The Role of Medicinal Plants in New Zealand's Settler Medical Culture, 1850s-1920s

Throughout history, medicinal plants have been important components of medical practices in almost all cultures of the world. This thesis focuses specifically on the changing uses and understandings of medicinal plants in New Zealand‘s settler medical culture from 1850 to 1920. Using a wide range of source material, and both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, it examines the plant species most popular in New Zealand, the reasons for their popularity, the introduction of these into the Colony, and their use and interpretation by three groups of healers: domestic healers, herbalists and doctors. This thesis deploys the concept of translation to argue that different qualities were attributed to the same plant in response to the needs and approaches of domestic healers, herbalists and doctors, each of whom had different ways of gathering, collating and assessing medico-botanical information. While British understandings of botany and medicine introduced during the course of colonisation guided healers and their use of plants in New Zealand significantly, this thesis posits that the flow of medico-botanical knowledge was more diffuse and highly complex, moving in multiple directions, and adapting and incorporating multiple meaning

Pacific Basin Heavy Oil Refining Capacity

The United States today is Canada’s largest customer for oil and refined oil products. However, this relationship may be strained due to physical, economic and political influences. Pipeline capacity is approaching its limits; Canadian oil is selling at substantive discounts to world market prices; and U.S. demand for crude oil and finished products (such as gasoline), has begun to flatten significantly relative to historical rates. Lower demand, combined with increased shale oil production, means U.S. demand for Canadian oil is expected to continue to decline. Under these circumstances, gaining access to new markets such as those in the Asia-Pacific region is becoming more and more important for the Canadian economy. However, expanding pipeline capacity to the Pacific via the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and the planned Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is only feasible when there is sufficient demand and processing capacity to support Canadian crude blends. Canadian heavy oil requires more refining and produces less valuable end products than other lighter and sweeter blends. Canadian producers must compete with lighter, sweeter oils from the Middle East, and elsewhere, for a place in the Pacific Basin refineries built to handle heavy crude blends. Canadian oil sands producers are currently expanding production capacity. Once complete, the Northern Gateway pipeline and the Trans Mountain expansion are expected to deliver an additional 500,000 to 1.1 million barrels a day to tankers on the Pacific coast. Through this survey of the capacity of Pacific Basin refineries, including existing and proposed facilities, we have concluded that there is sufficient technical capacity in the Pacific Basin to refine the additional Canadian volume; however, there may be some modifications required to certain refineries to allow them to process Western Canadian crude. Any additional capacity for Canadian oil would require refinery modifications or additional refineries, both of which are not expected, given the volume of lighter and more valuable crude from the Middle East finding its way to Pacific Basin markets. Consequently, any new refinery capacity is not likely to be dedicated to Canadian crude shipments. This places increasing importance on the need to enter into long-term contracts to supply Pacific Basin refineries, backed up by evidence of adequate transportation capacity. Canadians will have to show first, and quickly, that we are committed to building pipelines that will bring sufficient volumes of oil to the Pacific coast necessary to give the refiners the certainty they need to invest in infrastructure for refining Canadian oil. Access to this crucial market will depend critically on the outcome of the pipeline approval process, and also the cost to ship from Canada. If Canada does not approve of the Pacific coast pipeline expansions, or takes too long in doing so, it could find its crude unable to effectively penetrate the world’s most promising oil export market

Waste management in the coastal areas of the ASEAN region: roles of governments, banking institutions, donor agencies, private sector and communities

Waste disposal, Marine pollution, Pollution control, Coastal zone management, Environment management, ASEAN,

Australian Marine Research in Progress: Great Barrier Reef Region 1988-1989

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, with the assistance of the CSIRO Information Services Unit, has produced this update of the computer-based information system on Australian Marine Research in Progress (AMRIP) for the Great Barrier Reef Region only

Data Collected about Intentional Self-poisoning in New Zealand Emergency Departments and the Implications of Data Limitations for Prevention Planning

Background Intentional self-poisoning (ISP; taking a purposeful overdose) results in significant morbidity and is a burden on population health. In order to reduce ISP by, for example, restricting inappropriate access to substances, information is required about which specific substances are commonly used. Aims I. What information about ISP can be obtained from Ministry of Health (MOH) datasets to plan poisoning prevention initiatives? What are the gaps in these data, and how could these be addressed? II. How do emergency medicine professionals identify poisonings and investigate intent behind them, and how does that information become national hospital presentation data? III. Which specific substances do people use in episodes of intentional self-poisoning, and where do they obtain these substances? Methods The MOH Mortality data and National Minimum Dataset (NMDS) public hospital presentation cases of intentional and undetermined intent self-poisoning were analysed to investigate demographic characteristics of people who present with ISP, and to investigate limitations of the current data. Poisonings of undetermined intent were included as they may be poorly identified cases of ISP. Specific poisoning data collected at one Emergency Department (ED; Wellington) were analysed to provide more information about specific substances used in ISP, and to investigate feasibility of clinicians recording these data. The process of identifying poisoning and intentionality in patients presenting to an ED, which is then recorded in NMDS data, was investigated through interviews with clinicians and clinical coders. Cross-sectional data were collected prospectively from three EDs. This included data on specific substances and sources to these substances. Results Females were at higher risk of hospital presentations for ISP, and males were at higher risk of death. Young people, Māori, New Zealand Europeans and people from deprived areas were most at risk. There are few details about specific substances in existing MOH data. The data recorded by clinicians in Wellington ED provided more detail about substances but coding was less systematic. A range of information along the care pathway is used to determine whether a poisoning has occurred and whether it is intentional. Intent can be complex to determine as it may change over time from the substance exposure to the time of treatment at the ED, particularly in cases of alcohol/recreational drug co-intoxication. We found that clinical coders do send data on specific substances to the MOH although these do not appear in the MOH datasets. The five most frequent substances used by people in the prospective study were paracetamol, ethanol, ibuprofen, quetiapine, and venlafaxine. Most people used their own prescription drugs. Conclusions Current national MOH datasets describing ISP are not detailed enough to identify specific substances of concern. The study shows that it is feasible to collect this data, but attention needs to be paid to standardisation. This data could inform measures to prevent ISP

ASSESSING MAASAI ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARD VULTURES: A CASE STUDY OF RESIDENT MAASAI AROUND MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE, KENYA.

The vulture population is declining globally, a situation that is more acute in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya where studies report over 60% decline in the last few years, resulting primarily from loss of habitat and poisoning by the Maasai pastoralist. This rate of decline is devastating and will result in the extinction of vultures in the region. Given that the causes of the decline are as a result of detrimental human activities, it is important to understand the Maasai attitude and perception toward vultures, particularly factors that determine their behavior to favor or oppose vulture conservation. In this study which was conducted in two group ranches, Siana and Koyiaki in Maasai Mara region, we used a survey instrument involving closed-ended statements, open-ended interview questions and observation to address our objectives, which included understanding the attitudes and perceptions of the Maasai toward vultures, the importance attributed to vultures, their knowledge of vulture ecology and their management proposals to address this situation. The results suggest that the Maasai favor vulture conservation. However, their activities are detrimental to vulture conservation, due to their poor attitudes toward carnivores, local wildlife authorities, and conservancies in the area, which result in poisoning, leasing land for wheat farming and opposing the creation of new conservancies

BLS Publications, 1886-1971, Bulletin 1749

The catalog contain listings for BLS publications from 1886-1971. Numerical listings for BLS Bulletins and Reports as well as subject indexes for these and other BLS publications are included

Australian Marine Research in Progress: Great Barrier Reef Region 1985-1986

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, with the assistance of the CSIRO information Resources Unit, has produced this update of the computer-based information system on Australian Marine Research in Progress (AMRIP) for the Great Barrier Reef Region only

The Emergence of Neurology During the American Civil War: The Delafield Commission\u27s Impact on Military Medicine

In 1855, three high ranking military officers organized as the Delafield Commission traveled across Europe during the Crimean War. They were tasked to consider, report, and upon their return, implement the advancements they observed from the militaries across the European continent. During their travels, the Delafield Commission evaluated changes in artillery, cavalry, and military medicine. Upon their return, the members of the Delafield Commission published their reports, and a year later the Civil War began. As the war continued, innovations from the Crimean War were implemented, including withing the Union Army Medical Department. Major medical reform was facilitated by Dr. William Hammond, the Surgeon General from 1862 to 1864, who was appointed to that position following a recommendation from George McClellan, a member of the Delafield Commission. As advancements from the Crimean War were implemented, the Army Medical Department began to make changes of its own, spearheading the medical revolution that occurred during the Civil War. One of the major products of that revolution was the emergence of neurology, a new specialization within American medicine, and Turner’s Lane Hospital, the first neurological hospital in the United States. The Delafield Commission documents and their utilization by American physicians in the Civil War allowed for major medical reform to occur, which in turn accelerated the emergence of neurology within the United States