Rheumatoid arthritis
falls to cortisone

LTHOUGH cortisone and re-

lated compounds are used
for the treatment of many
medical diseases, its chief use
still remains in the field of
rheumatoid arthritis and cer-
tain rheumatic processes.

The discovery of the value
of the cortisone compounds in
the treatment of rhumatoid

arthritis was the greatest
single advance in modern

times in the treatment of arth-
ritis. For this Dr. Phillip
Hench and his co-workers
were awarded the Nobel Prize
for Medicine.

Cortison and similar com-
pounds are manufactured in
our bodies in small amounts
by the adrenal gland, an en-
docrine gland overlying the
kidneys. The function of these
hormones is not entirely un-
derstood, but it is thought that
their main task is to help the
body as a whole with emer-
gency stress situations.

Today there are four com-
monly used cortisone com-
pounds: These are: the origin-
al cortisone itself; hydro-corti-
sone, at first called Compound
F: and the two recently intro-
duced prednisone and predni-
solone, more commonly known
by their commercial trade
names as Meticorten and Meti-
cortelone.

The two new compounds are
much more effective than the
original cortisone and can
therefore be used in smaller
amounts while still achieving
the desired effects, but result-
ing in less toxic or side-ef-
fects.

3° 3 mt 03

The original cortisone caus-
ed many side-effects, so that
its use was complicated and
at times risky. The beneficial
effects had to be carefully
weighed against its dangers.

The side-effects of the orig-
inal cortisone were chiefly:
retention of salt and water in
the body, causing puffiness of

Buddha's

when they, in accordance with
the law and doctrine which
the order has preached, for-
sake their home and go into
homelessness, lose their own
name and their old paternity,
and bear only one designation,
ascetics’ who follow the son
of the Sakya house.”

Buddhism did not believe in
a godhead, a remarkable fact
for an early religion of such
worldwide standing.

In his celebration dialogue
with Anathapindika, Buddha
openly says that “the idea of
Iswara (God) is proved false
by rational argument, and all
such contradictory assertions
should be exposed.”

Against these, the Buddha
preached his eight values —
right faith, right resolve, right
speech, right thought, right

the face and other tissues; ele-
vation of the blood pressure;
formation of stomach or duo-
denal ulcers, or the aggrava-
tion of pre-existing but quies-
cent ulcers; aggravation of
diabetes.

With one exception, all of
these side-effects have either
been eliminated or minimized,
with the use of the new com-
pounds. That single excep-
tion is the tendency to cause
or aggravate stomach ulcers.
This danger is not necessarily
great, but it is enough to make
it essential that caution has to
be employed in any case in
which there is a past or pres-
ent history of ulcers.

Although the cortisone com-
pounds have been proven
beneficial in many diseases
and conditions, its chief use
today is for the treatment of
rheumatoid arthritis, also
known to the public as in-
flammatory or infectious arth-
ritis, and occasionally misnam-
ed “crippling arthritis.”

The cortisone compounds
promptly alleviate completely
or almost completely, all of
the acute manifestations of
rheumatoid arthritis. Unfor-
tunately, this alleviation usu-
ally lasts only as long as the
medication is taken. In acute
eases this is, of course, an un-
mitigated blessing. There is
less effect, if any at all, on
the chronic manifestations of
the disease.

The cortison compounds are
entirely without effect on the
far commoner type of arthrit-
is called osteo-arthritis, the
type that usually, begins in
middle age and mostly in-
volves the spine, the shoulders
the end joints of the fingers,
and the knees.

Fortunately, however, oseo-
arthritis is never a serious dis-
ease and almost always abates
spontaneously after a few
years; temporarily it may
cause considerable discomfort.

teachings

self-concentration.
In the welter of the contem-
porary Indian society, when

class societies and new king-
ships were disturbing “the
simple, moral grandeur” of the
ancient tribal society, the clear
voice of Buddha must have
had a, revolutionary effect.
Today, in the twilight of
capitalism, the Buddha’s teach-
ings evoke a new interest. De-
spite all their idealistic back-
ground the Buddha’s precepts
come to us with force as the
denunciation of the vested in-
terests of class society. The
philosophy that regarded “bah-
ujana hitaya bahupana suk-
haya”—good of many, happi-
ness of many—as the touch-
stone of good and evil cannot
help but have an appeal in
the world of today.

THANKS, EVERYONE!

Dear Reader: .

The splendid finishing drive made by many of our press clubs in the past
fortnight raised our campaign sub total just under the 1,200 mark.

Among Greater Vancouver press clubs deserving special mention are Ad-
vance, Broadway, Dry Dock, Hastings East, Mount Pleasant, Waterfront, Grand-
view, Point Grey, West End, North and South Burnaby.

In the province Cumberland again led the parade, with the Albernis, Nelson,
Haney, Sointula, New Westminster, Powell River, Campbell River, Nanaimo, Trail
and Victoria all making a good showing.

The task now is to clear up outstanding renewals, which would put us over
the 1,500 figure we aimed at during the campaign. We still have 95 September,
16% October and 195 November sub renewals to be picked up, a total of 355 subs.
Can we finish the job between now and Christmas? ~

Our sincere thanks to all the press club workers who went knocking on
doors throughout the campaign, talking to old subscribers and signing up new
ones: (about 125 new subs were turned in).

Let’s remember that circulation is a year-round battle, and one that can

only be won by consistent plugging.
Rita Whyte

=

Final press club standings

—

GREATER VANCOUVER PROVINCE
CLUB QUOTA ACHIEVED =e QUOTA ACHIEVED
Alderprove. 2 Les
Aavante. “=.= s-.- 15 45 acne = SAU Ap eaca ee a ‘
Aor Smith eS 20 14 Fort Langley ------- = t20 5
Hany. - ee 15 22
Broadway ------------- 30 38 ielobps 2s 15 10
Building Trades ------ 15 8 madness 15 2
Dry Dock: = 5-5 15 17 Langley SORE ERT Re 15 ee
Maple. Ridge =... 15 14
East End __.*-__---_-- 10 8 Michel-Natal __-------- 20 10
Tacoinieats 35 20 Mission --------------- 10 5
: 10 8 Nelsons 53 ce 20 32
Georgia --------------- New Westminster _____ 35 30
Granuvicw. = 45 34 Noten: Hill Se552 72 10 8
“ Powell River 2. = 35 35
Hastings East:: 3 —- 35 35 Svein 5 rm
Rensimeton -2-- 25 11 North Surrey. 23¢ 57. 15 12
Kitsilano: ks es 35 26 South Surrey. -------- 15 7
Triil-Rossland __------ 35 29
Little Mountain ------ 15 6 Wennon. 2292 eo 10 5 :
Mount Pleasant ------- 15 18 Nana TRAC OR aye nk oY 4 !
ES ne Zone VANCOUVER ISLAND
Alpernl sc = os ‘45 53
Norquay ------------- 35 20 Campbell River --_---- 35 26 |
Glen pores 10 7 Courtenay. -.2-..---. 30 22 |
Cumberland). 2- = =.- 10 23
Peng. Baw oo ed 5 2 Cawilthan 6s ae 50 29
: Nanaia: 2 59
Point Grey __-:!-2- 40 28 oe 2 "7
Strathcona 2-24-60 -. 20 9 NaGbONa. ee ee 55 45 aa
Rebienis 5 1 PROVINCE MISCELLANEOUS
Victory Square _______- 50 22 Brtannig: ols. 5 i
Copper Mountain ---. 5
Wyateriront: a=. 2--=-= 15 17 File ta dh ive Bane 5 3 a
SLE Sa 2 sere tee Grassy Plains __.----- 5 2 e
: = wh Prince George -..---- 10 6 |]
North Burnaby _____--- 55 32 Prince Rupert -_-__--- 10 : 1]
! Rein cate wc bee ee : |
South Burnaby ___---- 50 37 SE her aa $4 6
North Vancouver -... 60 30 Sointula  ---*---------- 5.
Hither. cot SS 20 37
North Van. (District) 40 15 — =
City Miscellaneous ---- 13 TOPAL ccs. Fs 7150 581
— _ eicouione —_—_—
MarAS; 6o.0 3. = 7150 613 GRAND TOTAL 1,500 1,194

NOVEMBER 30, 1956 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE — pA