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Items of interest
Public Health (1993), 107, 381-384
© The Society of Public Health, 1993
Items of Interest Publications Received
Below are details of recent publications for which a full review is not possible, but which the Editor feels might be of interest to readers.
London International Atlas of Aids by Matthew Smallman-Raynor, Andrew Cliff, Peter Haggett, published by Blackwell, 1992, 430 pp, £100, ISBN 0-631-17812-0. This well-presented reference book has been in preparation for five years. In its text and sophisticated graphic presentation of data it gives information for virtually all the world's countries. The first of its four parts develops an account of the viral nature of AIDS, and of the official information sources available. The second is concerned with its possible pre-1981 origins and subsequent global spread. Part three deals with AIDS on a regional level and the fourth part examines the short- and longer term outlook. There is a 10-page index, and a glossary of the commonly used abbreviations, acronyms, mathematical notation and medical terms. The authors give 40 pages of sources and references. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations: Annual Review Summary of the Organisations's Activities during 1991 In its overview this document describes 1991 as the year of the forest, and environmental concerns are emphasised throughout. It describes the world's food situation as precarious, the production of some staple foods having increased slightly whilst others have decreased. On a hopeful note it reports on the eradication, by the sterile insect technique, of an infestation of screw-worm fly occurring in Libya, and the success of an emergency vaccination campaign in controlling the rinderpest outbreak in Eastern Turkey. The development of appropriate technology for items such as meat preservation is reported and also the use of local crop residues for animal feedstuffs. There is an emphasis throughout on sustainable development using appropriate technology and the control of disease with the minimum of pesticide use. The publication is produced by: The Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100, Rome, Italy. Eurobrief March 1993, No 49, published by British Medical Association. This issue covers a wide range of topics. Amongst these are: the foundation of a European Public Health Alliance, the launch of The Eastern European Medical Journal, blood donation, road safety, aid for Yugoslavia, genetically engineered food and the transport of radioactive material. For information about these and any other topics in this journal please contact:
382
Items of Interest
Catherine Skinner, International Department, British Medical Association, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP.
Neurological Rehabilitation in the United Kingdom: Report of a Working Party November 1992, by the Association of British Neurologists, Neuro Concern Group of Medical Charities and the British Society for Rehabilitation Medicine. This report points out the present inadequate health care provision for neurologically disabled people and expresses the view that the greater part of rehabilitation should take place at the local level. It also emphasises the need for research to determine the optimum management of various kinds of neurological disability.
Mental Health: The Changing Pattern of Treatment and Care Reports of seminars held in October and November 1991 at the South East Institute of Public Health. Prepared by the Unit for Social Policy of Kent University and the Institute of Psychiatry. These reports cover such subjects as planning for mental health needs, cost-benefit studies in psychiatric care, the work of community psychiatric nurses and transfer of people from long-stay hospitals to community care. For more information about the Institute and its work please contact: South East Institute of Public Health, Broomhill House, David Salomons Estate, Broomhill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0XT.
Multiple Sclerosis: A Working Party Report of the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine Published in April 1993 by the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine with the support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This report aims to be an interdisciplinary guide for the health professionals likely to be concerned with people suffering from MS. Its empirical approach emphasises easing symptoms and helping people with MS to make the most of their lives. It also discusses the epidemiology of the disease, stresses its great variability between individuals and the possibilities of treating the illness itself. It contains a list of references and documented reading. Further copies of the report can be obtained from: British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine, c/o Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regents Park, London NW1 4LE.
Psoriasis The Journal of the Psoriasis Association, No 1/93, Issue 63. This booklet is published four times a year and is available, at the ordinary rate, at £10 per annum. It contains various news items and articles. For further information the address of the Psoriasis Association is: Milton House, 7 Milton Street, Northampton NN2 7JG.
Items of Interest
383
You, your Partner and Continence An Educational Package for Adults with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus who suffer from urinary incontinence. This package is produced by Imogen Carlton, in response to an ASBAH-funded research project conducted by Maddie Blackburn, based at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The pack contains a video, with the equivalent information also presented on an audio cassette, together with a handbook and illustrative materials. Supply is restricted to persons aged 16 or over. The pack is priced (including postage and packing and VAT): £25 to disabled adults, £45 to organisations, £55 overseas orders. It may be obtained from: ASBAH, Information Department, A S B A H House, 42 Park Road, Peterborough, Cambs, UK.
Innovations in Information: Sharing ideas on how to get information to disabled people Pilot issue April 1993. This is a newsletter which hopes to develop into a forum to discuss the provision of information to disabled people. The address of the newsletter is: 380-384 Harrow Road, London W9 2HU.
City View: News and Key Issues for the Square Mile Issue No 12, April 1993. This is produced by the Corporation of London. Two items of particular interest are a short report of the March 1993, London Drug Policy Forum, Drugs in the Community--What Local Authorities Can Do; and the second, a behind-the-scenes view of the Parks and Gardens Department of London. The Editor's address is: The Public Relations Office, Corporation of London, Guildhall, London EC2P 2EJ.
Healthy Eating Pyramid for Teachers and Health Professionals A full-colour A2 poster of the British Healthy Eating Pyramid is now available to teachers and health professionals for use in schools and surgeries. The poster and accompanying guidelines can be obtained free of charge by sending name, organisation and address to the: Flour Advisory Bureau, 21 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RN.
The Nutritious Banana Pointing the Way to Health: A Comprehensive Study of the Nutritional Qualities of the Banana. This book details the digestibility, and macro- and micro-nutrient content of the banana. Its convenience as a baby food, as a food for small children, for athletes, for the elderly and for those on special diets is also extolled. Copies of this book are available from: The Banana Group, Althorp Studios, 4 Althorp Road, Wandsworth Common, London SW17 7ED.
384
Items of Interest
Marihuana the Forbidden Medicine by Lester Grinspoon and James Bakalar, published by Yale University Press, 1993, 184 pp, £15.95 (hardback), ISBN 0-300-05435-1. This book puts forward the case that marihuana should be legalised, at least for medical use. The anecdotal accounts given of its benefits are from those whose considerable suffering has been eased by this drug. The conditions which it is reported to have eased include uncontrolled vomiting due to chemotherapy, intractable epilepsy and the severe symptoms of multiple sclerosis and AIDS. Dates and Meanings of Religious and other Festivals (incorporating a calendar for the five years 1993-1997), by John G. Walshe and Shrikala Warrier. Published by Foulsham Educational Ltd, Berkshire UK, 1993, 104 pp, paperback, ISBN 0-572-01819-3. This book details, in their various forms and denominations, the origins and beliefs of the world's major religions. The holy days of the Hindu, Judaic, Islamic, Buddhist, Sikh, Christian and Bahai Faith are described along with notable secular festivals of various countries. The calendars on which these festivals are determined are described. The festivals appear in chronological order beginning with 1 January, are indexed alphabetically and coded according to the faith or country in which they originate.
© The Society of Public Health, 1993
Items of Interest Publications Received
Below are details of recent publications for which a full review is not possible, but which the Editor feels might be of interest to readers.
London International Atlas of Aids by Matthew Smallman-Raynor, Andrew Cliff, Peter Haggett, published by Blackwell, 1992, 430 pp, £100, ISBN 0-631-17812-0. This well-presented reference book has been in preparation for five years. In its text and sophisticated graphic presentation of data it gives information for virtually all the world's countries. The first of its four parts develops an account of the viral nature of AIDS, and of the official information sources available. The second is concerned with its possible pre-1981 origins and subsequent global spread. Part three deals with AIDS on a regional level and the fourth part examines the short- and longer term outlook. There is a 10-page index, and a glossary of the commonly used abbreviations, acronyms, mathematical notation and medical terms. The authors give 40 pages of sources and references. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations: Annual Review Summary of the Organisations's Activities during 1991 In its overview this document describes 1991 as the year of the forest, and environmental concerns are emphasised throughout. It describes the world's food situation as precarious, the production of some staple foods having increased slightly whilst others have decreased. On a hopeful note it reports on the eradication, by the sterile insect technique, of an infestation of screw-worm fly occurring in Libya, and the success of an emergency vaccination campaign in controlling the rinderpest outbreak in Eastern Turkey. The development of appropriate technology for items such as meat preservation is reported and also the use of local crop residues for animal feedstuffs. There is an emphasis throughout on sustainable development using appropriate technology and the control of disease with the minimum of pesticide use. The publication is produced by: The Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100, Rome, Italy. Eurobrief March 1993, No 49, published by British Medical Association. This issue covers a wide range of topics. Amongst these are: the foundation of a European Public Health Alliance, the launch of The Eastern European Medical Journal, blood donation, road safety, aid for Yugoslavia, genetically engineered food and the transport of radioactive material. For information about these and any other topics in this journal please contact:
382
Items of Interest
Catherine Skinner, International Department, British Medical Association, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP.
Neurological Rehabilitation in the United Kingdom: Report of a Working Party November 1992, by the Association of British Neurologists, Neuro Concern Group of Medical Charities and the British Society for Rehabilitation Medicine. This report points out the present inadequate health care provision for neurologically disabled people and expresses the view that the greater part of rehabilitation should take place at the local level. It also emphasises the need for research to determine the optimum management of various kinds of neurological disability.
Mental Health: The Changing Pattern of Treatment and Care Reports of seminars held in October and November 1991 at the South East Institute of Public Health. Prepared by the Unit for Social Policy of Kent University and the Institute of Psychiatry. These reports cover such subjects as planning for mental health needs, cost-benefit studies in psychiatric care, the work of community psychiatric nurses and transfer of people from long-stay hospitals to community care. For more information about the Institute and its work please contact: South East Institute of Public Health, Broomhill House, David Salomons Estate, Broomhill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0XT.
Multiple Sclerosis: A Working Party Report of the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine Published in April 1993 by the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine with the support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This report aims to be an interdisciplinary guide for the health professionals likely to be concerned with people suffering from MS. Its empirical approach emphasises easing symptoms and helping people with MS to make the most of their lives. It also discusses the epidemiology of the disease, stresses its great variability between individuals and the possibilities of treating the illness itself. It contains a list of references and documented reading. Further copies of the report can be obtained from: British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine, c/o Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regents Park, London NW1 4LE.
Psoriasis The Journal of the Psoriasis Association, No 1/93, Issue 63. This booklet is published four times a year and is available, at the ordinary rate, at £10 per annum. It contains various news items and articles. For further information the address of the Psoriasis Association is: Milton House, 7 Milton Street, Northampton NN2 7JG.
Items of Interest
383
You, your Partner and Continence An Educational Package for Adults with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus who suffer from urinary incontinence. This package is produced by Imogen Carlton, in response to an ASBAH-funded research project conducted by Maddie Blackburn, based at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The pack contains a video, with the equivalent information also presented on an audio cassette, together with a handbook and illustrative materials. Supply is restricted to persons aged 16 or over. The pack is priced (including postage and packing and VAT): £25 to disabled adults, £45 to organisations, £55 overseas orders. It may be obtained from: ASBAH, Information Department, A S B A H House, 42 Park Road, Peterborough, Cambs, UK.
Innovations in Information: Sharing ideas on how to get information to disabled people Pilot issue April 1993. This is a newsletter which hopes to develop into a forum to discuss the provision of information to disabled people. The address of the newsletter is: 380-384 Harrow Road, London W9 2HU.
City View: News and Key Issues for the Square Mile Issue No 12, April 1993. This is produced by the Corporation of London. Two items of particular interest are a short report of the March 1993, London Drug Policy Forum, Drugs in the Community--What Local Authorities Can Do; and the second, a behind-the-scenes view of the Parks and Gardens Department of London. The Editor's address is: The Public Relations Office, Corporation of London, Guildhall, London EC2P 2EJ.
Healthy Eating Pyramid for Teachers and Health Professionals A full-colour A2 poster of the British Healthy Eating Pyramid is now available to teachers and health professionals for use in schools and surgeries. The poster and accompanying guidelines can be obtained free of charge by sending name, organisation and address to the: Flour Advisory Bureau, 21 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RN.
The Nutritious Banana Pointing the Way to Health: A Comprehensive Study of the Nutritional Qualities of the Banana. This book details the digestibility, and macro- and micro-nutrient content of the banana. Its convenience as a baby food, as a food for small children, for athletes, for the elderly and for those on special diets is also extolled. Copies of this book are available from: The Banana Group, Althorp Studios, 4 Althorp Road, Wandsworth Common, London SW17 7ED.
384
Items of Interest
Marihuana the Forbidden Medicine by Lester Grinspoon and James Bakalar, published by Yale University Press, 1993, 184 pp, £15.95 (hardback), ISBN 0-300-05435-1. This book puts forward the case that marihuana should be legalised, at least for medical use. The anecdotal accounts given of its benefits are from those whose considerable suffering has been eased by this drug. The conditions which it is reported to have eased include uncontrolled vomiting due to chemotherapy, intractable epilepsy and the severe symptoms of multiple sclerosis and AIDS. Dates and Meanings of Religious and other Festivals (incorporating a calendar for the five years 1993-1997), by John G. Walshe and Shrikala Warrier. Published by Foulsham Educational Ltd, Berkshire UK, 1993, 104 pp, paperback, ISBN 0-572-01819-3. This book details, in their various forms and denominations, the origins and beliefs of the world's major religions. The holy days of the Hindu, Judaic, Islamic, Buddhist, Sikh, Christian and Bahai Faith are described along with notable secular festivals of various countries. The calendars on which these festivals are determined are described. The festivals appear in chronological order beginning with 1 January, are indexed alphabetically and coded according to the faith or country in which they originate.