| WHAT'S UP #76.4 - 2007 |
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An eNewsletter of interest to healers, students and practitioners of the natural healing arts
Health begins in the soil; Healing begins with hygiene; Liberty begins with freedom. US CONGRESS IN HOUSTON, FEB. 1-3, 2008 WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR NATURAL MEDICINE We are pleased to inform that a Congress venue has been secured at the Houston Airport Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel and that WONMP members and practitioners are invited to join this most important Congress for Natural Medicine. Friday Feb. 1 and Saturday Feb. 2nd will have a rewarding round of speakers and scholars and confirmed speakers will be posted soon. Topics will include nutrition, endocrinopathy, electrodermal diagnosis and treatment, and many others in WONMP's on-going tradition. Sunday Feb. 3rd will be a legal forum in the morning with speaker workshops in the afternoon. Special guest, Cloudpiler, Elected Principle Medicine Chief, Nemenhah Band and Native American Traditional Organization (Okleveuha Native American Church of Sanpete), will be speaking and available for issues concerning the practice of native, traditional medicines. As a World NGO, we are taking the initiative this Congress to address most important legal concerns for US practitioners. WONMP offers the position of an Advocacy to maintain effective liaison with the United Nations and designated UN organizations, branches and institutions, health care organizations, coalitions and NGOs. WONMP has initiated a review of the UN Forum on Indigenous Rights Issues, including traditional medicines, and invites your participation, comments and suggestions to be presented at our political forum sunday Feb. 3rd. By special cooperation with the Nemenhah Band, and the Tsachila Indian Nation of Santo Domingo, Ecuador, we are formulating our Houston Declaration to support The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues which is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous rights and issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, traditional medicines practices, and preservation of human rights . On June 29, 2006, the Human Rights Council adopted the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by a favour of 30 votes in favour and 2 against and 12 abstensions, while 3 countries were absent during the vote. more... Indigenous people are 'those which having a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories, consider themselves distinct from other sectors of societies now prevailing in those territories, or parts of them. They form at present non-dominant sectors of society and are determined to preserve, develop, and transmit to future generations their ancestral territories, and their ethnic identity, as the basis of their continued existence as peoples, in accordance with their own cultural patterns, social institutions and legal systems.' Intellectual Property, for indigenous people, would include their traditional practices and customs, knowledge of particular herbs and other medicinal plants and giving expression to intangible ideas of folklore which includes age-old songs, languages, dances and also tangible expressions such as techniques of weaving particular cloths, mosaic, woodwork, etc. and their knowledge is even used for making cosmetics. By supporting with your signature at this congress, notice of the WONMP Houston Declaration, will be sent to the respective parties of the United Nations, making our voice heard. WONMP is registered with the UN Department of Public Information with a large roster of members. more... "Traditional Indian Medicine" in the Americas varies by each tribe and the tribal belief systems, rituals and practices. It is well known that eclectic medicine of America, as well as homeopathy , gained much of their herbal materia medica from knowledge gained from American Native Medicine men, women, and folklore. Such herbs as indian coccle (Cocculus), indian tobacco (Lobelia), indian nettle (Acalypha), Vitex trifolia.--Indian Arnica, and indian hemp (Apocynum), are well known. THE MEDICINE MAN According to Dr. Walt Hallow, the medicine man or woman is a catalyst to healing and spends as much time as needed to help restore harmony and health. Healing ceremonies and practices usually include family members, who are considered integral to the healing process and are the patient's primary support system. The medicine is in part natural and empirical and in part supernatural and spiritual. Traditional Indian medicine emphasizes the patient's own power to restore good health. The Traditional healer dos not do the healing but assist as individuals in healing themselves. (Hollow W.B. Chapter 6: Traditional Indian Medicine. In Galloway James M., Goldberg Bruce W, and Alpert Joseph S. Primary Care of Native American Patients: Diagnosis, Therapy, and Epidemiology. Butterworth and Heinemann. Boston, MA. 1999. pp. 31-38). The medicine man has a way of finding out what is meant to be, according to an individual's progress and development. You could almost say that Indian healers are psychologists, since they have to be able to see into the person, to analyze his or her sickness, and to discover what originally caused corporeal disturbance. It's very important to look deep into the patient, deeper than the skin or verbal complaints. Medicine men believe that physical troubles all start on the spiritual level. In fact, any infection of the body has its roots in a spiritual imbalance which can cause impurity. Many Medicine Men believe that sickness or pain is often a manifestation of payment of a debt, either for some mistake in the person's past or for a future wrong. This is reminiscent of the Christian doctrine of Atonement and is in part the reason why many Indian People's adopted the teachings of Christ. But that doesn't mean the medicine is not supposed to do anything to remedy the situation. Since 'ownership' in the Western sense of the word is an alien concept to Native American belief systems, the word 'debt' must also be seen differently. In this context, 'debt' means 'imbalance'. The medicine man's task is to find out what that imbalance is, and to learn how it can be brought back into harmony in one way or another. On the other hand, sometimes a certain sickness or pain should be endured, because it's the best possible way to 'emerge' out of the imbalance. If such a pain is made to go away, the price may become greater in the long run. Anyone who is sick, obviously, thinks he or she wants to get well . . . but the person's spirit knows when it's right-or at least necessary-to be ill. To the medicine man, what is happening to the body is not the main problem, so true healing requires looking at more than the corporeal being. When today's M.D. examines a sick patient, he or she may see only the illness and not necessarily the person behind that ailment. The regular medic does not understand what the spiritual problem really is, yet prescribes chemical drugs so the person won't feel anything or finds some troubled part of the body and cuts it off its physiologic response. But what if treatment is nothing but suppression of natural survival mechanism? The medicine man seeks to harness the natural survival mechanism to enhance health as opposed to creating more illness or more disharmony. Thus, the medicine man examines the patient closely-on both a physical and a spiritual level-to determine what forces should be used to heal that person. Then he calls upon the power of the particular forces that are needed. The Gifts of the Earth Mother - plant medicines and healing modalities and of the Sky Father - prayer and ceremony are employed. Sight, sound and tactile sensation are often incorporated with prayer and the laying on of hands for the transfer of healing energy. The hands serve to transmit the energy that flows between the two halves of the body, negative and positive, its inherent spiritual force. Prayer is a particularly powerful tool that medicine men employ in the course of healing. Herbs and dietary articles are also utilized and prayer and ceremony enhance their mechanisms of action. Many Native Americans are active within formal religious organizations. Common religions among Native peoples include the Native American Church, Catholic, Mormon, Methodist, Baptist, and Lutheran. The Council of Elders of the Nemenhah Band have approved and entered with the Sovereign Medical Order of the Knights Hospitaller as an official 'Special Purpose' Lodge of the Nemenhah, the same as for the Maca Oyate Sundance Lodge. Upon ratification of their Treaty, the Nemenhah would consider adopting Knight Members "Special Faculty at Large" governed in their activities as a Medicine Man or Medicine Woman. Native American traditional medicine is alive and vibrant in many North American societies. Today, Medicine men and women in the US are the same as clergy, and deserve the same privileges . U.S. District Judge Marcia Krieger in May 2004, held a decision that Indian spiritual leaders have the same protection as priests and clergy and may refuse to give up details of what they hear in confession. In this venue, what we hear from our patients in taking the history, now becomes confessional. Native American Medicine Men Hold Confessional Privilege and qualify as clergy for the purposes of the common-law clergy-communicant privilege. (U.S. v. Herrera, Docket No. 03-CR-439) In order for the privilege to apply, Judge Krieger said that statements made to a medicine man must be made for the purposes of receiving spiritual guidance and with the expectation of confidentiality. more... Dr. Eric Carter, member of the US Board of WONMP, will be presenting the legal issues of using Laboratory equipment as it relates to tests the requires human specimens for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of any disease or impairment of, or the assessment of the health of, a human being to meet certain requirements. If a facility ( e.g. a naturopath's office) performs tests for these purposes, it is considered under the law, to be a laboratory. CLIA laws apply even if only one or just a few basic tests are performed, even something as simple as a piece of pH paper inserted into the mouth for a Reams salivary analysis, and even if there is no charge for the testing. CLIA standards apply nationwide, waived tests can be performed by technicians, but research testing requires that a lab director is to be designated for testing when it is beyond the "waived" home category. Waived tests include the simplest tests, such as a home pregnancy test that can be purchased over the counter, or a urine dipstick like that used in a doctor's office. Natural medicine practitioners are better forewarned, and can operate a laboratory, open to the public, federally licensed, and providing valuable services within the CLIA guidelines. Federal regulations define waived tests as simple laboratory examinations and procedures that are cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for home use; employ methodologies that are so simple and accurate as to render the likelihood of erroneous results negligible; or pose no reasonable risk of harm to the patient if the test is performed incorrectly (42 C.F.R. 493). We urge practitioners to join WONMP and attend this all important congress and begin to understand the issues at hand in a rapidly changing environment. To register for this congress call: toll free - 866 308 9737 international - 712 6472170 Current legislation threatens alternative practitioners....Most alternative practitioners have accumulated education from multiple sources, and most of these sources are also alternative, or "non-regionally" accredited schools. Practitioners usually promote their credentials by listing their bachelors, masters or doctorate degree's behind their name. Many hold themselves out with a title such as doctor of naturopathy. While such is a common practice, it is now becoming commonly illegal. Currently, in Texas and a few other States, advertising credentials in any fashion that were not received from an accepted school (usually regionally accredited) is considered a criminal offense. Practitioners violating this legislation are committing a crime, and are subject to arrest, embarrassment and prosecution.....While there is little that practitioners can do about this legislation, other than to comply or be arrested, there is NOW hope ! For more than three years WONMP has been representing practitioners of natural medicines world wide, being registered with the United Nations, and holding outspoken congresses in Canada, Ecuador, the Bahamas, and next year, in the USA. As an international organization offering board certification in natural medicine, certified practitioners are entitled to list DNM or TNM behind their name, which is trademarked. Practitioners are thus not claiming a degree status, but genuinely stating duly registered and have complied with specific qualifications with an international organization. International status is important, as most membership organizations are only locally (or regionally based). You can join now and qualify for grandfathering for the year 2008. http://wonmp-casha.org/CertAppDNM-TNM06.pdf If you are a therapist with an assortment of background training, or you have a doctorate but it is not from a regionally accredited school in the US, now is your chance to assemble your qualifications and have them certified and attested to by an independent agency, and proudly place the trademark behind your name on business cards and stationary. For more information or to register for the Houston workshop (seating is limited), you are welcome to contact me. Dr. Eric Carter WONMP USA This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (903) 681-0112 Gunpoint medicine: Teenager arrested, jailed for refusing TB treatment at hospital The U.S. medical system is increasingly turning to police state tactics to force patients to submit to western medicine. The latest example, which unfolded over the weekend, involves a 17-year boy diagnosed with tuberculosis who refused to take doctor-prescribed medicines and started to walk out of the hospital. Health authorities called the police who arrested him at gunpoint. He was then thrown into an isolation chamber in the local jail and told he would not be allowed to leave until he started swallowing the synthetic chemicals ordered by his doctor. This was all done with no trial, no judge, no jury and no charges of any crime! Full details of this astounding imprisonment of a TB patient are covered in today's feature story (click the headline below). You'll learn why modern medicine treats patients like criminals, and why this desperate system of medicine now has to resort to firearms to "motivate" patients to swallow their pills... Health officials in Lawrenceville, Georgia have arrested and jailed Francisco Santos, a teenager who tried to walk out of a hospital and go home after being diagnosed with TB (tuberculosis). Instead of allowing him to leave the hospital, health authorities... Edwards backs mandatory, police state preventive care Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said on Sunday that his universal health care proposal would require that Americans go to the allopathic medical doctor for preventive care. "It requires that everybody be covered. It requires that everybody get preventive care," he told a crowd sitting in lawn chairs in front of the Cedar County Courthouse. "If you are going to be in the system, you can't choose not to go to the doctor for 20 years. You have to go in and be checked and make sure that you are OK." He noted, for example, that women would be required to have regular mammograms in an effort to find and treat "the first trace of problem." Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, announced earlier this year that her breast cancer had returned and spread under allopathic care. Edwards said his mandatory health care plan would cover preventive, chronic and long-term health care. The plan would include mental health care as well as dental and vision coverage for all Americans. "The whole idea is a continuum of care, basically from birth to death," he said. And of course, prevention would be complete with statin drugs for cholesterol, anti-hypertensives for high blood pressure, and SSRI's for clinical depression. Everyone must have preventative drug therapy. An anticipated shortage in worldwide wheat supply led to panic buying on August 23 and caused prices of the grain to skyrocket. This has led to fears that worldwide food prices may rise, with devastating consequences for the poor. The... Tyranny at the Texas Medical Board The Texas Medical Board (TMB) is denying physicians the constitutional right of due process, destroying their lives and the lives of the patients who rely upon them for care. Communist regimes intimidate and silence individuals by using Star Chamber tactics cloaked in secrecy. The accusers and witnesses are anonymous, and the decisions are predetermined. This is the way the TMB investigates physicians. The TMB allows anonymous complaints by insurance companies. These anonymous complaints target physicians who oppose the insurance companies' "standards of care" which limit treatment options, deny claims and increase insurance company profits. The TMB then destroys the physicians whom the insurance companies have targeted. This is meant to teach a lesson to any physician who would dare challenge the insurance companies' policies on patient care. Obesity Rates Rise in 31 States http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082807HB.shtml Kevin Freking, The Associated Press, says: "Loosen the belt buckle another notch: Obesity rates continued their climb in 31 states last year. No state showed a decline." The New York Times | World's Best Medical Care? http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081407O.shtml A recent editorial in The New York Times argues: "Many Americans are under the delusion that we have 'the best health care system in the world,' as President Bush sees it, or provide the 'best medical care in the world,' as Rudolph Giuliani declared last week. That may be true at many top medical centers. But the disturbing truth is that this country lags well behind other advanced nations in delivering timely and effective care." Antioxidants, bad science and failure of the press to tell the truth Following yesterday's announcement of a new study showing the phenomenal benefits of antioxidants for preventing heart disease in women, the mainstream media rallied behind a blatantly false distortion of the study designed to convince the public that... A new item has appeared in retail catalogs that promises to extend the life of your foods through vacuum technology. You place breads, fruits or other food items inside the container, close the lid, and a small pump works to remove the air from the chamber... Prices for Key Foods Are Rising Sharply http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081407F.shtml Kevin G. Hall reports for McClatchy Newspapers, "The Labor Department's most recent inflation data showed that US food prices rose by 4.1 percent for the 12 months ending in June, but a deeper look at the numbers reveals that the price of milk, eggs and other essentials in the American diet are actually rising by double digits." As NewsTarget reported earlier this year, the Almond Board of California (ABC) has decided that all almonds grown in that state must be pasteurized, irradiated or otherwise killed, even when they're labeled "raw." This is necessary, the ABC tells us,... As NewsTarget reported earlier this year, the Almond Board of California (ABC) has decided that all almonds grown in that state must be pasteurized, irradiated or otherwise killed, even when they're labeled "raw." This is necessary, the ABC tells us,... Cocoa reduces high blood pressure but tea does not, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers from the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany compared the results of 10 different studies... HAS MARTIAL LAW ARRIVED? Okay, what does it take to declare Martial Law in America? It takes 1) a declared state of emergency, 2) a readied "homeland" paramilitary system to enforce the powers of Martial Law, and 3) one signature of the one person who has the authority to make the declaration. Syphilis Cases on the Increase in New York City But syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that was so rare by 1998 that federal health officials had planned to declare it eliminated by 2005, has made a troubling comeback in New York City and across the nation. In the first three months of this year, more than twice as many syphilis cases were diagnosed than were in the first quarter of 2006, according to the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Psychologists' Group Rules on Interrogation Abuse http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082007H.shtml Shankar Vedantam reports for The Washington Post: "The American Psychological Association ruled Sunday that psychologists can no longer be associated with several interrogation techniques that have been used against terrorism detainees at U.S. facilities because the methods are immoral, psychologically damaging and counterproductive in eliciting useful information." Doctors Discover New Worm, One That's Lethal to Humans Scientists in California said today that they had discovered what they believe is a previously unknown parasitic worm that can be fatal to humans. Fragments of the worm were found in an AIDS patient who died from the infestation, but they were not identified until a year later. The worm had molecular biology resembling that of a tapeworm but acted more aggressively in the body than most tapeworms. Doctors initially thought the patient was suffering from a rapidly growing cancer in his abdomen. But a biopsy and the use of new genetic laboratory techniques found that the large mass of tissue was from the worm's fast growth, which caused scar tissue. GMO: A Choice of Agricultural Policy http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082307G.shtml In Le Monde, Herve Kempf describes how the on-going fight over genetically modified crops has dominated this summer's environmental debate in France, and how that fight reflects on the larger question of what kind of food we want to eat and produce. Sea Rise Outpacing Predictions Due to Antarctica http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082407EA.shtml Alister Doyle writes for Reuters: "A thaw of Antarctic ice is outpacing predictions by the UN climate panel and could in the worst case drive up world sea levels by two meters (six feet) by 2100, a leading expert said on Wednesday." Farming the Concrete Jungle http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082407EB.shtml Phoebe Connelly and Chelsea Ross, In These Times, write: "The Food Project is part of a growing urban agriculture movement to improve access to quality food in cities by creating local sources of fresh produce. The movement is showing that sustainable, local food systems are not only a way to ensure food security, but also a means of addressing social justice issues." WHO Ties Rising Population, New Diseases http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082407HA.shtml Erica Bulman of The Associated Press says, "A ballooning world population, intensive farming practices and changes in sexual behavior have provided a breeding ground for an unprecedented number of emerging diseases, the UN health agency said Thursday." Pollutants such as pesticides and toxins damage the ecosystem and cause a variety of damaging ailments in humans. One particular herbicide, Atrazine, has now been found to turn male frogs into hermaphrodites, rendering them impotent by causing their gonads... A diet high in fat significantly increases a woman's risk of developing invasive breast cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and published in the Journal of the... HHS Toned Down Breast-Feeding Ads at Urging of Formula Industry Marc Kaufman and Christopher Lee report for The Washington Post: "In an attempt to raise the nation's historically low rate of breast-feeding, federal health officials commissioned an attention-grabbing advertising campaign a few years ago to convince mothers that their babies faced real health risks if they did not breast-feed.... Plans to run these blunt ads infuriated the politically powerful infant formula industry, which hired a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a former top regulatory official to lobby the Health and Human Services Department. Not long afterward, department political appointees toned down the campaign." The Appalling Fate of the Polar Bear, Symbol of the Arctic http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/091007EA.shtml The Independent UK reports: "Polar bears - the very symbol of the Arctic's looming environmental disaster - are crashing towards extinction as a result of global warming, the US government has found. The admission, the result of a massive investigation by the Bush administration, could force the president finally to take action against climate change." As Brazil's Rain Forest Burns Down, Planet Heats Up http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/091007EB.shtml Jack Chang, McClatchy Newspapers, writes: "As vast tracts of rain forest are cleared, Brazil has become the world's fourth-largest producer of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, after the United States, China and Indonesia, according to the most recent data from the US-based World Resources Institute." Big Houses Are Not Green: America's McMansion Problem http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/091007EC.shtml On AlterNet.org, Stan Cox says: "The just-popped housing bubble has left behind a couple of million families in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. It has also spawned a new generation of big, deluxe, under-occupied houses bulked up on low-interest steroids." "Yes, the Bees Could Disappear" http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/091107G.shtml Jean-Luc Goudet, writing for Futura-Sciences, interviews French pollination specialist Bernard Vaissiere on the state of research on colony collapse disorder. Leslie Griffith | The Elephant in the Room http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/091207J.shtml Leslie Griffith reports for Truthout: "Is 'The Greatest Show on Earth' spreading one of the world's most dangerous diseases?...the real elephant in the room, as revealed by court documents, is the widespread infection of circus elephants with mycobacterium - tuberculosis. This is the same type of tuberculosis carried by and spread by humans." Barbara Ehrenreich | College Students, Welcome to a Lifetime of Debt! http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/091107LB.shtml On her web site, Barbara Ehrenreich says, "Welcome to Fleece U., where our mission is to take feckless teenagers such as yourselves and turn them into full-fledged citizens of our economy, meaning, of course, debtors." WORLD ORGANIZATION OF NATURAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS OPENS NEW LABORATORY DIVISION U.S. MEMBERS CAN OFFER NEW SERVICES TO PATIENTS... The federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments ( CLIA ) law (42 U.S.C. Sec. 263a; P.L.100-578) requires every facility that tests human specimens for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of any disease or impairment of, or the assessment of the health of, a human being to meet certain requirements. If a facility (e.g. a naturopath's office) performs tests for these purposes, it is considered under the law, to be a laboratory. By extension, a colon hydrotherapist removing human specimens through a glass tube and using the detritus as an assessment of health, is performing a laboratory function. CLIA laws apply even if only one or just a few basic tests are performed, even something as simple as a piece of pH paper inserted into the mouth for a Reams salivary analysis, and even if there is no charge for the testing. CLIA standards apply nationwide, waived tests can be performed by technicians, but research testing requires that a lab director is to be designated for testing when it is beyond the "waived" home category. Waived tests include the simplest tests, such as a home pregnancy test that can be purchased over the counter, or a urine dipstick like that used in a doctor's office. Practitioners using dark field microscopy, doing bio-terrain assessments, performing Reams type tests, are breaking the law if not federally licensed. We have reports that these practitioners are being arrested all around the country. There is a way to do these tests legally through WONMP's research and certification program. We can band together under WONMP's registry, perform research for future acceptance of our methods. Natural medicine practitioners are better forewarned, and can operate a laboratory, open to the public, federally licensed, and providing valuable services within the CLIA guidelines. Federal regulations define waived tests as simple laboratory examinations and procedures that are cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for home use; employ methodologies that are so simple and accurate as to render the likelihood of erroneous results negligible; or pose no reasonable risk of harm to the patient if the test is performed incorrectly (42 C.F.R. 493). The specified tests that that a WONMP lab director can use to offer extended services in his or her office are listed in the regulation: 1. Dipstick or Tablet reagent urinalysis (non-automated) for the following: * Bilirubin (liver function) * Glucose (diabetes and syndrome X screening) * Hemoglobin (renal test) * Ketone (metabolic test) * Leukocytes * Nitrite (urinary tract infections, more common than you would imagine) * pH (an assessment for interstitial pH, and thus acidosis/alkaosis, with dietary guidelines) * Protein (renal test) * Specific gravity (the hydration test, water as a therapeutic) * Urobilinogen (liver function and intestinal putrefaction) 2. Fecal occult blood (colon cancer screening) 3. Ovulation tests - visual color comparison tests for luteinizing hormone 4. Urine pregnancy tests - visual color comparison tests 5. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate-non-automated (screening for catastrophic disease) 6. Hemoglobin-copper sulfate - non-automated (screening for anemia) 7. Blood glucose by glucose monitoring devices cleared by the FDA specifically for home use. 8. Spun microhematocrit 9. Hemoglobin providing direct measurement and readout. 10. Blood cholesterol and lipid panels for vascular assessment. 11. H. pylori test for stomach ulcer and aggravating reflux esophagitis. 12. Blood typing test for A, B, O and thus nutritioinal consultation. In fact, there are enough CLIA waived tests to allow you to operate an entire health evaluation center as part of your services. It should also be noted that NDs (and other health care professionals) practicing in most all states do not have any restriction and are able to perform these tests as authorized within the federal law. You can provide the test, hand the results and references to the patient, and you are not making the diagnosis, the device is. You no longer need to diagnose in the dark. If you are a naturopath or health care practitioner, you can offer CLIA waived tests for fee, and perform legitimate research for blood analysis, reams tests, bioterrain testing, etc. through the WONMP Clinical Research Laboratory Program. Our registry and training programs will be held on: Nov. 13-17, Nevis Island Natural Medicine Training, Laboratory & Clinic Feb. 3rd, 2008 Introductory Seminar - Houston, WONMP Congress For more details: "Tracy Mahan" <
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> Matthew Rothschild | You Have No Rights http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081407D.shtml In a Truthdig interview by James Harris and Josh Scheer, "Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive and author of 'You Have No Rights,' explains how our president became a 'medieval king,' and why your civil liberties are in greater danger than ever." How Fear Destroyed the Fourth Amendment Jonathan Alter of Newsweek writes: "I hate to sound melodramatic about it, but while everyone was at the beach or 'The Simpsons Movie' on the first weekend in August, the US government shredded the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, the one requiring court-approved 'probable cause' before Americans can be searched or spied upon. This is not the feverish imagination of left-wing bloggers and the ACLU. It's the plain truth of where we've come as a country." INTERNATIONAL NEWS Solar-To-Hydrogen Technology Sold For $400 Million Euro by Paul Schaefer, Enivornmental News Network (enn.com) The maker of a solar powered 'water cracker' - a technology that releases hydrogen from a water molecule, has pre-sold the technology to a large European energy consortium in Spain. The company, Clean Hydrogen Producers (CHP) today signed an agreement with Grupo Ibereolica, outlining the planning, permitting and appraisal of CHP's Solar Water Cracker technology in Spain and Mexico. The CHP Solar Water Cracker is a system which concentrates sunlight, increasing the heat of a furnace to the point where it "cracks" a molecule of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can be sold or run through a fuel cell to generate energy. This energy can then be sold back to the grid. Hydrogen and electricity is produced at a cost - both financial and environmental - that is substantially below that of existing technologies. SIMPLE AND CHEAP: NEPAL'S APPLICATION OF SCIENCE (17 aug 2007) Almost unnoticed, Nepal is developing simple and cheap technologies that make the best of local resources and don't damage the environment, says Kunda Dixit. The majority of people in the United States are poorly informed about the prevalence of osteoporosis, according to a study conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for nutritional supplement manufacturer GTC Nutrition. Opinion Research... Pharmaceuticals Causing Bizarre Mutations to Wildlife http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/081307HA.shtml Greg Peterson of E Magazine writes: "From intersex fish in the Potomac River to frog mutations in Wisconsin, federal officials are spending this summer studying the effects of pharmaceuticals such as painkillers and depression medicine on the environment, because the drugs have turned up in America's drinking water." Nitrogen Overdose http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/081507EC.shtml Writing for Inside Bay Area, Suzanne Bohan says there is a "glut of nitrogen disrupting ecosystems, polluting waters and harming human health, but it's a silent partner, along with carbon dioxide, in changing the Earth's climate." 'Thousands wrongly being treated for depression' DOCTORS are over-diagnosing depression, resulting in thousands of people wrongly being prescribed drugs to treat it, an expert warns today. Professor Gordon Parker says the current threshold for what is considered to be "clinical depression" is too low and he fears that it might lead to the condition becoming less credible. He argues that the problem has been reduced to the "absurd" and we risk medicalising normal human distress and viewing any expression of depression as necessary of treatment. Blood pressure epidemic spiralling as doctors warn our lifestyle is killing us Nine in ten Britons can expect to suffer high blood pressure, putting them at risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Alcohol abuse, smoking, a salt-rich diet and a lack of exercise have caused the condition to soar out of control, warn medical experts today AUGUST 9, 2007: Over 600 Professionals Call for an End to Fluoridation of Drinking Water An historic moment in the battle against water fluoridation It took about forty days for a dedicated team working with the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) in several countries and across North America to achieve an historic moment in the battle against water fluoridation. Breast cancer treatment may fail most women Researchers say common chemotherapy drugs too risky for many patients What if an estimated 100,000 breast cancer patients got drugs that did nothing to combat their cancer, but put them at risk for heart failure and leukemia? That is the implication of new research that was presented in private session at this week's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology(ASCO) in Chicago. Scientists Warn on Climate Tipping Points http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/081707EB.shtml Alok Jha reports for The Guardian UK: "Some tipping points for climate change could be closer than previously thought. Scientists are predicting that the loss of the massive Greenland ice sheet may now be unstoppable and lead to catastrophic sea level rises around the world." Forget Biofuels - Burn Oil and Plant Forests Instead http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/081707EC.shtml Catherine Brahic for The New Scientist reports that some scientists believe that burning oil and planting forests to compensate is more environmentally friendly than burning biofuel. Cancer Panel Attacks US Food Subsidies Reuters reports that "a new presidential report on cancer takes on not only tobacco companies but the food industry while calling on the federal government to 'cease being a purveyor of unhealthy foods' and switch to policies that encourage Americans to eat vegetables and exercise." Cold virus may spur weight gain: study A common virus that causes colds can be a factor in obesity, according to a study released Monday offering further evidence that a weight problem may be contagious. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070820190918.uugdj3g0&sh ow_article=1 Scientists Seek New Ways to Feed the World Amid Global Warming http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082007EA.shtml Agency France-Presse reports that "On an agricultural research station south of Manila a group of scientists are battling against time to breed new varieties of rice as global warming threatens one of the world's major sources of food." Eco-Millionaires See Boom Times Ahead http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082007EB.shtml Reuters' Gerard Wynn reports "Mankind's response to climate change will shift how the world gets its energy and is already making 'green barons' out of early investors in renewable energy, clean technologies and carbon trading." The Looming Food Crisis http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082907EA.shtml John Vidal, The Guardian UK, writes: "The era of 'agrofuels' has arrived, and the scale of the changes it is already forcing on farming and markets around the world is immense. But the surge in demand for agrofuels such as ethanol is hitting the poor and the environment the hardest." Sierra Club Pressures Domenici to Support Renewable Energy Standards http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082907EB.shtml Susan Montoya Bryan of The Associated Press reports on the Sierra Club's hopes that Senator Domenici "will have a change of heart" during negotiations on a renewable fuels proposal. Sugita Katyal, Reuters, writes: "In recent years, experts say peat bogs have been stoking global warming through increasing greenhouse gas emissions because of massive deforestation and conversion into agricultural land and palm oil plantations, especially in Southeast Asia, which accounts for a huge chunk of the world's marshes." Why some people are prone to mosquito bites Scientists have worked out why mosquitoes make a beeline for certain people but appear to leave others almost untouched. Protect Your Brain from Alzheimer's Whether your patients, you or a loved one are suffering from what scientists call 'The Plague of the 21st centuryâ€" take heart, because there is hope... And it's coming in the form of an unlikely mineral straight from Mother Nature that's astounding scientists and proving Alzheimer's is NOT a death sentence and it doesn't have to mean losing your independence, your dignity, or your freedoms. We know mainstream medicine is stumped when it comes to Alzheimer's, cancer, and the common cold. They don't understand why it strikes, how it erodes your mind, or how to get rid of it once it does. The only thing they DO understand is how to overcharge you for useless pills and how to recommend a good nursing home, drug you down anti-hypertensive pills, useless diuretics, and of course with a Co-Q10 squelcher called a statin drug. Quackery by no other definition. But no matter what you've heard, just know that Alzheimer's is NOT a death sentence and you DON'T have to lose your wits. Natural treatments exist as they always have when we follow mother nature. Keep your memory, wit and independence as this micro-mineral may actually rebuild your brain Scientists believe they have confirmed what they once thought impossible - that you can actually regrow and regenerate your brainâ€" at almost any age. This led the main researcher to exclaim: "This is the first demonstration of a pharmacological (drug) increase of human brain matter." So what is this mineral miracle that's been hiding under our noses the whole time? It's lithium. Now bear with me here. Most people think Lithium's use is for patients in straight-jackets. But that's lithium carbonate which is only available with a prescription and used to treat bipolar disorder. Truth be told, lithium isn't a drug at all. It's a mineral-part of the same family of minerals that includes calcium, sodium and potassium. The nutrient form for regeneration of brain tissue is lithium aspartate or lithium orotate - completely safe minerals you can pick up at any health food store for a few dollars. So safe in fact, one healer has used them to treat Alzheimer's for the last 31 years without reporting a single significant side effect. Try to get those kinds of results from prescription drugs! But even more astounding than the decades-long safety record of these two minerals is how powerful they really are… Major Alzheimer's Pathways BLOCKED! THE FDA-approved Alzheimer's drug Namenda® has been touted as the solution, but in reality, it blocks only ONE Alzheimer pathway. Lithium aspartate and orotate have been shown to BLOCK MAJOR PATHWAYS in recent studies! Namenda® runs about $4.84 a dayâ€"almost 20 times what it costs you for your 25-cent-a-day lithium tablets. It doesn't matter if it's Alzheimer's, high cholesterol, hormone replacement therapy, pain reduction or any of hundreds of other concerns there is ALWAYS information on a safe and natural treatment. But discovering them is another matter entirely. Epiphany of an Economic Hit Man John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, divulges his firsthand experience of the corruption of the U.S. government. Perkins writes, "The book was to be dedicated to the presidents of two countries, men who had been his clients whom I respected and thought of as kindred spirits - Jaime Roldós, president of Ecuador, and Omar Torrijos, president of Panama. Both had just died in fiery crashes. Their deaths were not accidental. They were assassinated because they opposed that fraternity of corporate, government, and banking heads whose goal is global empire. We Economic Hit Men failed to bring Roldós and Torrijos around, and the other type of hit men, the CIA-sanctioned jackals who were always right behind us, stepped in. Forget the conspiracy theories, this book tells it all. There may be an illuminati or other secret organizations, but this books spells it out, how it works, international theft, in the real, corporate world. A real WOW book. Health begins in the soil; Healing begins with hygiene; Liberty begins with freedom. US CONGRESS IN HOUSTON, FEB. 1-3, 2008 WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR NATURAL MEDICINE We are pleased to inform that a Congress venue has been secured at the Houston Airport Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel and that WONMP members and practitioners are invited to join this most important Congress for Natural Medicine. Friday Feb. 1 and Saturday Feb. 2nd will have a rewarding round of speakers and scholars and confirmed speakers will be posted soon. Topics will include nutrition, endocrinopathy, electrodermal diagnosis and treatment, and many others in WONMP's on-going tradition. Sunday Feb. 3rd will be a legal forum in the morning with speaker workshops in the afternoon. Special guest, Cloudpiler, Elected Principle Medicine Chief, Nemenhah Band and Native American Traditional Organization (Okleveuha Native American Church of Sanpete), will be speaking and available for issues concerning the practice of native, traditional medicines. As a World NGO, we are taking the initiative this Congress to address most important legal concerns for US practitioners. WONMP offers the position of an Advocacy to maintain effective liaison with the United Nations and designated UN organizations, branches and institutions, health care organizations, coalitions and NGOs. WONMP has initiated a review of the UN Forum on Indigenous Rights Issues, including traditional medicines, and invites your participation, comments and suggestions to be presented at our political forum sunday Feb. 3rd. By special cooperation with the Nemenhah Band, and the Tsachila Indian Nation of Santo Domingo, Ecuador, we are formulating our Houston Declaration to support The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues which is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous rights and issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, traditional medicines practices, and preservation of human rights . On June 29, 2006, the Human Rights Council adopted the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by a favour of 30 votes in favour and 2 against and 12 abstensions, while 3 countries were absent during the vote. more... Indigenous people are 'those which having a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories, consider themselves distinct from other sectors of societies now prevailing in those territories, or parts of them. They form at present non-dominant sectors of society and are determined to preserve, develop, and transmit to future generations their ancestral territories, and their ethnic identity, as the basis of their continued existence as peoples, in accordance with their own cultural patterns, social institutions and legal systems.' Intellectual Property, for indigenous people, would include their traditional practices and customs, knowledge of particular herbs and other medicinal plants and giving expression to intangible ideas of folklore which includes age-old songs, languages, dances and also tangible expressions such as techniques of weaving particular cloths, mosaic, woodwork, etc. and their knowledge is even used for making cosmetics. By supporting with your signature at this congress, notice of the WONMP Houston Declaration, will be sent to the respective parties of the United Nations, making our voice heard. WONMP is registered with the UN Department of Public Information with a large roster of members. more... "Traditional Indian Medicine" in the Americas varies by each tribe and the tribal belief systems, rituals and practices. It is well known that eclectic medicine of America, as well as homeopathy , gained much of their herbal materia medica from knowledge gained from American Native Medicine men, women, and folklore. Such herbs as indian coccle (Cocculus), indian tobacco (Lobelia), indian nettle (Acalypha), Vitex trifolia.--Indian Arnica, and indian hemp (Apocynum), are well known. THE MEDICINE MAN According to Dr. Walt Hallow, the medicine man or woman is a catalyst to healing and spends as much time as needed to help restore harmony and health. Healing ceremonies and practices usually include family members, who are considered integral to the healing process and are the patient's primary support system. The medicine is in part natural and empirical and in part supernatural and spiritual. Traditional Indian medicine emphasizes the patient's own power to restore good health. The Traditional healer dos not do the healing but assist as individuals in healing themselves. (Hollow W.B. Chapter 6: Traditional Indian Medicine. In Galloway James M., Goldberg Bruce W, and Alpert Joseph S. Primary Care of Native American Patients: Diagnosis, Therapy, and Epidemiology. Butterworth and Heinemann. Boston, MA. 1999. pp. 31-38). The medicine man has a way of finding out what is meant to be, according to an individual's progress and development. You could almost say that Indian healers are psychologists, since they have to be able to see into the person, to analyze his or her sickness, and to discover what originally caused corporeal disturbance. It's very important to look deep into the patient, deeper than the skin or verbal complaints. Medicine men believe that physical troubles all start on the spiritual level. In fact, any infection of the body has its roots in a spiritual imbalance which can cause impurity. Many Medicine Men believe that sickness or pain is often a manifestation of payment of a debt, either for some mistake in the person's past or for a future wrong. This is reminiscent of the Christian doctrine of Atonement and is in part the reason why many Indian People's adopted the teachings of Christ. But that doesn't mean the medicine is not supposed to do anything to remedy the situation. Since 'ownership' in the Western sense of the word is an alien concept to Native American belief systems, the word 'debt' must also be seen differently. In this context, 'debt' means 'imbalance'. The medicine man's task is to find out what that imbalance is, and to learn how it can be brought back into harmony in one way or another. On the other hand, sometimes a certain sickness or pain should be endured, because it's the best possible way to 'emerge' out of the imbalance. If such a pain is made to go away, the price may become greater in the long run. Anyone who is sick, obviously, thinks he or she wants to get well . . . but the person's spirit knows when it's right-or at least necessary-to be ill. To the medicine man, what is happening to the body is not the main problem, so true healing requires looking at more than the corporeal being. When today's M.D. examines a sick patient, he or she may see only the illness and not necessarily the person behind that ailment. The regular medic does not understand what the spiritual problem really is, yet prescribes chemical drugs so the person won't feel anything or finds some troubled part of the body and cuts it off its physiologic response. But what if treatment is nothing but suppression of natural survival mechanism? The medicine man seeks to harness the natural survival mechanism to enhance health as opposed to creating more illness or more disharmony. Thus, the medicine man examines the patient closely-on both a physical and a spiritual level-to determine what forces should be used to heal that person. Then he calls upon the power of the particular forces that are needed. The Gifts of the Earth Mother - plant medicines and healing modalities and of the Sky Father - prayer and ceremony are employed. Sight, sound and tactile sensation are often incorporated with prayer and the laying on of hands for the transfer of healing energy. The hands serve to transmit the energy that flows between the two halves of the body, negative and positive, its inherent spiritual force. Prayer is a particularly powerful tool that medicine men employ in the course of healing. Herbs and dietary articles are also utilized and prayer and ceremony enhance their mechanisms of action. Many Native Americans are active within formal religious organizations. Common religions among Native peoples include the Native American Church, Catholic, Mormon, Methodist, Baptist, and Lutheran. The Council of Elders of the Nemenhah Band have approved and entered with the Sovereign Medical Order of the Knights Hospitaller as an official 'Special Purpose' Lodge of the Nemenhah, the same as for the Maca Oyate Sundance Lodge. Upon ratification of their Treaty, the Nemenhah would consider adopting Knight Members "Special Faculty at Large" governed in their activities as a Medicine Man or Medicine Woman. Native American traditional medicine is alive and vibrant in many North American societies. Today, Medicine men and women in the US are the same as clergy, and deserve the same privileges . U.S. District Judge Marcia Krieger in May 2004, held a decision that Indian spiritual leaders have the same protection as priests and clergy and may refuse to give up details of what they hear in confession. In this venue, what we hear from our patients in taking the history, now becomes confessional. Native American Medicine Men Hold Confessional Privilege and qualify as clergy for the purposes of the common-law clergy-communicant privilege. (U.S. v. Herrera, Docket No. 03-CR-439) In order for the privilege to apply, Judge Krieger said that statements made to a medicine man must be made for the purposes of receiving spiritual guidance and with the expectation of confidentiality. http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:lbcvOguLJxIJ:www.nmbar.org/Cont ent/NavigationMenu/Divisions_Sections_Committees/Sections/Indian_Law/ Newsletters6/ILSNewsletterWinter03.pdf+medicine+man+clergy+judge+marcia+krieger&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6 more... Dr. Eric Carter, member of the US Board of WONMP, will be presenting the legal issues of using Laboratory equipment as it relates to tests the requires human specimens for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of any disease or impairment of, or the assessment of the health of, a human being to meet certain requirements. If a facility ( e.g. a naturopath's office) performs tests for these purposes, it is considered under the law, to be a laboratory. CLIA laws apply even if only one or just a few basic tests are performed, even something as simple as a piece of pH paper inserted into the mouth for a Reams salivary analysis, and even if there is no charge for the testing. CLIA standards apply nationwide, waived tests can be performed by technicians, but research testing requires that a lab director is to be designated for testing when it is beyond the "waived" home category. Waived tests include the simplest tests, such as a home pregnancy test that can be purchased over the counter, or a urine dipstick like that used in a doctor's office. Natural medicine practitioners are better forewarned, and can operate a laboratory, open to the public, federally licensed, and providing valuable services within the CLIA guidelines. Federal regulations define waived tests as simple laboratory examinations and procedures that are cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for home use; employ methodologies that are so simple and accurate as to render the likelihood of erroneous results negligible; or pose no reasonable risk of harm to the patient if the test is performed incorrectly (42 C.F.R. 493). We urge practitioners to join WONMP and attend this all important congress and begin to understand the issues at hand in a rapidly changing environment. To register for this congress call: toll free - 866 308 9737 international - 712 6472170 Current legislation threatens alternative practitioners....Most alternative practitioners have accumulated education from multiple sources, and most of these sources are also alternative, or "non-regionally" accredited schools. Practitioners usually promote their credentials by listing their bachelors, masters or doctorate degree's behind their name. Many hold themselves out with a title such as doctor of naturopathy. While such is a common practice, it is now becoming commonly illegal. Currently, in Texas and a few other States, advertising credentials in any fashion that were not received from an accepted school (usually regionally accredited) is considered a criminal offense. Practitioners violating this legislation are committing a crime, and are subject to arrest, embarrassment and prosecution.....While there is little that practitioners can do about this legislation, other than to comply or be arrested, there is NOW hope ! For more than three years WONMP has been representing practitioners of natural medicines world wide, being registered with the United Nations, and holding outspoken congresses in Canada, Ecuador, the Bahamas, and next year, in the USA. As an international organization offering board certification in natural medicine, certified practitioners are entitled to list DNM or TNM behind their name, which is trademarked. Practitioners are thus not claiming a degree status, but genuinely stating duly registered and have complied with specific qualifications with an international organization. International status is important, as most membership organizations are only locally (or regionally based). You can join now and qualify for grandfathering for the year 2008. http://wonmp-casha.org/CertAppDNM-TNM06.pdf If you are a therapist with an assortment of background training, or you have a doctorate but it is not from a regionally accredited school in the US, now is your chance to assemble your qualifications and have them certified and attested to by an independent agency, and proudly place the trademark behind your name on business cards and stationary. For more information or to register for the Houston workshop (seating is limited), you are welcome to contact me. Dr. Eric Carter WONMP USA This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (903) 681-0112 Gunpoint medicine: Teenager arrested, jailed for refusing TB treatment at hospital The U.S. medical system is increasingly turning to police state tactics to force patients to submit to western medicine. The latest example, which unfolded over the weekend, involves a 17-year boy diagnosed with tuberculosis who refused to take doctor-prescribed medicines and started to walk out of the hospital. Health authorities called the police who arrested him at gunpoint. He was then thrown into an isolation chamber in the local jail and told he would not be allowed to leave until he started swallowing the synthetic chemicals ordered by his doctor. This was all done with no trial, no judge, no jury and no charges of any crime! Full details of this astounding imprisonment of a TB patient are covered in today's feature story (click the headline below). You'll learn why modern medicine treats patients like criminals, and why this desperate system of medicine now has to resort to firearms to "motivate" patients to swallow their pills... Health officials in Lawrenceville, Georgia have arrested and jailed Francisco Santos, a teenager who tried to walk out of a hospital and go home after being diagnosed with TB (tuberculosis). Instead of allowing him to leave the hospital, health authorities... Edwards backs mandatory, police state preventive care Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said on Sunday that his universal health care proposal would require that Americans go to the allopathic medical doctor for preventive care. "It requires that everybody be covered. It requires that everybody get preventive care," he told a crowd sitting in lawn chairs in front of the Cedar County Courthouse. "If you are going to be in the system, you can't choose not to go to the doctor for 20 years. You have to go in and be checked and make sure that you are OK." He noted, for example, that women would be required to have regular mammograms in an effort to find and treat "the first trace of problem." Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, announced earlier this year that her breast cancer had returned and spread under allopathic care. Edwards said his mandatory health care plan would cover preventive, chronic and long-term health care. The plan would include mental health care as well as dental and vision coverage for all Americans. "The whole idea is a continuum of care, basically from birth to death," he said. And of course, prevention would be complete with statin drugs for cholesterol, anti-hypertensives for high blood pressure, and SSRI's for clinical depression. Everyone must have preventative drug therapy. An anticipated shortage in worldwide wheat supply led to panic buying on August 23 and caused prices of the grain to skyrocket. This has led to fears that worldwide food prices may rise, with devastating consequences for the poor. The... Tyranny at the Texas Medical Board The Texas Medical Board (TMB) is denying physicians the constitutional right of due process, destroying their lives and the lives of the patients who rely upon them for care. Communist regimes intimidate and silence individuals by using Star Chamber tactics cloaked in secrecy. The accusers and witnesses are anonymous, and the decisions are predetermined. This is the way the TMB investigates physicians. The TMB allows anonymous complaints by insurance companies. These anonymous complaints target physicians who oppose the insurance companies' "standards of care" which limit treatment options, deny claims and increase insurance company profits. The TMB then destroys the physicians whom the insurance companies have targeted. This is meant to teach a lesson to any physician who would dare challenge the insurance companies' policies on patient care. Obesity Rates Rise in 31 States http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082807HB.shtml Kevin Freking, The Associated Press, says: "Loosen the belt buckle another notch: Obesity rates continued their climb in 31 states last year. No state showed a decline." The New York Times | World's Best Medical Care? http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081407O.shtml A recent editorial in The New York Times argues: "Many Americans are under the delusion that we have 'the best health care system in the world,' as President Bush sees it, or provide the 'best medical care in the world,' as Rudolph Giuliani declared last week. That may be true at many top medical centers. But the disturbing truth is that this country lags well behind other advanced nations in delivering timely and effective care." Antioxidants, bad science and failure of the press to tell the truth Following yesterday's announcement of a new study showing the phenomenal benefits of antioxidants for preventing heart disease in women, the mainstream media rallied behind a blatantly false distortion of the study designed to convince the public that... A new item has appeared in retail catalogs that promises to extend the life of your foods through vacuum technology. You place breads, fruits or other food items inside the container, close the lid, and a small pump works to remove the air from the chamber... Prices for Key Foods Are Rising Sharply http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081407F.shtml Kevin G. Hall reports for McClatchy Newspapers, "The Labor Department's most recent inflation data showed that US food prices rose by 4.1 percent for the 12 months ending in June, but a deeper look at the numbers reveals that the price of milk, eggs and other essentials in the American diet are actually rising by double digits." As NewsTarget reported earlier this year, the Almond Board of California (ABC) has decided that all almonds grown in that state must be pasteurized, irradiated or otherwise killed, even when they're labeled "raw." This is necessary, the ABC tells us,... As NewsTarget reported earlier this year, the Almond Board of California (ABC) has decided that all almonds grown in that state must be pasteurized, irradiated or otherwise killed, even when they're labeled "raw." This is necessary, the ABC tells us,... Cocoa reduces high blood pressure but tea does not, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers from the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany compared the results of 10 different studies... HAS MARTIAL LAW ARRIVED? Okay, what does it take to declare Martial Law in America? It takes 1) a declared state of emergency, 2) a readied "homeland" paramilitary system to enforce the powers of Martial Law, and 3) one signature of the one person who has the authority to make the declaration. Syphilis Cases on the Increase in New York City But syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that was so rare by 1998 that federal health officials had planned to declare it eliminated by 2005, has made a troubling comeback in New York City and across the nation. In the first three months of this year, more than twice as many syphilis cases were diagnosed than were in the first quarter of 2006, according to the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Psychologists' Group Rules on Interrogation Abuse http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082007H.shtml Shankar Vedantam reports for The Washington Post: "The American Psychological Association ruled Sunday that psychologists can no longer be associated with several interrogation techniques that have been used against terrorism detainees at U.S. facilities because the methods are immoral, psychologically damaging and counterproductive in eliciting useful information." Doctors Discover New Worm, One That's Lethal to Humans Scientists in California said today that they had discovered what they believe is a previously unknown parasitic worm that can be fatal to humans. Fragments of the worm were found in an AIDS patient who died from the infestation, but they were not identified until a year later. The worm had molecular biology resembling that of a tapeworm but acted more aggressively in the body than most tapeworms. Doctors initially thought the patient was suffering from a rapidly growing cancer in his abdomen. But a biopsy and the use of new genetic laboratory techniques found that the large mass of tissue was from the worm's fast growth, which caused scar tissue. GMO: A Choice of Agricultural Policy http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082307G.shtml In Le Monde, Herve Kempf describes how the on-going fight over genetically modified crops has dominated this summer's environmental debate in France, and how that fight reflects on the larger question of what kind of food we want to eat and produce. Sea Rise Outpacing Predictions Due to Antarctica http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082407EA.shtml Alister Doyle writes for Reuters: "A thaw of Antarctic ice is outpacing predictions by the UN climate panel and could in the worst case drive up world sea levels by two meters (six feet) by 2100, a leading expert said on Wednesday." Farming the Concrete Jungle http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082407EB.shtml Phoebe Connelly and Chelsea Ross, In These Times, write: "The Food Project is part of a growing urban agriculture movement to improve access to quality food in cities by creating local sources of fresh produce. The movement is showing that sustainable, local food systems are not only a way to ensure food security, but also a means of addressing social justice issues." WHO Ties Rising Population, New Diseases http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/082407HA.shtml Erica Bulman of The Associated Press says, "A ballooning world population, intensive farming practices and changes in sexual behavior have provided a breeding ground for an unprecedented number of emerging diseases, the UN health agency said Thursday." Pollutants such as pesticides and toxins damage the ecosystem and cause a variety of damaging ailments in humans. One particular herbicide, Atrazine, has now been found to turn male frogs into hermaphrodites, rendering them impotent by causing their gonads... A diet high in fat significantly increases a woman's risk of developing invasive breast cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and published in the Journal of the... HHS Toned Down Breast-Feeding Ads at Urging of Formula Industry Marc Kaufman |
WHAT'S UP #76.4 - 2007