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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1975)
Page 6 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10. 1975 Danger of PiU doubted Associated Press SAN ANTONIO — Questionable studies by American and British sci entists linking birth control pills and various diseases could be damaging to developing countries needing family planning, says a leading au thority on the pill. Dr. J. W. Goldziener of South west Foundation for Research and Education said Tuesday that such developing countries need reassur ance that family planning is essential to their welfare. “Instead of that we scare them half to death by a misinterpretation of very complicated and very equivocable statistical studies which . . . cannot by their very na ture prove cause or effect,” he said. Goldzieher, an internationally recognized authority on reproduct ive biology and endocrinology,, talked about the studies examined in his 40-page paper in the current “American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.” Biostatistician Tazewell O. Dozier, also of the Southwest Foundation, co-authored the paper. Goldzieher and Dozier said that studies linking the pill to blood clot ting were inadequate and probably wrong. ‘The birth control pill causes fewer serious adverse reactions than aspirin,” Goldzieher said. They said most studies linking the pill to diseases such as blood clot ting, heart attacks or strokes were based on small numbers of women specially selected for study. Goldzieher said most such studies began with all blood clot cases diag nosed in a certain group such as hospital records. After about 90 per cent of the sub jects were eliminated because their blood clots could be laid on other causes. Goldzieher said the studies would conclude: “Since we can’t know of any factor causing the re maining clots, we’ll say the pill caused it.” ‘The kinds of studies that have been done do not rule out coinci dence because they do not prove cause and effect," the doctor said, “and most people misunderstand these studies to indicate that they do prove cause and effect.” Dozier added, ‘To take a very small samply of 100 or 125 women and try to determine a cause and ef fect relationship that is going to af fect the entire world is a pretty risky undertaking.” He added that statistics are inca pable of projecting such results from small samples as have been used in most American and British studies. Mono cases on increase The Brazos County- Health De partment said yesterday that sixty- eight more cases of infectious mononucleosis were reported in November than in October. In October, 46 cases were re ported, compared to 114 cases in November, an increase of up nearly 148 per cent. Other diseases reported to the health department included 57 cases of gonorrhea, 42 cases of strep throat and 29 cases of influenza. Four cases of pneumonia, three cases of scarlet fever and three cases of syphilis were also reported. Two cases each of chickenpox and measles and one case each of mumps and ' infectious hepatitis were recorded. Read Battalion Classifieds /upTnamba Eddie Dominguez ’66 Joe Arciniega ’74 Greg Price r If you want the real thing, not frozen or canned ... We call It “Mexican Food Supreme.” Dallas location: 3071 Northwest Hwy 3S2-8570 & _____ _ Doctor’s Bag Doctor’s Bag is a service to stu dents at A&M. If you have a health question, contact Sandy Russo at The Battalion. All ques tions in this column are an swered by Dr. Claude Goswick, director of the Health Center. Q. Can you get an abortion in College Station? If not, where is the nearest recom mended abortion clinic? A. No abortion service is avail able in College Station. Reputable clinics are in Houston, San Antonio, Dal las, Austin, and most large cities. Appointments may be made by the individual or through Planned Parenthood Clinic in College Station. Q. How can I cure my cold sores or fever blisters? Why do I get them? A. So-called “cold sores” or “fever blisters” are usually caused by a virus which probably lies dormant in oral mucus membrane only to flare up during a “cold,” flu,’ or various other illnes ses, and even certain emo tional upsets! They can be treated in various ways — none of which is particularly effective: cautery with silver nitrate, smallpox vaccina tions, conservative treatment with antiseptics, hydrogen peroxide, and anesthetics. For the most part these ul cers run a benign course, clear up without residual scarring and have primarily a nuisance effect. My dog has hookworms. Is there any chance I’ll get them? As a general rule, humans will not be infested by dog hookworms. Although dog hookworms may enter the skin (usually through bare feet) of humans and cause some local irritation, they will not then go through their normal life cycle and cause potentially serious medical problems. I have phlebitis and must stand most of the day, thus my leg hurts. Is there any thing I can do to ease the pain? Since phlebitis is an inflam mation of veins — usually in lower extremities — certain principles of hydrodynamics apply. Position may consid erably affect the symptoms, namely there is apt to be more pain and discomfort when the legs are dependent and blood tends to be pooled in competent superficial veins. Therefore some type of elastic bandage to force blood out of the superficial system into the deeper or usually more competent system of veins is usually helpful. The condition can be somewhat improved by physical activity (walking, etc.) while standing as opposed to standing still. Legs should be elevated if possible (e.g. sitting with legs on stool, desk, chair, etc.) or lying down. If the condition is such that varicose veins are present which lend them selves to phlebitis, surgical vein-stripping can help. FOR THE “SPIRIT” OF CHRISTMAS borkei — pnofoqrapfiy COLOR PHOTOS FROM NORTHGATE 846-2828 zo wir m ovrs LEFT 2 UNDER $5.00 ^l: •:>♦. J * * ‘y. ■ \: Y ^ Z\'*\ ' IDEAL g CHRISTMAS & GIFTS •V:'i "*.* ’i,?'; f m m 4-^ ^ YOUR CHRISTMAS STORE . .