Between Saree and Skirt:: Legal Transculturality in Eighteenth-Century Pondicherry

Der Aufsatz erprobt das Konzept der transkulturellen Staatlichkeit am Beispiel der Rechtsordnung, d. h. Rechtsprechung und Gesetzgebung. Untersucht werden ausgewählte Aspekte der französischen Rechtsprechungspraxis gegenüber indischen Akteuren in Pondicherry, der wirtschaftlichen wie administrativen Zentrale der französischen Unternehmungen in Südindien, während des 18. Jahrhunderts. Obwohl die Haltung des frühen französischen Kolonialregimes gegenüber der zivilen Gerichtsbarkeit darauf ausgerichtet war, über jede soziale Gruppe gemäß ihrer eigenen Rechtsnormen Recht zu sprechen, argumentiert diese Arbeit, dass die Situation in der Praxis weitaus uneindeutiger war. Dies gilt insbesondere für die indischen Christen, deren Existenz bereits Resultat von Kulturkontakt war und die daher nicht in die sozial-rechtlichen Kategorien passten, die durch das frühe Kolonialregime als Grundlage für die Rechtsprechung definiert worden waren. Ausgehend von einer Untersuchung verschiedener Rechtsstreitigkeiten aus der zweiten Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts zeigt der Aufsatz auf, dass die Demarkationslinien in dieser Situation der Rechtsvielfalt insbesondere in Bezug auf indische Christen viel flexibler und in höherem Maße offen für Aushandlung waren als bisher in der Forschungsliteratur angenommen. Die Prozesse brachten gerichtliche Entscheidungen hervor, die einen Kompromiss zwischen verschiedenen Rechtstraditionen darstellen. Durch diesen Kompromisscharakter standen die Urteile paradoxerweise nicht nur im Konflikt mit eben jenem Prinzip, welches die Verwaltung von Pondicherry der Rechtsprechung eigentlich zugrundelegte, sondern sie sind zugleich paradigmatisch für die Transkulturalität des in der Entstehung begriffenen französischen Kolonialstaats in Indien

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and its association with various risk factors in a tertiary care centre in West Bengal

Background: Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER) is the regurgitation of gastric contents and acid into the esophagus. Frequent and abnormal amounts of reflux leads to Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which causes symptoms like heartburn, regurgitation, and /or other complications. In view of absence of any data on the prevalence of GERD from this part of India, the current population based study was conducted to study the prevalence of GERD and its association with various risk factors.Methods: In this community based prospective cross-sectional observational study, 500 patients from rural and urban areas of West Bengal were included during the one year period from July 2014 to June 2015.Results: Out of a total of 500 patients studied, the percentage of patients with GERD in our study population was found to be 31.3%. Out of 292 males enrolled for the study, number of patients with GERD was 66 (22.6%) as compare to females where the same was found to be 43.26% (90/208). The majority (68.2%) of patients had mild GERD, 18.5% had moderate GERD whereas only 13.3% of patients had severe GERD.Conclusions: The percentage of patients with GERD in our study population was found to be 31.3%. It was observed to be significantly associated with increasing Body Mass Index (B.M.I), smoking, the female gender, a sedentary lifestyle, dinner to bed-time interval of ≤2 hours, chronic NSAID use, and a past history of abdominal surgery

Steroid induced psychiatric adverse effects: an overview of risk factors, clinical features and management

Corticosteroids have been in use since the past five decades as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of several pathologies such as asthma, allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, and dermatological disorders. Adverse effects include growth retardation in children, immunosuppression, hypertension, hyperglycemia, inhibition of wound repair, osteoporosis, metabolic disturbances, glaucoma, and cataracts. The psychiatric effects of steroids are due to the wide expression of Glucocorticoid Receptors in the brain, and their long-term modulation can lead to functional and anatomical alterations along with hippocampal dysfunction. In most cases, the psychiatric symptoms disappear on cessation of steroid therapy; others may require some form of therapeutic management. A search was conducted for clinically relevant articles from 1971 to 2016 by including the terms corticosteroids, mania, depression, psychosis and cognitive defects. About one-fifth of patients receiving high doses of corticosteroids develop psychiatric symptoms. These symptoms are observed to be dose-dependent and generally occur during the first few weeks of therapy. Lithium has a preventive as well as therapeutic role, while antipsychotics are reserved for high risk cases with predominant psychotic symptoms. Psychiatric effects of long term steroid therapy have become increasingly common nowadays due to long duration of treatment of many chronic respiratory and orthopedic illnesses. Reduction in the dose or complete discontinuation of steroid therapy has been proven beneficial in many patients. Among the therapeutic options, lithium has a definitive role, both in the prevention as well as treatment of psychiatric symptoms. Better co-ordination between the physician and psychiatrist can go a long way to improve the quality of life in these patients.

Acute pancreatitis complicated by encephalopathy

Pancreatic encephalopathy is a frequently under-diagnosed and rare complication of acute pancreatitis. It denotes the occurrence of neuropsychiatric abnormalities in the setting of acute pancreatic inflammation, and presents with neurological symptoms that may persist even after the resolution of all metabolic parameters. Here we present the case of a 42 year old male patient presenting with altered sensorium and focal neurological deficit during the course of acute pancreatitis. The patient was treated conservatively, and later improved with supportive care

Cerebral malaria: a lethal complication of a common tropical infection

Cerebral malaria (CM) represents a deadly neurological complication associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection. It is defined as an unarousable coma or a deep level of unconsciousness in the presence of a P. falciparum parasitemia, the diagnosis confirmed after exclusion of other common causes of coma such as hypoglycemia, septicemia, metabolic derangements and bacterial and viral meningitis/encephalopathies. Mortality is high and some surviving patients sustain neuronal injury which manifests as long-term neuro-cognitive impairments. Microscopy of Giemsa-stained blood smears remains the gold standard for confirmation of malaria diagnosis. The purpose of this review was to summarize the updated knowledge on the disease, its presentation, complications and neurological sequelae and the presently available newer and experimental adjuvant therapies. For this review, a PubMed search was conducted for articles and case reports from 1968 to 2020 containing the keywords cerebral malaria, P. falciparum, neurological impairment, neurocognitive defects and artesunate combination therapy. The treatment includes specific antimalarial therapy, supportive therapy for multi-organ dysfunction and management of associated complications. Prompt and rapid stabilization of the patient, adequate fluid supplementation and correction of electrolyte imbalance remain the most vital supplementary interventions in these cases, along with early induction of primary parenteral antimalarial therapy in the form of artemisinin based combination therapy (ACT) or quinine. Neurological sequelae including seizures are frequently observed in many treated and recovered cases, with some patients having to endure long term neurocognitive defects

Applications of Cholangiopancreatoscopy in Pancreaticobiliary Diseases

Recent advances in imaging technology provide improved direct visualization of the common bile duct (CBD) and pancreatic duct (PD) using small caliber endoscopes and thus allow a wide array of therapeutic interventions. This chapter will review the technique of cholangiopancreatoscopy (CP), indications, effectiveness, and complications as well as the current commercially available options. We will discuss various methods of diagnostic and therapeutic cholangioscopy such as intraductal tissue sampling and biopsy in patients with indeterminate biliary strictures along with its role in the management of difficult bile duct stones. Finally, we will also analyze the role of pancreatoscopy in the evaluation of suspected neoplasms of the pancreas, assessment of pancreatic duct (PD) strictures, and in the treatment of pancreatic duct stones

A study of the prevalence of gonadal dysfunction and its association with increasing disease severity in patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at a tertiary care center in Kolkata, West Bengal

Background: Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism is a well described hormonal derangement associated with chronic kidney disease, also known as uremic hypogonadism. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of gonadal dysfunction associated with chronic kidney disease and to study the co-relation of gonadal dysfunction with disease severity.Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 50 patients with diagnosed chronic kidney disease were included during the one-year period from May 2015 to April 2016. The clinical and biochemical parameters related to gonadal dysfunction were evaluated in these cases.Results: Out of the 28 male CKD patients, 19 (68%) patients had Serum Testosterone values less than 90 ng/dl, 18 (64%) patients had a serum leutinizing hormone (LH) level greater than 9 mIU/ml and 19 (68%) patients had a serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level greater than 13 mIU/ml. Out of 22 female CKD patients, 14 (64%) patients had serum estradiol value less than 50 pg/ml, 12 (54%) patients had Serum LH level greater than 80 mIU/ml and 20 (91%) patients had a S. FSH level greater than 26 mIU/ml. Out of a total of 50 patients in this study, 34 patients showed evidence of gonadal dysfunction, the majority of them belonging to stage 5 CKD.Conclusions: Out of the 34 patients showing gonadal dysfunction, 5 (15%) patients were in stage 3 CKD, 11 (32%) patient were in stage 4 CKD and 18 (53%) were in stage 5 CKD. It may be proposed that gonadal dysfunction is very common in CKD patients and the frequency of sexual dysfunction increases as the renal function deteriorates. 

A study of attitudes towards mlecchas and other outsiders in Northern India (c. A.D. 600).

This study attempts to elucidate the meaning of the word mleccha in its comprehensive sense and examine how it was applied as a designation for outsiders in the period before c, A.D. 600 in northern India. The first chapter discusses early Indian society and some of the concepts on which it was founded. The notion of the mleccha was part of the moral and social framework of this society which believed in its inherent cultural superiority. We further discuss the various source materials that have been utilized as far as they bear on our study. The first outstanding problem, studied in the second chapter, is the origin of the Sanskrit term mleccha and its relation with the Pali variant milakkha. This chapter is largely concerned with the varied implications of the theories on the etymology of these terms. The theories advocating either an Indo-European or a non-Indo-European origin of mleccha/milakkha produce inconclusive results which prevents us from placing our ideas on the concept of the mleccha on a firm linguistic basis. The reasons why mleccha first occured in the context of speech are presented in Chapter III. Both in this chapter and in the next we are concerned with the distinction on the basis of speech and the area of habitation which set the mlecchas apart. The Buddhist, Brahmanic and Jaina texts all emphasize these differences. At the same time we are able to show that there were changes in the attitudes towards mlecchas. We are, however, unable to define speech or area of habitation as the ultimate reasons for the separate existence of mlecchas in ancient Indian society. In the first half of Chapter V, we discuss the reasons why the mlecchas and outside groups were tolerated on a political level despite the fact that Indian monarchs worked within the brahmanical system. In the second half of the same chapter we consider the pejorative implications of the cultural discrimination of the mlecchas. However, the basic prejudice against the mlecchas had. to be modified in the face of historical changes. Finally, in Chapters VI and VII, we examine the flexibility in the treatment and categorization of the various outside groups. In Chapter VI the focus is on tribes and indigenous peoples designated as mlecchas. The comparison of the term mleccha with dasyu and with the names of individual tribes such as Kirata, Nisada, and Pulinda, which are often used to denote less developed tribes, is undertaken here. The subsequent chapter surveys the foreigners associated with ancient India as conquerors and rulers and the manner in which the brahmana literary writers viewed such invasions. The ambiguity in the use of the term mleccha in brahmanical writing has to be explained in the light of the political and economic status acquired by certain outside groups

Law And Spirituality

In this article the relationship between law and spirituality has been explored. The difference between religion and spirituality has been discussed where it has been argued that the problems in the religion are not present in the spirituality and consequently there can be interrelation between the law and spirituality. Law aims at providing a just society where rights of the individuals can be realized. One of the most important functions of the state is to evolve a legal system which can ensure justice. Spirituality aims at realizing the divine potential of all human beings and inculcating the feeling of oneness and universal brotherhood. The message of oneness and universal brotherhood has the potential of providing a just society where people can live their life peacefully. The article goes on to argue that justice and equality are important features of both law and spirituality and spirituality can play an important role in averting the crime which is an essential function of the law. The article explores that how spirituality can contribute to the law and how Spirituality and law can play a collaborative role in bringing peace and harmony in the society

Childhood intussusception in Uzbekistan: Analysis of retrospective surveillance data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Estimates of baseline incidence of childhood intussusception could help safety monitoring after the introduction of rotavirus vaccines. We studied the incidence of intussusception in Uzbekistan, a GAVI-fund eligible state in Central Asia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively reviewed intussusception cases in children <2 years of age treated during 2004-2008 at 15 hospitals in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan. Demographic and clinical data as well as information on diagnostic and treatment practices were obtained from hospital records. We categorized cases using the Brighton collaboration clinical case definition and calculated the national incidence rate.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over a 5-year study period, 67 confirmed cases were identified, of which 67% were boys. The median age was 12 months, and no seasonal trend in the distribution of cases was observed. The diagnostic methods used included abdominal radiography (87%) and ultrasonography (57%). Intussusception reduction by air enema was successful in 33 (49%) patients and 34 (50%) cases underwent surgery. A total of 4 deaths occurred, including 3 deaths in infants aged 0-6 months. The median length of hospital stay was 7.3 (range 0-37) days. The incidence of intussusception is estimated at 23 (95% CI 13.6-32.4) cases per 100,000 child-years, corresponding to approximately 237 cases annually.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first study to estimate the incidence of childhood intussusception prior to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccination in Uzbekistan. A prospective surveillance system using a standardized case definition is needed in order to better examine the occurrence of intussusception in developing countries.</p