h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There's Crohn's Disease (I think I've spelt that right) which I can't remember the details of right now. But I do know it's been linked by some to the MMR vaccine given to young children.

I think I've heard of that one... I believe it's fatal and severely limits the development of children (they're not ablte to talk or walk at the appropriate age). Does anyone know more about it than this?

I used to work for a crohn's disease charity. Link with mmr vacine is very very likely to be NOT true cause. Parents do sometimes find it easier to blame an injection than say, their genes. Only one doc claimed to have a link (he was based here at st georges hospital where I work) No one else has found the link and they have looked very very hard for it. Crohns is inflammation of the digestive tract from mouth to anus - any part can be affected - most often large bowel is. Can be fatal - but rare. Sufferers have constant illness, stomach pain, don't digest food properly, mouth ulcers, can get arthritis too. Can be treated with steriods/pain killers, otherwise surgery to remove the affected areas is only hope. Can go away spontaneously, but most people get repeated attacks.

Great Peta!
Would you be willing to write up a little something about it for this compilation?
Please?!?

Sure - I can help check stuff out too. I currently work in a med school. Will come back to you with something .....

What are you planning to do - put them all together in one article? Sounds a great idea.. Maybe you will inspire other people to do more articles this way.. any one else offer to do any other subjects??

Actually, I was torn between diseases and the processes that give liquors their unique flavors (like Scotch Whiskey being distilled from malted barley. The malt is dried over a peat fire, blah, blah, blah)!
But with so much on h2g2 about booze I figured some nasty diseases, how to avoid them, and how to treat them when you failed to avoid them might be a bit of a lark!!
Glad you like the idea!
Feel free to drop me a note when you write one up! I'm particularly partial right now to the one about The Plague.
- Jimi X

Duh! Re-reading your post, I understand what you mean!!!
Fenny has agreed to try to work up something on AIDS, but so far that's been it! She also gave me a great link on her page informing people of my interest in their diseases!

Sorry for being so thick and missing the point of the original post, but if somebody want to pick up the ball on the liquor topic, I'd be willing to contribute - but between the disease thing, work and family, it's too muchfor me to host and compile both!!

Could start a couple off - and then let it build up for a week or so and then compile the next. But yes you are right best to not overload yourself... the whiskey idea sounds good too though.. any other ideas?

Any clue how to extend the typical earth day into say --- 28 hours long?
That's what I'll need to get caught up and still be able to get enough REM sleep that I don't start chopping up people who cut me off on the roadway!!!!

Any clue how to extend the typical earth day into say --- 28 hours long?
That's what I'll need to get caught up and still be able to get enough REM sleep that I don't start chopping up people who cut me off on the roadway!!!!

See, I'm really burnt out - I'm posting messages twice!!!!

Constant internet user dilemma. Look up see the clock has jumped suddenly from midnight to 3am - have to work out how to get up in the morning.... I try not to ..but

Makes for a long day at the office as if work wasn't bad enough!

too true I am still at the office too....

Hello again. Are we going to limit this to things that are only diseases or are we going to include syndromes at other stuff? The reason I ask is becaue I always remember this story of a boy suffering from Odin's syndrome, the one where the sufferer can't go to sleep.

Oh and Peta, about the MMR links with Chron's disease. I see the press aren't being so keen to publish the latest two studies about the links being not there. They're obviously satisfied with the hysteria they caused. According to our GP, even the doctor who originally published the "link" with autism wasn't able to repeat his own results.

Absolutely right. He has been trying to do it again for ages too. The press just love to profer'the culprit'. People want to be able to identify the something nasty that hurt their perfect child. Then they have something tangible to blame. It is so much easier than accepting that humans have faults and we are vunerable.

I was mainly looking for bacterial and viral diseases which afflict human beings...
But if you want to do a genetic or "syndrome" page, I'll be sure to give it a link!
There are so many of the type I'm looking for that I'm sure it'll keep me busy enough!

I think you are right to focus, it is a big subject as you say. I may well do a metabolic page later on it is a good idea.

Meanwhile, please feel free to give me a nice bacterial or viral disease!!