Ageing in a plural society

CITATION: Cilliers, S.P. 1976. Ageing in a plural society. S Afr Med J, 50(7):1110-1114.The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaThe differential position and involvement of the aged in each population group in the Republic of South Africa are illustrated on the basis of an analysis of the age structure of the population, sex ratios, life expectancy, degree and nature of urbanisation and industrialisation and family structure. It is concluded that the problems and needs of the aged in modernising plural societies differ for each population group, and that there thus exists a need for a flexible and non dogmatic approach to the needs of the aged.Publisher’s versio

ALEXANDER DIE GROTE SE LEËR EN DIE OORLOGSTRES-SINDROOM, 326 v.C.

In die somer van 326 v.C. is Alexander die Grote se Asiatiese veroweringsveldtog van sewe jaar onverwags aan die bolope van die Indus-rivier gestuit – nie deur vyandelike aksie nie, maar deur die weiering van sy soldate om verder ooswaarts te trek. ’n Moontlike rede vir sulke drastiese optrede deur ’n leër wat hul koning tot op daardie stadium blindelings gevolg het, is dat erge oorlogstres kon ingetree het. Die oorlogstres-sindroom, soos vandag gedefineer, is goed nagevors, en in hierdie artikel word die moontlikheid ondersoek dat dit by bovermelde geleentheid ’n beslissende rol kon gespeel het. Sou dít dalk die verklaring kon wees vir hierdie dramatiese gebeurtenis waarin Alexander se droom van ’n ryk wat tot aan die einde van die wêreld strek, verpletter is – deur sy eie soldate

Tumours and cancers in Graeco-Roman times

In Graeco-Roman times all tumours (Greek: onkoi, abnormal swellings) were considered to be of inflammatory origin, the result of unfavourable hurnoural fluxes, and caused by an extravascular outpouring of fluid into tissue spaces. The neoplastic nature of tumours is a more recent concept, barely two centuries old. In Hippocratic literature tumours were mainly classified as karkin6mata, phumata, and oidemata. Phumata included a large variety of tumours, inflammatory and neoplastic in origin, and mostly benign (in modern terms), while oidemata were soft, painless tumours and even included generalised oedema (dropsy). Although all categories possibly included occasional cancers, the vast majority of what appears to have been malignant tumours were called karkinoi karkinomata (Latin: cancrum/carcinoma). There was, however, no recognition of benign and malignant, primary and secondary tumours, in the modem sense

THE ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS IN A.D. 79 AND THE DEATH OF GAlUS PLINIUS SECUNDUS

On 24 August A.D. 79 Vesuvius erupted, burying neighbouring Pompeii in ashes, stones and pumice, Herculaneum in volcanic mud, and Stabiae in ashes. Thousands of people lost their lives in this disaster. This was the second recorded eruption, the first being on 5 February A.D. 63.1 In the centuries thereafter Vesuvius has erupted nearly 50 times, most recently during the Allied invasion in 1944. Due to its inactivity the past 53 years, this volcano is at present the primary geological worry of Europe because of its potential explosivity: c. 1,5 million people live in the vicinity of the mountain

POISONS, POISONING AND THE DRUG TRADE IN ANCIENT ROME

The first recorded instance of poisoning in ancient Rome occurred in 331 BC when, during an epidemic, a large number of women were accused of concerted mass poisoning. Overreaction of the community in times of stress particularly, when scapegoats for unexplained phenomena are sought, might have played an important role in this and many subsequent incidents of suspected poisoning. Rome represented a culture steeped in superstition, fear and mythology with virtually no scientific means of retrospectively proving or disproving alleged poisoning. The drug trade in antiquity is briefly reviewed, from the Marsi and rootcutters who collected materials, and the intermediary herbalists and drug pedlars, to the physicians and other prescribers of drugs. There was a general lack of proper knowledge, which led to much abuse and death of patients. The distinction between these professional groups was often vague and physicians were generally not held in high regard. From authoritative writings of Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny and others it is evident that the Romans were aware of a very large number of toxic (and assumed toxic) substances, of plant, animal and mineral origin, but it is evident that the poisoners of ancient Rome almost exclusively made use of plant (and to lesser extent animal) products, and not mineral poisons. A brief overview of the recorded crimes by poison, and known poison dispensers of the time is given. Poisoning probably reached a maximum during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, when the Julio-Claudian emperors in particular achieved great notoriety, and a wide variety of specific and “universal” antidotes came into vogue

The epidemic of Athens, 430 - 426 BC

The Athenian epidemic of 430 - 426 BC, at the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, caused the death of the great statesman, Pericles, decimated the population and contributed significantly to the decline and fall of classical Greece. In his remarkable documentation of the epidemic, Thucydides (who survived the disease) not only left us a clear clinical picture of the pestilence but also identified its infectious nature and the fact that it conferred at least partial immunity on survivors. As confirmed by a large number of scholars who studied the subject, Thucydides' description does not accurately fit any existing disease, but we suggest that analysis of the signs and symptoms, considered in conjunction with significant epidemiological evidence, narrows down the many possibilities to epidemic typhus, plague, arboviral disease (e.g. Rift Valley fever) and smallpox. Typhus and smallpox fit best, but we favour the latter for reasons given. Unless further primary sources of information become available (and this seems most unlikely), productive speculation as to the cause of Thucydides' epidemic has probably reached the end of the road

Congenital eunuchism and favorinus

Ancient Hebrew literature as well as the New Testament differentiate between castrated eunuchs and congenital eunuchs. Congenital eunuchism is very rare today, and assuming that this was also the case in classical times, we investigated possible reasons why congenital eunuchs feature prominently. We discuss the probability that the concept `congenital eunuchism' might in ancient times have included effeminate men who, according to cultural views on `maleness' and androgyny, were almost equated with eunuchs. The causes of congenital hypogonadism are reviewed in order to attempt clarification of the condition of Favorinus, a congenital eunuch in the second century AD. We suggest that although he might have been a true hermaphrodite, as suggested by some s, it is more likely that he had one of the following conditions: functional prepubertal castrate syndrome, testicular gonadotrophin insensitivity, selective gonadotrophin deficiency or Reifenstein's syndrome. (South African Medical Journal: 2003 93(1): 73-76

A study on the variability of ionospheric total electron content over the East African low-latitude region and storm time ionospheric variations

The variation of total electron content (TEC) derived from the International Global Navigation Satellite Systems Service receiver (formerly IGS) over the East African low-latitude region from up to 12 observation stations for the period 2012 was analyzed. The diurnal and annual TEC contour plots generated from data over the region show that the equatorial anomaly crests manifest remarkable seasonal variations. The crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly is fully formed and yields the maximum values of TEC during the equinoxes (March/April and September/October) and minimum in the solstice (June/July and November/December). The results of this observation show that the crest develops between 12:00 and 16:00 LT and is greatly dependent on the time when the ionosphere is uplifted at the dip equator via the E × B drift force. The postsunset TEC enhancements at stations away from dip equator depict the ionospheric plasma density diffusion (flow) from the dip equator leading to the formation of ionization anomaly crests that lasts for few hours after the sunset local time. The ionospheric response to the strong geomagnetic storm of the March 2015 has also been examined. The ionospheric response to the geomagnetic storms has shown a strong thermosphere-ionosphere coupling. The negative storm effect that occurred over the anomaly crest region is more likely due to the composition disturbances associated with high energy deposits

Evaluation of collector performance at the bubble-particle scale

Particle attachment and detachment in froth flotation are complex processes and their measurement presents many challenges. Of particular interest is the effect of collectors at the bubble-particle scale, in order to assess the strength or collecting ability of these reagents. However, studies of the effect of collectors on particle attachment at the bubble-particle scale are scarce. In this work, we propose a methodology to characterise collector strength by measuring the attachment rate of particles to a capillary-pinned bubble. An image processing technique was developed to quantify bubble surface coverage over time, which was then used to determine particle attachment kinetics. The image analysis strategy is based on the sessile drop method and uses curve fitting to determine accurately the particle coverage. The methodology was used to assess the collecting ability of three chalcopyrite collectors. Interestingly, although very similar contact angle measurements were found for two of the collectors, they showed distinctly different particle attachment kinetics. It is proposed that this particle-bubble attachment method can be used to gain additional information not currently available from either contact angle measurements or bulk collector performance tests

Improvement in the modelling of geomagnetically induced currents in Southern Africa

One of the consequences of the geomagnetic storms resulting from adverse space weather is the induction of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in power lines. The GICs that flow in a power transmission network are driven by the induced electric field at the Earth's surface. The electric field, in turn, is affected by the changing magnetic field during a magnetic storm. These GICs can cause extensive and expensive damage to transformers in the power transmission system. Understanding the behaviour of the magnetic field during a magnetic storm is a crucial step in modelling and predicting the electric field and ultimately the GICs in a power transmission network. We present a brief overview of the present status of GIC modelling in southern Africa and then discuss whether it is sufficient to use geomagnetic data from a single magnetic observatory alone to model GICs over the subcontinent. A geomagnetic interpolation method is proposed to improve the modelling of GICs in southern Africa. This improved model is one step closer to our being able to predict GICs accurately in the subcontinent, which will enable power distribution companies to take the necessary precautions to minimize possible transformer damage