THE lining of the windpipe (trachea) and its branches is sensitive to light touch. This is particularly true of the larynx and the lower part of the trachea where it divides into a branch to each lung. From these sites nerve fibres pass into the vagus nerves and send information to the medulla of the [...]
The large bowel extends from the end of the small intestine to the anus. It is about 1.5 metres long and, although it is wider at its origin than in its distal part, the diameter varies considerably, depending on the faecal and gas content.It also depends on the tension of the muscles in the wall. [...]
The original vaccine, as most people are aware, was produced by Jenner in 1798. He noted that milkmaids, who handled beasts with cowpox, were immune to smallpox. He used the fluid from the cowpox vesicles to infect the skin of other humans and so produced immunity to smallpox. The two viruses are very similar in [...]
VIRUSES are truly remarkable. The organisms which give us HIV and rabies, polio and malaria, and indeed the deadly flu (which killed more in 1918 than World War I) are themselves barely alive. A virus is a single strand of DNA. It is a strip of the nucleic acid (deoxyribonucleic acid) which is present in [...]
How are sports injuries treated? Although using the RICE technique can be helpful for any sports injury, RICE is often just a starting point. Here are some other treatments your doctor or other health care provider may administer, recommend, or prescribe to help your injury heal. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) The moment you are injured, [...]
What and where is the gall-bladder? The gall-bladder is a small pear-shaped organ on the underside of the liver that is used to store bile. Bile is made in the liver and is stored in the gall-bladder until it is needed to help in the digestion of fat. What is gallstone disease? Gallstone disease is [...]
The D&C (Dilatation and Curettage) is a small surgical procedure and perhaps one of the most misused. It literally entails opening the mouth of the womb to allow instruments into the uterus to scrape the contents of the uterus. It is a procedure that may be done in a hospital using general anaesthesia or in [...]
The prostate surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder. It is a male sex gland that produces a thick fluid that forms part of semen, and is about the size of a walnut. It is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. All men, [...]
Surgery is a common reason for you to be in hospital. The first step in having a safe surgery is to understand about anaesthesia. This is a much neglected aspect. In this article we will attempt to explain about the various types of anaesthesia and the steps that should be taken, before and after surgery. [...]
I am confused. What is the difference between an optician and an optometrist? It’s understandable that you are a little confused as those two terms are used (incorrectly) interchangeably. In the early 1800s people received their vision care from a variety of sources including so-called ‘sight-testing opticians,’ jewellers, watch-makers and travelling hawkers. In those days [...]
