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from First Things
THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS REVISITED
Numerous hypotheses have been devised to explain the strange behavior that occurred in Salem in 1692. One of the most concrete studies, published in Science in 1976 by psychologist Linnda Caporael, blamed the abnormal habits of the accused on the fungus ergot, which can be found in rye, wheat and other cereal grasses. Toxicologists say that eating ergot-contaminated foods can lead to muscle spasms, vomiting, delusions and hallucinations. Also, the fungus thrives in warm and damp climates—not too unlike the swampy meadows in Salem Village, where rye was the staple grain during the spring and summer months. One wonders whether this seemly simple solution appeals because it explains misunderstood people, or merely aids in explaining them away. The Salem witch trials are our reign of terror, and we live in fear of them happening again.
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Rain has helped control fires and limit smoke
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7 central Washington wind farm proposals on hold
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Drug effectively treats hepatitis C
NEW YORK – Abbott Laboratories said Monday that its experimental hepatitis C drug regimen cured 99 percent of patients in a midstage study with the most common and hardest-to-treat type of the disease.
Patients who took a three-drug regimen and the drugs Ritonavir and ribavirin had undetectable virus levels after 12 weeks of treatment. The North Chicago, Ill., company said it observed a 93 percent cure rate in a group of patients who were not helped by other treatments.
Patients in the trial had genotype 1 hepatitis C, which is the most common type in the Western world and the hardest to treat. The regimen did not include interferon, a standard component of hepatitis C therapy that causes flu-like side effects that can last for months. The study included 77 patients who hadn’t been treated before and 41 patients who were not helped by other treatments.
Hepatitis C is a virus that can lead to life-threatening liver damage and is the main cause of liver transplants in the U.S.
Patients who took a three-drug regimen and the drugs Ritonavir and ribavirin had undetectable virus levels after 12 weeks of treatment. The North Chicago, Ill., company said it observed a 93 percent cure rate in a group of patients who were not helped by other treatments.
Patients in the trial had genotype 1 hepatitis C, which is the most common type in the Western world and the hardest to treat. The regimen did not include interferon, a standard component of hepatitis C therapy that causes flu-like side effects that can last for months. The study included 77 patients who hadn’t been treated before and 41 patients who were not helped by other treatments.
Hepatitis C is a virus that can lead to life-threatening liver damage and is the main cause of liver transplants in the U.S.
George McGovern enters hospice care
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Former Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern has moved into hospice care near his home in South Dakota. His daughter told the Associated Press on Monday that the longtime senator is “coming to the end of his life.” George McGovern lost to President Richard Nixon in a historic landslide in 1972.
Bad reaction to anesthesia is rare
Anthony L. Komaroff Universal Uclick
Calm that nagging cough by applying Vicks to your feet
also: Anti-anxiety agents and some sleeping pills may increase the risk of dementia in older people; duloxetine (Cymbalta) can worsen narrow-angle glaucoma.
Workplace conversations can be awkward, trickyAnthony L. Komaroff Universal Uclick
Calm that nagging cough by applying Vicks to your feet
also: Anti-anxiety agents and some sleeping pills may increase the risk of dementia in older people; duloxetine (Cymbalta) can worsen narrow-angle glaucoma.
Medicine ball gives a full-body workout
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