31 research outputs found
Cartier, Champlain, and the Fruits of the New World : Botanical Exchange in the 16th and 17th Centuries
Much has been written of the Columbian exchange, the transfer between New World and Old of people, pathogens, flora and fauna. The biota of two hemispheres, once seemingly irredeemably separated, were interpenetrated, both through accident and through human agency. Part of this exchange involved medicinal and food plants, discovered in the New World and adopted into the Old. This paper examines the translation of a number of New World plants that were part of the 'Cartierian' or 'Champlinian' exchange that followed the voyages to North America by Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) between 1534 and 1541, and the explorations and settlements undertaken by Samuel de Champlain (1580?-1635) from 1603 to his death at Quebec in 1635. During this period, a number of North American plants were propagated in European nurseries and even found their way into everyday use in gardens or kitchens. How were these new plants viewed on their introduction and how were they incorporated into Europe's "vegetable" consciousness? Where did these new plants fit in the classification of the edible and the exotic?LâĂ©change colombien, le transfert de personnes, de pathogĂšnes, de flore et de faune entre le nouveau et le vieux continent ont dĂ©jĂ fait couler beaucoup dâencre. Le biote des deux hĂ©misphĂšres, paraissant jadis irrĂ©mĂ©diablement sĂ©parĂ©s, sâinterpĂ©nĂštre, Ă la fois par accidents et par lâentremise de lâhomme. Une partie de cet Ă©change implique des plantes mĂ©dicinales et comestibles, dĂ©couvertes sur le nouveau continent et adoptĂ©es dans lâancien. Cet article examine la translation de certaines plantes du nouveau monde faisant partie de lâĂ©change âCartierienâ et âChamplinienâ qui a suivi les voyages en AmĂ©rique du Nord de Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) entre 1534 et 1541, et les explorations et les premiers Ă©tablissements dirigĂ©s par Samuel de Champlain (1580?-1635) de 1603 jusquâĂ sa mort Ă QuĂ©bec en 1635. Au cours de cette pĂ©riode, certaines plantes nord-amĂ©ricaines sont propagĂ©es dans les pĂ©piniĂšres europĂ©ennes et trouvent mĂȘme leur voie dans les jardins et les cuisines pour un usage quotidien. Comment ces nouvelles plantes sont perçues au moment de leur introduction et comment sont-elles incorporĂ©es dans la conscience âalimentaireâ europĂ©enne ? Ă quel endroit de la classification du comestible et de lâexotique ces plantes sâinsĂšrent-elles
Susan Sheets-Pyenson, Cathedrals of Science: The Development of Colonial National History Museums During the Late Nineteenth Century
Computer-Based Archival Research Project: A Preliminary Report
GrĂące Ă la collaboration du RĂ©pertoire national des MusĂ©es nationaux du Canada et du Memorial University, le Newfoundland Museum a mis au point un fichier pour consigner les donnĂ©es tirĂ©es d'annonces de journaux du XIXe siĂšcle. L'information ainsi traitĂ©e peut ĂȘtre versĂ©e aux ordinateurs du RĂ©pertoire national, puis retracĂ©e et analysĂ©e Ă l'aide de l'ordinateur. Le fichier est dĂ©coupĂ© en vingt-cinq champs dont neuf sont rĂ©servĂ©s aux marchandises classĂ©es d'aprĂšs la publication de Statistique Canada intitulĂ©e Classification des marchandises pour le commerce du Canada. Comme l'information peut ĂȘtre retracĂ©e par tous les champs, les donnĂ©es ainsi informatisĂ©es peuvent servir Ă rĂ©pondre aux interrogations les plus diverses des chercheurs
Formalin-induced behavioural hypersensitivity and neuronal hyperexcitability are mediated by rapid protein synthesis at the spinal level
Background: The mammalian target of rapamycin ( mTOR) is a key regulator of mRNA translation whose action can be inhibited by the drug rapamycin. Forms of long-term plasticity require protein synthesis and evidence indicates that mRNA in dendrites, axon terminals and cell bodies is essential for long-term synaptic plasticity. Specific to pain, shifts in pain thresholds and responsiveness are an expression of neuronal plasticity and this likely contributes to persistent pain. We investigated this by inhibiting the activity of mTOR with rapamycin at the spinal level, of rats that were subjected to the formalin test, using both behavioural and electrophysiological techniques.Results: For in vivo electrophysiology, Sprague Dawley rats were fully anaesthetised and single-unit extracellular recordings were obtained from lamina V wide dynamic range (WDR) dorsal horn spinal neurones at the region where input is received from the hind paw. Neuronal responses from naive rats showed that rapamycin-sensitive pathways were important in nociceptive-specific C-fibre mediated transmission onto WDR neurones as well mechanically-evoked responses since rapamycin was effective in attenuating these measures. Formalin solution was injected into the hind paw prior to which, rapamycin or vehicle was applied directly onto the exposed spinal cord. When rapamycin was applied to the spinal cord prior to hind paw formalin injection, there was a significant attenuation of the prolonged second phase of the formalin test, which comprises continuing afferent input to the spinal cord, neuronal hyperexcitability and an activated descending facilitatory drive from the brainstem acting on spinal neurones. In accordance with electrophysiological data, behavioural studies showed that rapamycin attenuated behavioural hypersensitivity elicited by formalin injection into the hind paw.Conclusion: We conclude that mTOR has a role in maintaining persistent pain states via mRNA translation and thus protein synthesis. We hypothesise that mTOR may be activated by excitatory neurotransmitter release acting on sensory afferent terminals as well as dorsal horn spinal neurones, which may be further amplified by descending facilitatory systems originating from higher centres in the brain
Behavioural and electrophysiological characterisation of experimentally induced osteoarthritis and neuropathy in C57Bl/6 mice
Background: Osteoarthritis is a widespread condition affecting the elderly where similar to 70-90% of over 75 year olds are affected, representing one of the largest cost burdens to healthcare in the western world. The monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) osteoarthritis model has been well described in the rat especially in terms of the pathological progression of the disease and more recently pain behaviour. In this study, we characterise, for the first time, MIA induced osteoarthritis in mice and compare it with nerve-injured mice (partial sciatic nerve injury), using both behavioural and in vivo electrophysiological measurements. These approaches uniquely allow the threshold and suprathreshold measures to many modalities to be quantified and so form a basis for improving and expanding transgenic studies.Results: Significant mechanical hypersensitivity was observed in the ipsilateral hindpaw in MIA injected mice at all observed time points following infrapetellar MIA injection (p < 0.05). The mechanical hypersensitivity exhibited a partial biphasic temporal pattern, but thermal hypersensitivity was absent. Electrically-evoked dorsal horn neuronal responses in MIA injected mice were significantly elevated (p < 0.05) with respect to A- and C-fibre firing, input, pinch and noxious von Frey (26 and 60 g). No significant changes in A- or C-fibre thresholds were observed. Nerve-injured mice displayed significant behavioural thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity (p < 0.05) and evoked dorsal horn responses were significantly increased with respect to C-fibre firing, pinch and wind-up (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The MIA model of osteoarthritic pain in mice displays behavioural characteristics similar to those observed in rats. Changes in both behavioural measures and neuronal activity from the paw, suggest that central changes are involved in this pain state, although a role for peripheral drives is also likely. Moreover, the behavioural and neuronal measures in these two pain models showed overlapping alterations in terms of certain neuronal measures and mechanical sensitivity despite their very different pathologies and a loss of input in neuropathy, suggesting some commonalities in the central processing of different peripheral pain states. This murine model of osteoarthritis will allow the exploitation of knock out animals to better understand underlying mechanisms and identify novel molecular targets
Com o diabo no corpo: os terrĂveis papagaios do Brasil colĂŽnia
Desde a Antiguidade, papagaios, periquitos e afins (Psittacidae) fascinaram os europeus por seu vivo colorido e uma notĂĄvel capacidade de interação com seres humanos. A descoberta do Novo Mundo nada faria alĂ©m de acrescentar novos elementos ao trĂĄfico de animais exĂłticos hĂĄ muito estabelecido pelos europeus com a Ăfrica e o Oriente. Sem possuir grandes mamĂferos, a AmĂ©rica tropical participaria desse comĂ©rcio com o que tinha de mais atrativo, essencialmente felinos, primatas e aves - em particular os papagaios, os quais eram embarcados em bom nĂșmero. Contudo, a julgar pelos documentos do Brasil colĂŽnia, esses volĂĄteis podiam inspirar muito pouca simpatia, pois nenhum outro animal - exceto as formigas - foi tantas vezes mencionado como praga para a agricultura. AlĂ©m disso, alguns psitĂĄcidas mostravam-se tĂŁo loquazes que inspiravam a sĂ©ria desconfiança de serem animais demonĂacos ou possessos, pois sĂł trĂȘs classes de entidades - anjos, homens e demĂŽnios - possuĂam o dom da palavra. Nos dias de hoje, vĂĄrios representantes dos Psittacidae ainda constituem uma ameaça para a agricultura, enquanto os indivĂduos muito faladores continuam despertando a suspeita de estarem possuĂdos pelo demĂŽnio. Transcendendo a mera curiosidade, essa crença exemplifica o quĂŁo intrincadas podem ser as relaçÔes do homem com o chamado âmundo naturalâ, revelando um universo mais amplo e multifacetado do que se poderia supor a princĂpio. Nesse sentido, a existĂȘncia de aves capazes de falar torna essa relação ainda mais complexa e evidencia que as dificuldades de estabelecer o limite entre o animal e o humano se estendem alĂ©m dos primatas e envolvem as mais inusitadas espĂ©cies zoolĂłgicas.Since ancient times, parrots and their allies (Psittacidae) have fascinated Europeans by their striking colors and notable ability to interact with human beings. The discovery of the New World added new species to the international exotic animal trade, which for many centuries had brought beasts to Europe from Africa and the Orient. Lacking large mammals, tropical America participated in this trade with its most appealing species, essentially felines, primates and birds - especially parrots - which were shipped in large numbers. It should be noted, however, that at times these birds were not well liked. In fact, according to documents from colonial Brazil, only the ants rank higher than parrots as the animals most often mentioned as agricultural pests. On the other hand, some of these birds were so chatty that people suspected them to be demonic or possessed animals, since only three classes of beings - angels, men and demons - have the ability to speak. Nowadays, several Psittacidae still constitute a threat to agriculture, and the suspicion that extremely talkative birds were demon possessed has also survived. More than a joke or a mere curiosity, this belief exemplifies how intricate manâs relationships with the ânatural worldâ may be. In this sense, the existence of birds that are able to speak adds a further twist to these relationships, demonstrating that the problem of establishing a boundary between the animal and the human does not only involve primates, but also includes some unusual zoological species
Oiseaux de papier : La Collection Taylor White Ă McGill
After he retired from his career as an ophthalmologist in 1920, Dr Casey Wood devoted himself to his two private passions â ornithology and book collecting. He attended auctions, badgered book dealers, and haunted bookshops wherever he travelled with his wife Emma Shearer Wood. In 1926 Wood turned to Wheldon and Wesley and their agent, William John Henry Craddock (1870-1941), to help him acquire a magnificent collection held by the bookseller Quaritch of over 900 large, colourful and often life-size drawings of exotic birds, animals and fish, and equally imposing images of flowers, insects, and fungi, loosely inserted in twenty-nine portfolios, and painted by arguably the finest animal and botanical painters of eighteenth-century Britain. The collection had been created by the British jurist and collector Taylor White FRS (1701-72). This article recounts how White accumulated his collection, and how Wood acquired it for the Blacker Wood Natural History Collection at McGill University Library in Montreal. It also describes how White catalogued his collection, and how subsequent dealers and librarians added their own layers of documentation, up to the digitization of the paintings and manuscript notes by the McGill Library, which has made them available to contemporary researchers. AprĂšs sa retraite de sa carriĂšre dâophtalmologiste en 1920, le Dr Casey Wood sâest consacrĂ© Ă ses deux passions privĂ©es â lâornithologie et la collection de livres. Il a assistĂ© Ă des enchĂšres, harcelĂ© des commerçants de livres, et hantĂ© des librairies partout oĂč il voyageait avec son Ă©pouse Emma Shearer Wood. En 1926, Wood sâest tournĂ© vers Wheldon and Westley et leur agent, William John Henry Craddock (1870-1941), pour demander leur aide dans lâacquisition dâune magnifique collection dĂ©tenue par le commerçant de livres Quaritch de plus de 900 dessins de grande taille, colorĂ©s et souvent de grandeur rĂ©elle, dâoiseaux exotiques, dâanimaux et de poissons, ainsi que des images Ă©galement imposantes de fleurs, dâinsectes et de champignons. Cette collection a Ă©tĂ© crĂ©Ă©e Ă lâorigine par le juriste et collectionneur Taylor White, MSR (1701-72). Les nombreuses Ćuvres, exĂ©cutĂ©es par sans doute les meilleurs peintres animaliers et botaniques de la Grande-Bretagne du dix-huitiĂšme siĂšcle, avaient Ă©tĂ© insĂ©rĂ©es librement dans vingt-neuf porte-documents. Dans cet article, nous retraçons lâaccumulation de la collection par White, ainsi que son acquisition par Wood pour la Collection dâhistoire naturelle Blacker Wood de la BibliothĂšque universitaire de McGill Ă MontrĂ©al. Nous dĂ©crivons Ă©galement comment White a cataloguĂ© sa collection, lâajout de niveaux supplĂ©mentaires de documentation par les commerçants et bibliothĂ©caires subsĂ©quents, et, finalement, la numĂ©risation des peintures et des notes manuscrites par la BibliothĂšque de McGill, projet qui a rendu ces Ćuvres accessibles aux chercheurs·euses contemporain·e·s
Canadian Content: The Authorized Version
Abstract: This article asserts that to make Canada's presence felt, we must understand the importance of the base-level information held by the country's preserving institutions (museums, libraries, and archives), and government must fund them to make their rich database content accessible on-line. The author suggests that Canada's meagre Internet presence can be strengthened by developing authoritative databases of Canadian literature, history, and art in full text, full image, or full audio and video format. Meanwhile, preserving agencies must abandon the notion that they are re-creating themselves in a virtual universe. Access to deep and authoritative content is what the next generation demands, not poor simulacrums of actual experience. This is the information that will transform and ultimately distinguish Canada's Internet presence.
Résumé : Cet article affirme que, pour manifester la présence du Canada dans le monde, il faut reconnaßtre l'importance des données de base détenues par les institutions de conservation du pays (muséems, bibliothÚques et archives). Le gouvernement doit subventionner ces institutions pour leur permettre de faciliter l'accÚs en ligne à leurs riches bases de données. L'auteur soutient que l'on peut renforcer la faible présence Internet canadienne en développant de solides bases de données sur la littérature, l'histoire et l'art canadiens en formats plein texte, pleine image, plein audio ou plein vidéo. En attendant, les agences de conservation doivent abandonner l'idée qu'elles sont déjà en train de se recréer dans un univers virtuel. En effet, la prochaine génération exige l'accÚs non à de pauvres simulacres d'expériences réelles mais à un contenu riche et sûr. C'est un tel contenu qui transformera la présence Internet canadienne et en assurera un caractÚre distinct