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#48786 06/04/13 10:23 PM
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The Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates is known as the 'Father of Medicine'
He developed the 'Hippocratic Oath' for Physicians, still in use today.
It's believed he detected certain diseases in his patients, by smelling them.
Which is not unlike very modern Medical Practises today, except they use an Electronic machine to do the smelling.
This is because certain bacterias, and infections create unique smells.

Examples are
- a sweat fruity breath could mean Diabetes.
- a fishy smelling breath could mean Liver disease.
- A urine smell (from ones mouth) might mean Kidney disease.
- a tar like smell could mean Tuberculosis.

a few Dogs have been trained to sniff and sit beside the patient in Hospital,when they smell Cancer on that person.

Unfortunately, the Electronic Machines that have been developed to sniff out diseases are very expensive,
in the order $17,000 each....so there are only two or three around.
But now another very powerful smeller has joined the diagnostic force.

Its the large friendly African Pouch Rat. They are very clever, and have been trained to sniff out Mines
in a minefield. Upon finding a Mine they stop, paw the ground over a Mine, and will come back to their handler for a food reward, when called. They are too light to set off an explosive.

Now they are being trained by the dozens, since it has been found out that they can detect all the above diseases in seconds.
The Hospital Doctors place a drop of a suspected patients sputum in a glass tube.
The various tubes are then placed in a metal holder that takes 24 tubes at a time. The tubes are open to the air, but have gauze placed over them.
The African Rat runs along the tubes and points out all the different diseases within seconds....to his minder.
In many cases the Hospital X-Ray, or the Blood technician may take days, and still not be sure they have detected anything.

Rats have for too long been categorized as useless vermin, but they have been found to have more genetic material allocated to the olfaction [smelling] part of their brain, relative any other species.
The African Pouch Rat seem's happy to work alongside humans, make great pets, they are very loyal and will follow you around.

With a new person in the World being affected by Tuberculosis every second, and with every person affecting 15 others per year, by droplets or sneezing......I think we may be hearing more of these trained Pouch Rats shortly.

http://bodyodd.nbcnews.com/_news/2010/08/13/4879912-dog-sized-rats-sniff-out-tb-in-patients

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=trained-rats-sniff-out-tb-10-12-15

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UcA8V_EEx0

http://www.apopo.org/en/tuberculosis-detection/how/training


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"You will never find a real Human being - Even in a mirror." ....Mike Kremer.


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Those sweet, loyal and useful animals will have to have a name-change before I would let them anywhere near me! It's a RAT, and for me rats will forever be my own personal Room 101 candidate!

And I love animals generally to a besotted degree! Still a little bit of PR necessary for these animal I think.

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Hehehe, Yes I understand what you are saying Ellis, absolutely.
They live in sewers, and filth, were responsible for the Black Death in Europe, a cause of Weil's disease, Cholora, and many
more.
However if they were deloused, and a few generations were brought up in nice clean aseptic living areas. Would'nt you then be prepared to allow them to live with you?
These giant Rats seem to be saving human lives, could even protect yours.

Please help and Adopt unwanted Rats. Give Generously. cry


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A clean rat--- now there's an oxymoron!

I think I would rather welcome those maggots that are used to nibble off infected flesh on septic wounds!

EEK! I have just realised they are GIANT rats.... I have practically fainted dead away!

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Wow, sure is a lot of rat ignorance here. The Gambian Pouch Rat is to your "sewer rat" as a Timber Wolf is to a Chihuahua.

I've never understood the aversion to such adorable creatures; such as rats, snakes, giant isopods... etc. Education before condemnation.

To fear is one thing (rationally or not), but to condemn something on sheer ignorance, or personal selfishness... Kinda like racism, speciesism is a tool of the uneducated.

I know this post sounds douchy, not trying to offend. Someone has to speak for the soft spoken. Especially when I want import laws to let up so I can get one as a pet. Spread the love for all the critters, especially ones saving lives, human or not.


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Neo- We all have a Room 101 thing-- I share mine with Winston (I could not read that chapter!), but for others it could be brussels sprouts, fluffy jumpers or small yappy dogs, all of which hold no terror for me. And, living as I do, in the land of strange extremely toxic creatures I am not repelled by large spiders, snakes or sharks-- though I sensibly try to avoid them, not wishing to be someone's lunch.

I just have a totally irrational reaction to rats, and can now expand it to include GIANT ones!

My cat is convinced that I will like rats if he brings one home (usually much damaged) as a present for me--- actually on second thoughts, knowing my cat, he probably knows exactly how I feel!

P.S. I have no desire to harm rats, I just don't want them walking on me, sniffing!

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Originally Posted By: Ellis
I just have a totally irrational reaction to rats


I can understand irrational reactions. My mother had a horror of wooden spoons, especially if they were wet. (Scientific explanation, anyone?)

This is a friend of ours from Cardiff who brings her rats from one side of the country to the other, by train, when she visits. She gets a wide range of responses from fellow travelers, mostly positive.

Sorry Ellis! Should have warned you to close your eyes. smile




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Originally Posted By: Mike Kremer

Interesting picture reaction between Rats and Humans.
But I wont be popping over for a cup of tea Bill.

I take it that your friends Rats have been Laboratory bred
and certified as clean, and free of disease?
I didnt know you might be allowed to take them on a train
with you. (Unofficialy I take it?)

I have just found a story about 24 hours old ...of a boy who died in Kyrgystan of Bubonic plague. They say he was bitten by a flea
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23843656

Seems like the Black Death originated in China and is still around in small pockets.....in Asia.




Last edited by Mike Kremer; 08/28/13 11:18 PM. Reason: syntax

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Originally Posted By: MK
I take it that your friends Rats have been Laboratory bred and certified as clean, and free of disease?


They come from a long line of rats bred as pets. These pet lines almost always originated as Lab rats, which probably is why they tend to be quite short lived, and very often die of unpleasant health problems. It seems that in the modern world, we humans give more diseases to rats than they ever give to us. What’s more, we do it deliberately, for profit.


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Bubonic plague is endemic in New Mexico, USA. Every year there are a few cases. Sometimes it appears in distant states, as tourists have traveled in NM and stopped to pet the cute rodents which come up to you looking for a handout, get fleas on them or their pets, and get the plague from the flea bites. Prompt antibiotic treatment is effective in curing it, but it has to be recognized as a diagnosis. Sometimes this is difficult.


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Quote:
I can understand irrational reactions. My mother had a horror of wooden spoons, especially if they were wet. (Scientific explanation, anyone?)


I think that would be because of the pores.

wooden spoons / utensils can harbor bacteria in the pores of the wood.
wood should not be used in food preparation.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Wooden_Spoon


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I have used wooden spoons all my life. I currently use a nicely carved set of bamboo utensils. Wood contains lignins, which are naturally antibiotic. Plastic cutting boards were all the rage at one time, billed as being more sanitary than wood, until it was discovered that bacteria survived much longer on the plastic cutting boards than on the wooden ones. I'll keep my wooden utensils, there is nothing better for scraping out a pan than a wooden spoon.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1882/whats-better-a-wooden-cutting-board-or-a-plastic-one


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R2 , are you 100% sure that when you clean your wooden
utensils you are killing all the pathogens deep down inside the wood?

I bet your not , then you put them away wet , right?

the next time you use them , could you say that they are
100% clean?

get a test kit and wipe them and find out for yourself.







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When you talk bacteria you're talking my bread and butter. It's what I did for a living before I became ill. I wash my wooden utensils in hot soapy water and rinse them in scalding water (no, I do not have a dishwasher), and stand them in the rack to dry. I never put anything away wet. Between the scalding rinse and the action of the lignins in the wood, I am certain that my wooden utensils are safe to use. I have survived over 50 years doing things this way, and have yet to come up sick from using a wooden spoon. I don't have a super immune system, and I have had many illnesses, but not one attributable to the use of a wooden utensil. And what are you going to use on a non-stick coated pan? Certainly not metal. I don't like plastic or vinyl, they tend to melt at the edges and don't provide the leverage I need to stir things in a skillet, as they are all rather flimsy. I'd rather take my chances on a wooden utensil than on some flimsy piece of plastic. At least I won't find melted bits of wood in my scrambled eggs.


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R2

Im glad you have had such great success with wood.

Quote:
And what are you going to use on a non-stick coated pan?


I only use stainless steel to cook with , there are plenty of stainless steel utensils available also.

and , I buy a new stainless steel cleaning pad every month.

I wash my pot Im going to use before I cook with it even
though it already looks clean.
I then heat ( sterilize )the pot on the stove prior to putting anything in the pot.

I went to see a doctor in 1989.

http://www.worldstainless.org/Files/issf...elopingcoun.pdf

Quote:
Stainless steel products play an active role in improving the hygiene in restaurants, public kitchen, schools,
local health centers etc. This is so, especially in emerging markets such as India, Mexico, China and the likes
(Developing countries). One of the major features in these markets is the changing social and living-habits in
the urban and rural areas. Increasing consumer preference is felt for hygienic, aesthetic and easy maintenance
qualities of stainless steel in labor saving devices. Stainless steel is preferred more with reference to particularly
the increasing number of women joining the work force and the attendant requirements of modern kitchen
and household equipment, ready-to-use foods, emergence of fast food outlets etc. and the industrial units
mushrooming in this sector.
health & hygiene









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Stainless Steel Paul that is a bit modern I picked you as a wood boy it was good enough for those in the scriptures.

I am like R2 a wood person maybe there is hope for me smile

I have seen a number of studies on dogs being able to detect cancer especially ovarian cancer so I guess rats being able to do it is hardly surprising given their nose abilities.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264629.php


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Quote:
I am like R2 a wood person maybe there is hope for me


Im thinking your just a brown nose who is sucking
up to R2 because she is a moderator.


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Paul, can't anyone say anything without you accusing them of having ulterior motives? Since when is it a crime to agree with something another person has posted? I'm not just a moderator, I have the right to post here just as much as anyone. You are insulting people for replying to a post of mine. Leave off with the insults, or I will have to ban you. Did you run out of things to post about, that you had to insult Orac? It is said that he who strikes the first blow has run out of ideas. Surely you can think of something better to do than direct ad hominen attacks at posters who happen to agree with one of the moderators? You don't seem to post ad hominem attacks on posters that agree with Mike Kremer. Why save the punishment for me? Are you that misogynistic that you can't let anyone agree with me on something?


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I was just ribbing orac , it was a joke.

maybe I should have put a smiley face on it. smile


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Better Hygiene May Heighten Alzheimer's Risk
People living in industrialized countries may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's because of greatly reduced contact with bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms- which can lead to problems with immune development and increased risk of dementia.


http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/videos/2013/09/better-hygiene-may-heighten-alzheimer


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