose I should be thankful that they were returned and not given way to friends, sold or kept in a cupboard. [and yes, I really did destroy them and did not take them home with me.]

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everybody.

Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless people

Robin Ince hosted the evening of science readings, comedians and music. The music wasn’t all to my taste but Jarvis Cocker went down very well with the crowd with “They said there’ll be snow at Christmas.” This he picked for its mean-spirited lyrics.

Simon Singh gave an interesting talk about his book on the Big Bang and also his argument with Katie Melua about the lyrics to her song “Nine million bicycles” . Obviously we aren’t 12 billion light years form the edge. Simon didn’t mention the trouble he was having with the British Chiropractic Association, presumably for legal reasons. Hopefully the case will be resolved very soon, it should be very interesting to follow.

The comedians were a mixed bunch. The event lasted for three hours with each act getting, I think, eight minutes. So, there were a lot of performer of variable quality. Some excellent, some okay and some not to my taste at all. I have seen Mark Thomas a fair few times and he did much of the same material that I had seen previously. Stewart Lee is always worth seeing live and did some very funny material asking whether the sale of Pope John Paul II lollipops increased or decreased after his death.. Ricky Gervais got a very good reception but seemed to offend people by making a joke about raping an old woman. Personally, I thought it was amusing and his logic was impeccable. But there was an audible sharp intake of breath.
Dara Ó Briain has a science degree and doesn’t have much time for alternative medicine. His proposal to put nutritionists, psychics and homeopaths in a burlap bag and then hit them with a stick caused great applause. He also pointed out that whilst dietician is a protected title (as is pharmacist in the UK) anybody can call himself or herself a nutritionist in the UK. (Hence, the pseudoscientific mumbo-jumbo written by nutritionists in every UK newspaper)

The highlight for me was Professor Richard Dawkins. Mr God Delusion himself. He read three extracts from his work including an interesting and humbling piece from “Unweaving the Rainbow” Dawkins has a voice that reminds me of Professor Yaffle from Bagpuss, but it is a very sonorous one and I could listen to him for hours.

Ben Goldacre gave an impassioned speech about his legal battle with Matthias Rath. Rath sued Goldacre and The Guardian over articles in which Goldacre criticised Rath’s peddling of vitamin pills for the treatment of HIV and AIDS. A chapter in Goldacre’s book “Bad Science” was cut due to ongoing litigation. This has since been dropped by Rath who now owes The Guardian about £500,000 in legal fees.

Tim Minchin was also amazing, ending the show with a nine minute beat poem, “Storm.” It sounds horrendous but it was actually incredibly moving and inspiring.

It was a very interesting evening and a rational celebration of Christmas. Considering the room was largely full of atheists, it was not particularly anti-religion. More anti-woo and pro- evidence-based medicine.

Never have I seen so many geeks and nerds in one room. As Robin Ince said “This is our time!”

Merry Christmas

Lactose Intolerance

Don't we all love lactose intolerant patients? ;)

Oliver Postgate

Sadly Oliver Postgate, creator of Bagpuss, teh Clangers, Ivor the Engine and many more childrens programmes died today, aged 83.

 So, I have been reliving my youth and spending the day watching classic episodes of Bagpuss such as the "The ship in a bottle" episode or my personal favourite, "The Mouse Mill." I really wanted there to be a chocolate biscuite factory, but sadly it was all a fraud.

And when Bagpuss was asleep,

All his friends were asleep.
The mice were ornaments on the mouse organ.
Gabriel and Madeleine were just dolls.
Professor Yaffle was just an old wooden bookend in the shape of a woodpecker.
Even Bagpuss himself, once he was asleep, was just an old, saggy cloth cat,
Baggy, and a bit loose at the seams,
But Emily loved him

Nothing evokes my memories from thirty years ago more than that passage.

BNP list

Oh dear, the leaking of the BNP membership list has caused a rumpus. Not least for Wikileaks. It didn't take very long to find the list online.

I searched for our local postcode. I was thinking maybe there would be one or two in my local area. Nope, I was wrong, very wrong. A quick search found over twenty. I especially liked the names that had labels added such as actor;teacher,discretion required;singer,etc. Is there a "What skills do you have?" section on the application form? I cannot imagine a situation where a singer would be useful-a charity Christmas record for whites-only?

I did recognise a few of my patient's names on the list. Ten or fifteen maybe. I am guessing they too must have joined by accident, or for research. Some are the type of people one would imagine-lumbering oafs with Bulldog tattoos and shaven heads. Some look almost normal. Most of them were over sixty. A couple of them came in last week and, from their demeanour, I am guessing that they still have no idea that anybody with the time, and inclination, could find out their political proclivities. Then again, maybe they are the sort of people who would be proud to be members?

I guess it shouldn't be a great surprise that some of my big, fat customers are big, fat racists.