From: ((Steven B. Harris))
Subject: Re: An example of holistic thinking
Date: 17 Apr 1995
Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative

In <00305D47.fc@pop.com> Paul_Iannone@pop.com (Paul Iannone) writes:

    >>I have a client who complained of urethral pain following
urination. On taking the case, I discovered that this had
resulted from excessive intercourse with his girlfriend. On
further investigation, I determined that he was in general
rather depleted, and often caught colds. We can stop here.
Conventional medicine says, urethritis, does a lab test to see
if some venereal disease is involved, and then, finding a minor
infection, administers an antibiotic. And it is good to see if
venereal disease is involved in such things, but it is unlikely
that it is since the problem occurred after an actual cause
(excessive behavior), and the relationship is stable.<<

    Comment: Hilarious example of "holism," which I see is being
used here as one of the many sacred names for that special mental
state of people who believe that just about anything they hear or
read is probably true.  I suppose you concluded that this
relationship was "stable" because the guy told you he never
cheated, and his girlfriend told HIM that SHE never cheated, and
you're confident that the chance of people LYING about such
things to each other is small. Gosh, it hardly ever happens.
Also, since you're not a doctor and therefore don't have the
experience of culturing sundry sexually transmitted diseases from
people who swore there was no way they could have any of them,
this set of experiences is not there for you to draw on.  And
besides, you can't do cultures anyway, so sour grapes.

   I suggest that you're being amazingly naive, grasshopper.
Urethral irritation or trauma from simple mechanical factors from
"excessive intercourse" no doubt occurs, but observe that it's
pretty darned rare in men whose sexual activity involves condoms
or masturbation, no matter how much of it they do.  Which ought
to tell you something about most of the cases of urethral
irritation that are presumed to be due to trama, by people who
really cannot face the alternatives. A healthy man's penis is
designed to pretty much take all the standard sexual activity he
can manage with it, and then some.

   So let me show you the flip side of your patient scenario.  A
guy comes to you complaining of post-urination urethral pain.
You don't do a culture, or even send him to somebody who can, but
instead give him "kidney yang booster mix," when he does in fact
have chlamydia.  After a while his symptoms go away (as they tend
to do, even if not treated, even with chlamydia).   But his
girlfriend is not so lucky, and develops pelvic inflammatory
disease, and subsequenty experiences fertility problems due to
fallopian scaring.  Then both of them decide to sue you for a
zillion dollars for a tort related to your practicing medicine
without a license, and doing damage thereby.  Good luck in
explaining yang shortages to a jury.



------------------------------------------------------------
Steven Harris, M.D.| Der Luft, dem Wasser, wie der Erden
Experimental       | Entwinden tousend Keime sich,
Gerontology        | Im Trocknen, Feuchten, Warmen, Kalten!
"I publish, but I  | Haett' ich mir nicht die Flamme vorbehalten,
have a horrible    | Ich haette nichts Aparts fuer mich.
feeling that I'll  |
still perish."     |         --Der Teufel (Faust, pt I, sc 3)
------------------------------------------------------------

From: ((Steven B. Harris))
Subject: Re: Pelvis/uterine pain
Date: 24 May 1995
Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative

>>> For the past month I have been suffering from a bacterial
>>> uterine/pelvis infection and have completed two doses of doxycycl.
>>> This has not helped. I am still very uncomfortable and am not sure
>>> what alternative methods to pursue. I have been taking garlic pills,
>>> acidolpholis, pao d'arco and vitamin c. Any other advice from anyone
>>> with a similiar problem? Thank you for your help. The doctors have not
>>> made me feel much better.
>
>You might try vanilla Dannon yoghurt. The good bacteria in yoghurt will
>eat whatever infectious bacteria you have in your intestinal tract. Make
>sure it is Dannon and not fruit flavored. Fruit flavored yogurt causes
>too much acidity, which increases irritation, and other brands of yogurt
>don't have the right pH balance (i.e. also too much acidity.)


Fine, fine, as long as all this doesn't make her stop seeing her
doctors.  A pelvic infection allowed to run its coure and burn out
without antibiotics can sterilize a woman.  Particularly if she's had
even one before.  If this doctor's antibiotics have not made her feel
better and she really does have PID, she needs some different
antibiotics.  Perhaps even hospitalization, unless she doesn't plan on
any more children.  In any case, she needs to be a pro-active patient
and COMPLAIN.  "Doc, what do you think about adding azithromycin to
attack the other half of the clamydial ribosome?"  That'll get his
attention.


                                            Steve Harris, M.D.

From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Subject: Re: Crabs
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997
Newsgroups: sci.med

In <Pine.HPP.3.96.971007173400.22633A-100000@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu>
Stanward Sueo-Minh Oshiro <soshiro@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu> writes:

>My friend got crabs twice, which were found in his crotch. But he never
>had sex with anyone to contract the crabs. How do you think he got the
>crabs? He brought two specimens into the health center where they did an
>analysis. The doctor said they were crabs, which are usually transmitted
>through sex.
>
>Thanks in advanced,
>
>Stan



"Doc, I guess I got these crabs sitting on a toilet seat."

"That's a hell of a place to screw."