The early church and the healing of the sick

The concern of the Early Church for the sick is considered in terms of scientific medicine, practical care and supernatural action. After a brief survey of Greek medicine, the early Christian views on its value and acceptability are evidenced by direct and analogous references to disease, the practice of Christian doctors, and the favourable ruling by St. Basil. The oft-repeated duty of Christians to visit and care for the sick is considered in the light of Graeco-Roman practical, care. The fulfilment of this obligation is revealed in the praiseworthy action by Christians in time of plague and the establishment of institutions for the sick. The unique healing ministry of Jesus is recalled together with New Testament evidence of the apostolic continuation of that ministry in the context of a general belief in demons and widespread practice of exorcism. Examination is made of the post-apostolic practice of exorcism and the accompanying use of credal formulae and the name of Christ, the office of exorcist and the later development of the priestly use of oil. Attention is directed to the possible significance of the close association of the formal actions of the baptismal rite - exorcism, imposition of hands, anointing, signing of the cross - with those of healing. The effect is noted of non-Christian healing cults, of pagan magicians, of the over-credulous writings of some fringe Christian groups in leading the Church to reconsider the apologetic value and the purpose of healing miracles and to stress the priority of spiritual wholeness and the place of suffering in Christian discipleship, whilst accommodating the growing interest in the healing power of relics and incubation. The period covered is that of the first five centuries of the Church's history and a brief comparison is made with contemporary developments in the Church's ministry of healing

Inoculation of peritoneal dialysate fluid into blood culture bottles improves culture rates

The aim of the study was to determine if direct inoculation of peritoneal fluid into Bactec blood culture bottles would improve the positive bacteriological yield compared with conventional techniques in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients with peritonitis. All patients presenting with suspected peritonitis had peritoneal fluid injected directly into aerobic and anaerobic Bactec blood culture bottles as well as into sterile culture tubes. Thirty-seven paired samples were analysed. Twenty conventional cultures (54%) were positive compared with 33 (89%) done according to the Bactec system (P < 0,002). In only 1 case did the former technique prove superior. Direct inoculation of peritoneal fluid into Bactec blood culture bottles is therefore superior to conventional methods and has obvious therapeutic implications

Inoculation of peritoneal dialysate fluid into blood culture bottles improves culture rates

The aim of he study was to determine if direct inoculation of peritoneal fluid into Bactec blood culture bottles would improve the positive bacteriological yield compared with conventional techniques in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients with peritonitis. All patients presenting with suspected peritonitis had peritoneal fluid injected directly into aerobic and anaerobic Bactec blood culture bottles as well as into sterile culture tubes. Thirty-seven paired samples were analyzed.The aim of he study was to determine if direct inoculation of peritoneal fluid into Bactec blood culture bottles would improve the positive bacteriological yield compared with conventional techniques in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients with peritonitis. All patients presenting with suspected peritonitis had peritoneal fluid injected directly into aerobic and anaerobic Bactec blood culture bottles as well as into sterile culture tubes. Thirty-seven paired samples were analyzed

Enabling practitioners working with young people who self-harm

Purpose: This paper outlines a United Kingdom based interdisciplinary workforce development project that had the aim of improving service delivery for children and young people who self-harm or are feeling suicidal. Approach: This innovative practice-higher-education partnershiputilised an iterative consultation process to establish the local workforce need and then facilitated the systematic synthesis and presentation of evidence-based clinical guidelines in a practical format, for staff working directly with young people who self-harm in non-mental health settings. Outcomes: The development, content and structure of this contextualised resourceis presented, along with emerging outcomes and learning from the team.It is anticipated that this may also be a useful strategy and resource for other teams in other areas and is intended to provide a template that can be adapted by other localities to meet the specific needs of their own workforce. Practical Implications: The paper demonstrates how higher education-practice partnershipscan make clinical guidelines and research evidence in a field often thought of as highly specialist,accessible to all staff. It also shows a process of liaison and enhanced understanding across universal/specialist mental health service thresholds. Originality/Value: This paperdemonstrates how collaborative partnerships can work to bridge the gap between evidence-based guidelinesand their implementation in practice, through innovative multi-agency initiatives. Keywords: Self-harm, suicide, children, young people, interdisciplinary, workforce development, risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, mental health, adolescent Paper Type: case stud

Time transfer between the Goddard Optical Research Facility and the U.S. Naval Observatory using 100 picosecond laser pulses

A horizontal two-way time comparison link in air between the University of Maryland laser ranging and time transfer equipment at the Goddard Optical Research Facility (GORF) 1.2 m telescope and the Time Services Division of the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) was established. Flat mirrors of 25 cm and 30 cm diameter respectively were placed on top of the Washington Cathedral and on a water tower at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Two optical corner reflectors at the USNO reflect the laser pulses back to the GORF. Light pulses of 100 ps duration and an energy of several hundred microjoules are sent at the rate of 10 pulses per second. The detection at the USNO is by means of an RCA C30902E avalanche photodiode and the timing is accomplished by an HP 5370A computing counter and an HP 1000 computer with respect to a 10 pps pulse train from the Master Clock