- Email: [email protected]
Clinical research
566
diagnosis of paralysis would clearly be misleading. Further, the WHO Expanded Programme of Immunisation immunises against five other potentially life-threatening diseases. Department of Community Paediatrics, Aidan House, Gateshead NE8 3EP, UK 1. Wemer D. Disabled village children. Palo Alto:
MARTIN KIRKPATRICK 1988: 62.
Hesperian Foundation,
platelet antiaggregatory, analgesic, and These anti-inflammatory properties may be relevant to the apparent efficacy of the herbal decoction in some cases of eczema. We suggest that paeonol is an active component of this preparation and that the potential of this drug in the treatment of eczema should be explored.
been reported
to
have
antipyretic properties.6,7
J. H. GALLOWAY
Clinical research SiR,—To judge from the experience of all academics known to me, and from the facts, Dr Kealey’s (Jan 26, p 243) description of the state of universities in the UK bears little relation to reality. He asserts a very considerable expansion in the number of British academics, and in the universities’ income.
By contrast, your readers should refer to the Royal Society News (vol 6, no 1) which can be assumed to be accurate, since the organisation is largely supported by government through the Department of Education and Science. The proportion of general national expenditure and research and development financed by government sources dropped from 50% in 1983 to 37% in 1988. Government expenditure in the sciences has declined steadily from 0-35% of the gross national product in 1981 to 0-28% in 1990. 1200 permanent science and engineering posts in universities have been lost since 1979, while the proportion of scientific and technical staff on
short-term posts has risen from 25%
to
42%.
Maybe Kealey and the clinical biochemists in Cambridge have been protected from the realities of university life by the generosity of the medical charities. Unfortunately such funds are not available to all university departments since there are not equivalent charities in other subjects, such as engineering, for example. With respect to bibliometric measures Kealey simplifies the case support his argument. In fact the references he cites show that in citation measures although clinical medicine and surgery are holding up, physiology is classed among weaker subfields which are declining; also, although strong, haematology, pathology, and gastroenterology are in the declining group whereas surgery and paediatrics are improving. For all sciences, when publications and citations are divided into basic and applied, Martin et all (cited by Kealey) showed that the decline in output was continuing up to 1986. The apparent levelling off to which Kealey refers is attributable to a rise in the applied sector. This would be expected with increased industrial funding in universities through their search for contracts. In any event our concern must be to maintain world-standard excellence when other developed countries have increased their investment in science-at least as a fraction of the gross national product-while we in the UK allow it to decline. to
Department of Physiology, University College London,
T.
London WC1 E 6BT, UK
J. BISCOE
1. Martin BR, Irvine J, Narin F, Sterrit C, Stevens KA. Recent trends in the output and impact of British science. Sci Public Policy 1990, 17: 14-26.
Chinese herbs for eczema, the active
compound? SIR,-Interest in the apparent efficacy of a herb decoction prescribed for eczema by a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine prompted us to use gas-chromatography/massspectroscopy to investigate this material. From a basic extract of a "tea" prepared from the medicine as prescribed by the above practitioner we separated significant amounts (about 20 mg per decoction) of a compound tentatively identified by mass as 2’-hydroxy-4’-methoxyacetophenone. Authentic 2’-hydroxy-4’-methoxyacetophenone (Chemical Abstracts Service registry no 552-41-0) purchased from the Aldrich Chemical Co, Gillingham, Dorset) had identical gas-chromatographic properties and mass spectra. The identity of the compound was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet
I. D. MARSH S. B. BITTINER
A. G. MESSENGER D. J. GAWKRODGER R. GLET A. R. W. FORREST
Departments of Clinical Chemistry, Dermatology, and Pharmacy, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
Harper JI, Yang S-L, Evans AT, Evans FJ, Phillipson JD. Chinese herbs for eczema. Lancet 1990; 335: 1156. 2. Atherton D, Sheehan M, Rustin MHA, Buckley C, Brostoff J, Taylor N Chinese herbs for eczema. Lancet 1990; 336: 1254. 3. Heilbron I. Dictionary of organic compounds, 5th edn. London: Chapman & Hall, 1982; DIALOG on-line version, accession no D-04142. 4. Riley CM, Ren T. Simple method for the determination of paeonol in human and rabbit plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography using solid-phase extraction and ultraviolet detection. J Chromatogr 1989; 489: 432-37. 5. Harper JI. Chinese herbs for eczema. Lancet 1990; 336: 177. 6. Harada M, Yamashita A, Aburada M. Pharmacological studies on the root bark of Paeonia moutan II: anti-inflammatory effect, preventive effect on stress-induced gastric erosion, inhibitory effect on gastric juice secretion and other effects of paeonol. Yakugaku Zasshi 1972; 92: 750-56. 7. Hirai A, Terano T, Hamazaki T, et al. Studies on the mechanism of anti-aggregatory effect of Moutan cortex. Thromb Res 1983; 31: 29-40. 1.
Camus and La peste SIR,-You note (Jan 26, p 230) a report to the US Centers for Disease Control on a case of imported bubonic plague. We agree that Camus’ La peste should be required reading for all those with an interest in infectious diseases but would like to rebut the statement that the plague theme was an allegory of French involvement in Algeria. The book was started in 1941 but not published until 1947 two years after the world war had ended. Camus was in the French resistance, and in 1942 (in Carnets vol II, p 72) he noted: "I want to express by means of the plague, the suffocation from which we have all suffered, and the atmosphere of menace and exile in which we have lived". The coming of the plague is made to suggest the German invasion, the subsequent defeat of France, and the occupation. In the novel where the narrator describes the closing of the town gates, following official recognition of the plague, the reference to the defeat of France in 1940 and its division into occupied and unoccupied zones is clear.1 Camus was a pied noir (ie, a Frenchman born and brought up in Algeria). He came from a poor family and was raised in an Arab section of Algiers. In 1954, when the Algerian civil war began, he refused to support either side. However, he had earlier shown sympathy towards the Arabs, a position which incurred official French anger. His book details a town’s fears and prejudices, showing the irrationality that can govern life in the face of adversity. By working together man can survive events which at one time appeared insurmountable. The advent of newly recognised infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality makes La peste as relevant today as it was when first published. 1 a Evangelist Road, Kentish Town, London NWS, UK 1.
Haggis
DR. Studies in French literature
M. R. HODGES K. E. HODGES no
9:
Camus, La peste London. Edward
Arnold, 1962.
spectroscopy
spectrometry.
2’-hydroxy-4’-methoxyacetophenone is the chemical name for drug paeonol. Paeonol has been isolated from various plants, including those of the genus Paeonia.3,4 Parts of plants of this genus are ingredients of the herbal medicine in question.s Paeonol has
the
CORRECTIONS Breast cancer screening.-In this note (Feb 2, p 292) the number of deaths from breast cancer expected to be prevented by the end of the century should read 1250 each year.
Spontaneous abortions after intraperitoneal or intrauterine insemination-In Dr Alberto Barros and colleagues’ letter (Feb 2, p 302) the conception rates in line 6 should have read "40 0% and 24 5%, respecnvely". Line 8 should begin "indications".
diagnosis of paralysis would clearly be misleading. Further, the WHO Expanded Programme of Immunisation immunises against five other potentially life-threatening diseases. Department of Community Paediatrics, Aidan House, Gateshead NE8 3EP, UK 1. Wemer D. Disabled village children. Palo Alto:
MARTIN KIRKPATRICK 1988: 62.
Hesperian Foundation,
platelet antiaggregatory, analgesic, and These anti-inflammatory properties may be relevant to the apparent efficacy of the herbal decoction in some cases of eczema. We suggest that paeonol is an active component of this preparation and that the potential of this drug in the treatment of eczema should be explored.
been reported
to
have
antipyretic properties.6,7
J. H. GALLOWAY
Clinical research SiR,—To judge from the experience of all academics known to me, and from the facts, Dr Kealey’s (Jan 26, p 243) description of the state of universities in the UK bears little relation to reality. He asserts a very considerable expansion in the number of British academics, and in the universities’ income.
By contrast, your readers should refer to the Royal Society News (vol 6, no 1) which can be assumed to be accurate, since the organisation is largely supported by government through the Department of Education and Science. The proportion of general national expenditure and research and development financed by government sources dropped from 50% in 1983 to 37% in 1988. Government expenditure in the sciences has declined steadily from 0-35% of the gross national product in 1981 to 0-28% in 1990. 1200 permanent science and engineering posts in universities have been lost since 1979, while the proportion of scientific and technical staff on
short-term posts has risen from 25%
to
42%.
Maybe Kealey and the clinical biochemists in Cambridge have been protected from the realities of university life by the generosity of the medical charities. Unfortunately such funds are not available to all university departments since there are not equivalent charities in other subjects, such as engineering, for example. With respect to bibliometric measures Kealey simplifies the case support his argument. In fact the references he cites show that in citation measures although clinical medicine and surgery are holding up, physiology is classed among weaker subfields which are declining; also, although strong, haematology, pathology, and gastroenterology are in the declining group whereas surgery and paediatrics are improving. For all sciences, when publications and citations are divided into basic and applied, Martin et all (cited by Kealey) showed that the decline in output was continuing up to 1986. The apparent levelling off to which Kealey refers is attributable to a rise in the applied sector. This would be expected with increased industrial funding in universities through their search for contracts. In any event our concern must be to maintain world-standard excellence when other developed countries have increased their investment in science-at least as a fraction of the gross national product-while we in the UK allow it to decline. to
Department of Physiology, University College London,
T.
London WC1 E 6BT, UK
J. BISCOE
1. Martin BR, Irvine J, Narin F, Sterrit C, Stevens KA. Recent trends in the output and impact of British science. Sci Public Policy 1990, 17: 14-26.
Chinese herbs for eczema, the active
compound? SIR,-Interest in the apparent efficacy of a herb decoction prescribed for eczema by a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine prompted us to use gas-chromatography/massspectroscopy to investigate this material. From a basic extract of a "tea" prepared from the medicine as prescribed by the above practitioner we separated significant amounts (about 20 mg per decoction) of a compound tentatively identified by mass as 2’-hydroxy-4’-methoxyacetophenone. Authentic 2’-hydroxy-4’-methoxyacetophenone (Chemical Abstracts Service registry no 552-41-0) purchased from the Aldrich Chemical Co, Gillingham, Dorset) had identical gas-chromatographic properties and mass spectra. The identity of the compound was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet
I. D. MARSH S. B. BITTINER
A. G. MESSENGER D. J. GAWKRODGER R. GLET A. R. W. FORREST
Departments of Clinical Chemistry, Dermatology, and Pharmacy, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
Harper JI, Yang S-L, Evans AT, Evans FJ, Phillipson JD. Chinese herbs for eczema. Lancet 1990; 335: 1156. 2. Atherton D, Sheehan M, Rustin MHA, Buckley C, Brostoff J, Taylor N Chinese herbs for eczema. Lancet 1990; 336: 1254. 3. Heilbron I. Dictionary of organic compounds, 5th edn. London: Chapman & Hall, 1982; DIALOG on-line version, accession no D-04142. 4. Riley CM, Ren T. Simple method for the determination of paeonol in human and rabbit plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography using solid-phase extraction and ultraviolet detection. J Chromatogr 1989; 489: 432-37. 5. Harper JI. Chinese herbs for eczema. Lancet 1990; 336: 177. 6. Harada M, Yamashita A, Aburada M. Pharmacological studies on the root bark of Paeonia moutan II: anti-inflammatory effect, preventive effect on stress-induced gastric erosion, inhibitory effect on gastric juice secretion and other effects of paeonol. Yakugaku Zasshi 1972; 92: 750-56. 7. Hirai A, Terano T, Hamazaki T, et al. Studies on the mechanism of anti-aggregatory effect of Moutan cortex. Thromb Res 1983; 31: 29-40. 1.
Camus and La peste SIR,-You note (Jan 26, p 230) a report to the US Centers for Disease Control on a case of imported bubonic plague. We agree that Camus’ La peste should be required reading for all those with an interest in infectious diseases but would like to rebut the statement that the plague theme was an allegory of French involvement in Algeria. The book was started in 1941 but not published until 1947 two years after the world war had ended. Camus was in the French resistance, and in 1942 (in Carnets vol II, p 72) he noted: "I want to express by means of the plague, the suffocation from which we have all suffered, and the atmosphere of menace and exile in which we have lived". The coming of the plague is made to suggest the German invasion, the subsequent defeat of France, and the occupation. In the novel where the narrator describes the closing of the town gates, following official recognition of the plague, the reference to the defeat of France in 1940 and its division into occupied and unoccupied zones is clear.1 Camus was a pied noir (ie, a Frenchman born and brought up in Algeria). He came from a poor family and was raised in an Arab section of Algiers. In 1954, when the Algerian civil war began, he refused to support either side. However, he had earlier shown sympathy towards the Arabs, a position which incurred official French anger. His book details a town’s fears and prejudices, showing the irrationality that can govern life in the face of adversity. By working together man can survive events which at one time appeared insurmountable. The advent of newly recognised infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality makes La peste as relevant today as it was when first published. 1 a Evangelist Road, Kentish Town, London NWS, UK 1.
Haggis
DR. Studies in French literature
M. R. HODGES K. E. HODGES no
9:
Camus, La peste London. Edward
Arnold, 1962.
spectroscopy
spectrometry.
2’-hydroxy-4’-methoxyacetophenone is the chemical name for drug paeonol. Paeonol has been isolated from various plants, including those of the genus Paeonia.3,4 Parts of plants of this genus are ingredients of the herbal medicine in question.s Paeonol has
the
CORRECTIONS Breast cancer screening.-In this note (Feb 2, p 292) the number of deaths from breast cancer expected to be prevented by the end of the century should read 1250 each year.
Spontaneous abortions after intraperitoneal or intrauterine insemination-In Dr Alberto Barros and colleagues’ letter (Feb 2, p 302) the conception rates in line 6 should have read "40 0% and 24 5%, respecnvely". Line 8 should begin "indications".