RxPG News : Odd Medical News

Chinese woman cuts open her belly to save surgery cost

Wed, 25 May 2011 16:14:25 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A Chinese woman cut open her stomach with a kitchen knife to relieve fluid accumulation so that she didn't have to pay the surgery cost, a media report said.

China Daily reported that 53-year-old Wu Yuanbi, a migrant worker living in Chongqing municipal area, had not bought medical insurance as she wanted to save money.

After her plight came to light, she was taken to a hospital and is now being given treatment free of cost.

Wu is suffering for the past 13 years from Budd-Chiari syndrome, which is a condition in which her stomach fills with fluid.

In 2002, her family pooled its savings to pay for a surgery that led to a large amount of fluid being taken out.

When she suffered a relapse, her family was too poor to pick the 50,000 yuan - tab for the second operation, the media report said.

As Wu was desperate to relieve the pressure in her stomach, she cut herself open with a kitchen knife May 8.

Her husband, Cao Yunhui, had left for work when she slit open her stomach and she had to endure intense pain for hours.

When Cao returned later in the day, he found Wu with a 10 cm-long wound in her stomach. She was lying in a fluid pool.

Wu was immediately taken to hospital.

'If I had passed away, I would have at least spared my family the trouble of looking after me,' Wu was quoted as saying.

Two-year-old world's first to have extra DNA strand

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:11:27 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A British toddler has become the first person in the world to be diagnosed with an extra strand in his DNA.

Two-year-old Alfie Clamp from Nuneaton in Warkwickshire was born blind and with severe disabilities, which led doctors to carry out various tests.

They found out that his seventh chromosome had an 'extra arm' which has never been documented anywhere in the world before, according to the Daily Mail.

Doctors were baffled at his condition, which is so rare it does not have a name.

They also do not have no idea whether the medical condition will improve or reduce the boy's life span.

His parents, Gemma and Richard Clamp, only discovered something was wrong with their son after they first took him home.

A few days later he stopped breathing and his lips turned blue and had to be rushed back to hospital.

Doctors discovered he had a rare abnormality in his DNA only when he was six weeks old.

His condition left Alfie unable to see until he was three months old.

He still suffers from digestive problems and needs to take many medicines every day to help his body absorb vital nutrients.

The Clamps, who also have a 10-year-old daughter, who is perfectly healthy, had their DNA tested but were not found to be carriers of the different strand.

172,155 kidney stones removed from one patient!

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:39:54 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A doctor in Maharashtra's Dhule district has been awarded the Guinness record for removing a record number of 172,155 kidney stones from a single kidney.

Ashish Rawandale-Patil removed the stones from a single kidney of his patient Dhanraj Wadile in December last year.

Wadile, 45, owned a betel shop in Shahada town and was suffering the pains for six months before he approached Rawandale-Patil of Tejnaksh Healthcare's Institute of Urology.

'Wadile was suffering from severe lower abdominal pain. He had consulted many doctors and was on medication for months but could not get relief. We found Wadile had Pelvi-Ureteric Junction obstruction of the left kidney,' said Rawandale-Patil.

Rawandale-Patil decided to post the patient for surgery. After getting medical fitness of the patient, he made a detailed plan of surgery because the patient was observed to be having huge number of renal stones.

'The doctors who helped me operate upon Wadile could not believe the number of stones we removed after the surgery that lasted for four hours,' Rawandale-Patil said.

The stones were mainly made of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate and were one millimetre to 2.5 cm big.

'Getting the exact count of the stones was going to be another major job. I decided to call for a diamond worker, who regularly counts and verifies diamonds and teamed him up with one of my doctors,' he said.

Rawandale-Patil mentioned that they worked for three hours a day for a month to finish counting the stones.

'I then wrote to the Guinness Book of World Records and they asked me to send the stones and related documents. They verified it and wrote back to me in October telling me that I have made a record,' the doctor said.

'I got the hard copy of the certificate only a couple of days back,' he added.

Rawandale-Patil said: 'This is an important milestone for me and my institute. It is the combined effort of my team that could take this small town to an international level.'

18 kg tumour removed from woman

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 18:53:11 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Shimla - A team of doctors in Himachal Pradesh have removed an 18 kg ovarian tumour from a woman in her 20s.

The operation was performed Wednesday at a hospital in Kullu, 240 km from here, media reports said Thursday.

Kesari Devi from Sarsed village in Mandi district had reported at the hospital with pain and a swelling in her belly.

'It took about 90 minutes to remove the hard oval shaped tumour from the right side of her body,' said surgeon Sumedh Kaul.

VitaCig - Cigarettes with Vitamin C that don't stain teeth

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 19:08:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Cigarettes injected with Vitamin C that don't stain your teeth have been developed by a Canadian researcher.

The new cigarettes, named VitaCig, have been developed by non-smoker Roger Ouellette, reported the online edition of Daily Mail. Canadian company Vita-C Tobacco is distributing the cigarettes.

The 'healthy' cigarettes will be available in about 2,000 outlets in Quebec and, if they prove successful, could be sold across the world, the company claimed.

VitaCig is less likely to stain the teeth and create less of smell too, its creator claimed. It was more "beneficial" to health than regular brands because of the vitamin dose, he said.

Vitamin C reduced the harmful effects of smoking. "We give you all the vitamins you lose, plus some to help you," Ouellette claimed. It could also help keep your teeth white, he said.

However, those who campaign against smoking have disapproved the claim. "I find it hard to believe anyone would take the claims seriously, but some people might be fooled," said Amanda Sandford of Action on Smoking and Health, an anti-smoking charity.

"It is quite a disgraceful form of marketing because it could lure innocent or naive people into thinking they can smoke to get the vitamins they need."

Smoking of cigarettes leads to several health problems, especially lung cancer, emphysema and other disorders.

A sneeze could give away your personality traits

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:51:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) "A-choo!" the sound that comes when you sneeze could reveal details about your personality, said a US body language expert.

Patti A. Wood, an Atlanta-based consultant who created the Achoo IQ Study for Benadryl, said a sneeze could offer a revealing look at someone's personality, reported the online edition of ABC News.

Wood categorised sneezers into four categories: nice, be right, get it done and enthusiastic.

Wood classifies you as a "nice sneezer" if you are a single sneezer and turn away when you do so. People in the category are characterised as being warm, helpful, supportive and nurturing of others.

Or are you the type to let a big loud sneeze out? These sneezers, or "get it done" sneezers, are found to be fast, decisive and to the point. They typically make the best leaders.

Do you always keep tissues handy and cover your mouth when you feel a sneeze coming? These are the "be right" sneezers and are typically the careful, accurate, deep-thinking type, said Wood.

The last group are the enthusiastic sneezers. These are the people with sneezes you notice - such as your grandfather whose sneezes perhaps terrify you, or your co-worker who always sneezes five times.

The enthusiastic sneezers were found to be charismatic and social and have the ability to motivate others.

Two-week-old embedded arrow surgically removed

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:44:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A Madhya Pradesh tribal who was walking around normally with an arrowhead embedded deep in his chest for two weeks, had the weapon piece removed surgically by doctors at Indore.

Gajuram, 35, of Khargone district was hit on April 7 by an arrow by fellow tribesman Kaliya when he refused to give him the hen he wanted. Though Gajuram pulled out the stem of the arrow, the head remained inside, police said.

Gajuram was taken to Khargone hospital where doctors referred him to MY Hospital, Indore, the next day. But Gajuram took it lightly and continued with his routine.

After two weeks a relative brought him to MY hospital where he was operated upon.

"Doctors at the hospital were shocked to see a man surviving for such a long time though the X ray showed that the arrow had pierced deep into his thoracic region, damaging one of his lungs," said R.K. Mathur.

"Doctors were afraid of conducting an operation by giving anaesthesia as they felt with a damaged lung it would be too risky," said another doctor V.S. Bhatia.

Bhatia, who held several rounds of consultations with seniors, undertook the two-hour operation on Saturday by giving Gajuram local anaesthesia.

The arrowhead was removed successfully without any damage to other parts of the body.

"Any other human being would have died with an arrow piercing into his body from the right shoulder to the left side, piercing his lungs," the doctors said.

Woman delivers baby on road in West Bengal

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 17:29:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The plight of a poor woman in West Bengal, who gave birth to a baby in a public street after a government hospital doctor released her, raised public outcry and a call for probes here Tuesday.

Bengali news channel Star Ananda Tuesday beamed images of Basanti Mal of Nijhuri village in Birbhum district, about 180 km from here, lying on a road with her newborn baby after she was forced to leave a hospital in Siuri town.

The district magistrate of Birbhum has ordered a probe into the incident.

Basanti, wife of a daily wage labourer, was admitted Sunday evening in the hospital and was in pain but allegedly not attended upon by either doctor or nurse.

The doctor, Debasish Debangshi, asked the heavily pregnant woman to get a scan report from his private clinic. After Basanti left the hospital for the private clinic Monday morning, she underwent labour pains and delivered on the road at 8.30 a.m.

Luckily, another doctor of the same hospital, Subrata Sarkar, who was passing by came forward to assist the woman.

West Bengal's health department has sought a report of the incident. The state human rights commission was also informed.

According to reports, both the mother - who has been readmitted to the Siuri hospital - and the child are keeping well.

Restoring virtue for Rs.20,000!

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 21:13:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A scientific triumph or a regressive procedure that further compromises the position of women in conservative India? Either way, surgeons in Gujarat, India are set to cash in on the demand for hymenoplasty, the term for medical restoration of a woman's technical virginity.

More and more women are queuing up for the surgical procedure that will restore their hymens and keep their virtue intact in the eyes of their future in-laws and husbands. Hymenoplasty had clandestinely begun eight years ago in this city. Of late, however, such surgeries are on the rise.

Young Gujarati girls turn up with the sole intention of "keeping their future in-laws under the illusion that they are virgins", said cosmetic surgeon Hemant Saraiya here.

"Two out of the seven girls who came for hymenoplasty to me said they were sex workers who wanted to get married. One of them didn't want her in-laws to know that she was not a virgin. "The other didn't want her future husband to find out that she had had a premarital affair," said Saraiya.

"They had to pay just Rs.20,000 for the restoration of the hymen," he added.

He described it as a simple surgery that was not too painful for patients. "I operated the first patient eight years ago, but five patients came during the last couple of years," he said.

Plastic surgeon Bijal Parikh said that people were very inquisitive about the surgery although only two patients actually came to him for hymenoplasty.

Astonishingly, it is not just young women getting married who are going in for the procedure.

A middle-aged woman from abroad approached Parikh for the surgery because she wanted to gift the regained virginity to her husband on their 20th wedding anniversary.

"I get queries from Indians in the US and Britain. If the practice becomes a trend, we will strike gold," Parikh said.

"Moreover, the surgery is much cheaper in India. Also, we have five-star hospitals in the city that are economical compared to any of India's metro city hospitals."

While Parikh and Saraiya look at the business aspect, there are many who alarmed at what it portends.

Sociologist Gaurang Jani, for instance, holds medical professionals responsible for "not educating people" in order to profit monetarily from such a gender-biased operation.

"Instead of educating society by spreading information about sex, doctors are making money out of such backward mindsets.

"If hymenoplasty becomes a trend, it will provide our patriarchal set-up with a more conducive environment to retain old mindsets. Only the doctors will prosper."

Jani, however, put aside the question on the future of hymenoplasty by saying, "This is a transitory phase. After a couple of decades, if a boy claims that he has married a virgin, people will laugh at him."

Living with boyfriend? You could become obese

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 17:05:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Living with your boyfriend could make you obese unless you control your diet, says a study which, however, adds that the opposite holds true for men.

Researchers at Newcastle University's Human Nutrition Research Centre looked at a number of dietary studies and found that moving in with the boyfriend is bad for a woman's waistline, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.

During a "honeymoon period" both partners try to please and impress each other. So women eat creamier, heavier dishes such as curry or rich pasta sauces, while the men reduce fat and sugar and consume lighter meals such as salads.

The study suggests that couples need to address their diet as a team early on in the relationship.

"Couples who move in together should use the opportunity of the honeymoon period to make positive changes to their diet and lifestyle by working together and supporting each other," study author Amelia Lake said.

However, women also lose out if the couple split up. They were found to comfortably eat and gain weight after a relationship ended while men did not.

Value of services provided by insects is $57 billion in U.S.

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 07:10:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Although the economic importance of insects in providing honey and silk is well known, many other valuable services provided by insects are commonly overlooked. In the April 2006 issue of BioScience, the monthly journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, John E. Losey of Cornell University and Mace Vaughan of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation estimate the value (as indicated by documented financial transactions) of some less well-known services provided by insects. Understanding such services is important because evidence points to a steady decline in beneficial insect populations.

The article's assessment is restricted to just four services--dung burial, control of crop pests, pollination, and wildlife nutrition--because data are not available to allow a more comprehensive assessment. Moreover, Losey and Vaughan excluded the value of services provided by domesticated insects, mass-reared biological control agents, and commercially raised insects. The authors estimate the annual value of the ecological services that they considered to be at least $57 billion in the United States.

Dung beetles, for example, reduce the effects of parasites and pests on cattle, enhance the palatability of forage to cattle, and make nitrogen in dung more readily available to plants. The authors estimate the value of natural control of crop pests attributable to insects at $4.5 billion annually. Native pollinators--almost exclusively bees--seem to be responsible for over $3 billion-worth of fruits and vegetables in the United States. And insects provide a critical nutritional resource that supports hunting, fishing, and observation of wildlife valued at $50 billion.

Losey and Vaughan stress that their assessment is conservative in that it includes only a fraction of the value of all the services insects provide. They suggest that their estimate implies that an annual investment of tens of billions of dollars would be justified to maintain service-providing insects, and urge that conservation funding pay specific attention to insects and the role they play in ecosystems.

British student to investigate dogs' barks

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 12:32:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A British postgraduate student of psychology is planning to record the barks and growls of hundreds of dogs as part of a project into how canines communicate.

Anna Taylor, 23, of Brighton in southern England, is looking for about 300 noisy canine volunteers of all shapes and sizes to take part in the study, it was reported Thursday.

'We use all type of techniques to get the dogs to bark and growl including banging on doors and windows, playing with them and isolating them in a room.'

Dog growls are made up of sound components called formants, Taylor explained, which are believed to give information about the dog making the sound, including body size, sexual aggressiveness or weight.

The information collected should allow her to discover whether there is a link between the formant produced and the size and type of each dog, and whether this information is available to human and canine listeners.

Evolutionary theory suggests that the evolutionary history of humans and dogs is inextricably linked, and it may be that domestic dogs vocalise primarily for their human companions.

'It would be interesting to test this theory, for example, by modifying the recordings then playing them back to humans and other dogs to see how they respond, hopefully showing which acoustic notes are important for which species', said Taylor.

'Owners like to think they know what their dog is saying when it barks. Hopefully, this research will help to reveal scientifically what man's best friend is really communicating.'

Two foetuses removed from 45-day-old baby

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:14:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) In a rare operation, Pakistani doctors Tuesday removed two foetuses, one of them fully grown, from the abdomen of a 45-day-old baby.

The infant, Nazia, was brought to Pakistan's Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad with a swollen abdomen four days ago by her parents who are poor labourers from Swat district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

"Such cases in medical history are very rare," Muqqadar Shah, one of the surgeons who performed the operation, told DPA.

The doctors carried out the surgery after X-ray and ultrasound tests showed abnormal growth in the abdomen. The surgeons were surprised to discover a fully-grown foetus weighing one kg.

"Her mother actually had triplets, but the other two grew in Nazia's abdomen," Shah said.

The condition of the child, who is on life support, is reported to be critical.

Papua New Guinea MP accused of spreading HIV

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 17:44:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A member of the Papua New Guinea parliament could become the first person in the South Pacific's biggest country to face court for knowingly infecting others with HIV virus, a report said Thursday.

The unnamed MP could be jailed under a 2003 law that made it an offence to knowingly pass on the HIV virus, The Nation newspaper in Papua New Guinea reported.

The paper said police were confident they had gathered enough evidence to prosecute after looking at medical records and interviewing the man's two partners before they died of AIDS.

The police investigation began after a complaint was made by relatives of one of the MP's partners. She died two weeks after being interviewed. A second partner of the MP was also interviewed by police and died three weeks later.

According to infectious diseases expert John McBride, AIDS is now the primary cause of death for those admitted to Port Moresby General Hospital. McBride, of James Cook University in Australia, warned that more than 1.5 million people - or one third of the country's current population - could be infected by AIDS by 2015.

Peter Piot, the head of the UN AIDS agency, UNAIDS, said at an international conference in Japan last year that AIDS had moved into the general population in Papua New Guinea.

"It's the one that I would see that could have an African-type epidemic," Piot said of Papua New Guinea, a country with a population of 4.5 million.

"That's the one country, I would say I think is really getting out of hand."

Croatian doctors remove 10-kilo tumour from patient

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 17:41:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Surgeons in the western Croatian town of Gospic removed a massive, 10-kilo abdominal tumour from a female patient, the Zagreb daily 24sata reported Wednesday.

The woman, 66, was brought to the hospital from a nearby village after suffering severe stomach pain for several days. Doctors said they were shocked to find a tumour that had virtually filled most of her abdominal cavity.

The tumour was of a huge size in relation to the slightly built patient, who had the appearance of a pregnant woman, the report said.

"It pushed everything aside and was pressing the aorta and lungs, creating vascular and respiratory problems," surgeon Darko Milinovic stated. "The operation was complicated by the size of the tumour and during this the patient received four packages of blood transfusion."

Tumours of that size are almost always benign, but can kill by severing circulation or increasing pressure on sensitive parts of the body.

Two doctors manipulated the tumour around, while Milinovic was cutting around it. It was the largest tumour ever extracted in the Gospic hospital - the old record was four kilos.

The woman was said to be recovering well after Tuesday's operation and is expected to be discharged by the end of the week.

421 kidney stones removed from 60-year-old!

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:21:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Thai doctors removed 421 kidney stones, believed to be a medical record, from a 60-year-old woman who had been complaining of stomach cramps for years, media reports said Friday.

Dr Wattana Parisri, director of the Somdej Phraupharajthabo Hospital in Nong Khai province, 500 km northeast of Bangkok, claimed doctors on his staff had surgically removed the stones from the woman, said Thai Rath newspaper.

The patient, whose name was not disclosed, had sought treatment at several clinics for severe stomach pains and urinary complaints but had been wrongly diagnosed as suffering from ulcers prior to being subject to an ultrasound test at the hospital, Wattana told the Thai Rath.

"This might be the most kidney stones found in one person in medical records," remarked Wattana.

The doctor noted that kidney stones were a common complaint in Northeast Thailand, caused by the diet or genetic proclivity.

Hens' teeth not so rare after all

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:32:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Scientists have discovered that rarest of things: a chicken with teeth crocodile teeth to be precise.

Contrary to the well-known phrase, 'As rare as hens' teeth,' the researchers say they have found a naturally occurring mutant chicken called Talpid that has a complete set of ivories.

The team, based at the Universities of Manchester and Wisconsin, have also managed to induce teeth growth in normal chickens activating genes that have lain dormant for 80 million years.

Professor Mark Ferguson, one of the scientific team at the University of Manchester, says the research published in Current Biology this week has major implications in understanding the processes of evolution. It could also have applications in tissue regeneration, including the replacement of lost teeth in humans.

"The mutant bird has severe limb defects and dies before it can hatch," explained Professor Ferguson, who is based in the University's Faculty of Life Sciences.

"It was discovered 50 years ago but no one has ever examined its mouth. What we discovered were teeth similar to those of crocodiles not surprising as birds are the closest living relatives of the reptile."

The discovery led the team to wonder whether healthy chickens might still maintain the genetic pathways to re-grow teeth.

"We found we were able to induce teeth to grow in normal chickens by making changes to the expression of particular molecules," said Professor Ferguson.

"All the pathways to make teeth are preserved which helps us understand how evolutionary changes can be brought about by subtle alterations in developmental biology."

Professor Ferguson says a direct application of the research could be in the re-growing of teeth in people who have lost them through accident or disease.

But the study has implications for tissue regeneration more widely.

"The principle of activating specific dormant pathways to stimulate regeneration instead of repair has made applications, to injury, surgery and human disease," he said.

Indeed, building on previous discoveries of scar-free healing in embryos, Professor Mark Ferguson and Dr Sharon O'Kane founded Renovo, a spin-out company from The University of Manchester, which is developing novel pharmaceuticals for the prevention and reduction of scarring.

"Renovo now employs about 100 staff and is the world-leading company in researching and developing novel pharmaceuticals to prevent and improve scarring."

British grandma recovers sight after heart attack

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 15:30:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Can a blind person recover sight after suffering a serious heart attack? Yes, that is exactly what happened to 74-year-old Joyce Urch, who was blind for over 25 years but miraculously emerged from the life of darkness when she woke up after the heart operation, baffling medical experts here.

Urch is convinced that it was nothing short of a miracle.

She said: "When I first came round I just opened my eyes and shouted, 'I can see, I can see.' I said to (husband) Eric, 'You've got older haven't you?' But I thought, 'I'm old myself, my husband must be too.'

"The first time you look in the mirror you look at yourself and think, 'Is that really me?' But a lot of things have changed."

Joyce Urch, from Coventry, has been blind since 1979, and has never been able to see her five children properly. Now, for the first time, she can see her 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Doctors at the Walgrave Hospital in Coventry spent three days battling to save her life when she suffered a heart attack. She then woke to a new life, spreading cheer in her family and among friends.

She and her husband Eric Urch celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last weekend in a way she had never dreamed. She said: "I love going out now. I can look around and see the trees and squirrels and pigeons."

Urch, 77, a former coal miner, told The Telegraph: "I didn't believe it when she said she could see me. I said 'What colour pullover am I wearing?' She said 'grey', and she was right. When Joyce first went blind it made a huge change to our life. Everything seemed to fall away from us. She couldn't do anything.

"She does little chores now. We try to do everything between us. This has given us both our lives back."

Their eldest daughter, Carol Obeirne, 46, said: "When she first came round we thought, 'This is not going to last, she is going to die.' Then she started shouting, 'I can see'. I was just so excited.

"My mother has never been given any medical explanation as to why she lost her sight, nor has she ever been offered any medical explanation as to how she recovered it."

Martin Breen, consultant cardiologist at the Walgrave Hospital, said: "I am not able to give a medical explanation. When she was admitted to hospital, she had suffered a serious heart attack and our main concern was to save her life.

"I am delighted that she has fully recovered, and it is an added bonus that she has also recovered her sight."

A 'ghost' fights for life

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 17:52:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) He seems to be a case of dead man walking. Villagers consider him a 'ghost' as his last rites have been performed. But Raju Raghuvanshi is very much alive and wants to prove it.

Raghuvanshi, 45, is being ostracised by people in his village Katra in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh as they consider him 'dead'.

Villagers start giggling and whispering among themselves the moment they see him. Many run shouting 'ghost, ghost,' much to the chagrin of Raghuvanshi.

An angry but hurt Raghuvanshi has complained to the police that he was being harassed. But they have expressed their helplessness in the case.

A police official in Mandla said: "We registered Raghuvanshi's complaint but we cannot arrest anybody because no one has harmed or threatened him. We have asked him to approach the court."

An orphan, Raghuvanshi eked out a living by doing odd jobs in the village. Around four months ago the police arrested him for possessing drugs and illicit liquor. He was sent to the district jail in Mandla.

There he suffered some serious stomach ailment and was shifted to the district hospital. When his condition deteriorated further, Raghuvanshi was sent to the medical college in neighbouring Jabalpur district.

Lachchhu, Raghuvanshi's cousin, told IANS: "A fortnight back I was informed by a relative that Raghuvanshi had died in the hospital while undergoing treatment."

Media reports say none of his family members visited Raghuvanshi at the hospital and they believed the version of the relative, who said since his body lay unclaimed for days, the authorities in Jabalpur cremated it.

So after receiving the news of his 'death', his family consulted the village 'panchayat' (council), which suggested that Raghuvanshi's last rites be performed.

As per Hindu customs, Lachchhu conducted the last rites of Raghuvanshi and all male members of his family even got their heads tonsured.

But Raghuvanshi had not died. He returned to the village after being released by the hospital only to find that the villagers were shunning him and considered him a 'ghost'.

Raghuvanshi said: "I am shocked as people run away shouting 'ghost', 'ghost' on seeing me.

"When I met Lachchhu, I realised that I was dead for the villagers."

But if Raghuvanshi did not die in the hospital, whose body was cremated? No one seems to know.

Harry Potter books seem to protect children from traumatic injuries

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 05:38:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Harry Potter books seem to protect children from traumatic injuries, according to a study in this weeks BMJ.

Injuries caused by craze activities such as inline skating and microscooters have previously been reported. One modern craze is the Harry Potter series of books and films. Given the lack of horizontal velocity, height, wheels, or sharp edges associated with this particular craze, researchers at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford investigated the impact of these books on childrens traumatic injuries during the peak of their use.

They reviewed all children aged 7-15 who attended their emergency department with musculoskeletal injuries over the summer weekends of 2003-5.

The launch dates of the two most recent Harry Potter books (The Order of the Phoenix and The Half-Blood Prince) were Saturday 21 June 2003 and Saturday 16 July 2005. They compared the numbers of admissions for these weekends (intervention weekends) with those for summer weekends in previous years (control weekends).

The average attendance rate during the control weekends was 67, while for the two intervention weekends, the attendance rates were 36 and 37. At no other point during the three year surveillance period was attendance that low. MetOffice data obtained for each of the weekends suggested no confounding effect of weather conditions.

We observed a significant fall in the numbers of attendees to the emergency department on the weekends that the two most recent Harry Potter books were released, say the authors.

Both these weekends were in mid-summer with good weather, suggesting that there is a place for a committee of safety conscious, talented writers who could produce high quality books for the purpose of injury prevention.

Potential problems with this project would include an unpredictable increase in childhood obesity, rickets, and loss of cardiovascular fitness, they conclude.