There’s an obscure branch of science called semiotics. It studies the process called communication. How a message is passed from one point to another using signs and symbols. So, birds and frogs sing to attract mates. Other species of animals and plants release chemicals into the environment to mark their territory, tell each other when they are fertile and ready for action, and so on. Humans have developed language so that meaning is attached to sounds or images. At the simplest level, everyone will recognize the noises made when people are in pain or happy. Groans and laughter are universal. But then it gets complicated because different languages used in different cultures produce different meanings for the same sounds or images. For example, the several hundred million people in Indonesia and Malaysia (more than currently live in the US) think that the three letters “air” mean “water”. In fact, groups of letters can be given any meaning. Some of these meanings will be kind, others less so. To understand these meanings, you have to be in the culture. Someone who is not a native speaker will never understand all the different shades of possible meaning in a given language.
One of the most feared words is most cultures is “acne”. It may only be four letters, but to people approaching puberty or their parents and family, this is something to dread. There seems to be no end to the cruelty of humans to each other. Once a difference emerges in a group, it’s picked on as something terrible and the attacks begin. Only those who match the norms are safe. That means anyone whose skin suddenly erupts into pimples is treated as a plague carrier. Their personal hygiene standards are criticized and every aspect of their character is put under the microscope. This treatment is damaging to self-esteem. Confidence fades when you are victimized in this way. What should be a normal part of growing up that everyone accepts becomes a dangerous rite of passage. There are only two ways to deal with this problem. Either the culture must change to be more forgiving of difference or the medical profession must supply a “cure”.
Against this background, it’s fascinating to see the spread of “acne” as a brand. Now emerging from Sweden on to the world market comes Acne, the fashion label, and Acne Paper, the fashion magazine. The fashion house has just opened its first store in New York offering a wide range of own-label clothing from fashion jeans to stylish dresses and blazers. It’s also working on furniture, music and movies. The magazine is also about design (and fashion). It’s mainly European in style. The importance of the use of this word is that it may begin the process of changing culture. If more people wear the clothes, sit on the furniture, read the magazine and listen to the music, the horror of the word may start to fade. People will still be cruel to each other but they may pick on different features (or just use different words). Until we get this cultural revolution, you can always rely on the drug market for relief. Buy accutane online and find an effective treatment almost every time. Better still, using an online pharmacy lets you buy cheap accutane – treatment is always better value when it’s affordable.
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22 Feb, 2010
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If you ask any cat or dog owner, they will tell the animals are one of the family. Talk to them for a while and they will strike you as happy and well-adjusted. This might not seem significant but continuing medical research has detected a significant trend. This is not just your neighbor. It’s the majority of people who keep a pet. The most recent piece of research was presented to the International Society of Anthrozoology conference held in Kansas City this October by a team from Loyola University of Chicago.
They were testing the hypothesis that the use of dogs in a hospital environment would represent a beneficial therapy, promoting faster healing and a better rehabilitation following joint replacement surgery. Some of you will be convinced that dogs are the equivalent of plague carriers and believe they should never be allowed into a hopefully relatively sterile hospital. After all, dogs are barred from most eating places. Allowing animals into public spaces is a balancing of risks and benefits. Hospitals are not as clean as we might believe and dogs do not make what is often a bad situation any worse. In fact, their presence is proving to be great therapy and the benefits of admission now significantly outweigh keeping them out.
The team was using a number of dogs specially trained to respond positively to patients. Each animal has been taught some 40 different commands and will respond with behavior likely to soothe a patient or to motive his or her to resume movement. The exploits a fairly common reaction in humans to stroke dogs. Many find the feeling of fingers running on and through fur to be relaxing. When the dogs also appear to show appreciation, bonding takes place quickly and patients feel happier. Pets are stress busters. Even more significantly, this research confirms that patients going through rehabilitation with dogs healed more quickly and used 50% less painkillers than a control group who relied on human therapists for counseling and support. Regular monitoring found the pets lowered the heart rate and blood pressure of their human companions. In every sense, the trial has proved a real success and more hospitals in Chicago are now being introduced to the use of these dogs. The expectation is that more dogs will be required and a training program is being organized.
It’s easy to sneer at research like this, feeling people who get sappy over dogs are strange in all kinds of ways. Yet this research is not unique. There have been many studies with similar findings. The real point of interest in the latest trial is the finding that patients who are not pet owners benefit after only one period of interaction with a dog. The more regular the contact, the better the human’s physical and emotional response. This research does not, of course, suggest people should recover from serious surgery without the use of some painkillers. Tramadol will remain the standard drug for pain management. But the finding that people recover more quickly using less medication is encouraging. No matter how good tramadol, it’s better to use it only over the short term. Having a pet is clearly a good move.
21 Feb, 2010
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