This document consists of the six issues of the "Wilderness Medicine Newsletter" published during 1997. The newsletter provides medical and rescue information for the non-physician in remote wilderness areas. Issues typically include feature articles, conference and training courses schedules, an "Ask the Expert" column, and…

Land was at a premium during the first quarter of the 19th century in the newly incorporated city of Boston (Massachusetts). Among the first priorities was the development of a safer, healthier city. Boston's burial grounds were seriously overcrowded, and additional space was no longer available within the city limits. Attitudes about death and…

Discusses the "5 percent fallacy," which refers to the number of older people living in institutions at a given time, and the likelihood of an older person dying in an institution. Three articles discuss research methodology, data interpretation, and measuring techniques. (JAC)

Sickle cell anemia is the most common and severe of inherited chronic blood disorders. In the United States, sickle cell anemia is most common among the Black population. Among the most commonly occurring symptoms are: an enlarged spleen, episodes of severe pain, easily contracted infections, skin ulcers, and frequent urination. (JN)

Illustrates how uncertainty, continued stress, and the transient role of the soldier in the Yom Kippur War led to psychological disequilibrium on both the individual and family level. Suggests counseling soldiers and their families helped them understand and cope with the situation. Discusses related mourning and bereavement strategies.…

Reviews studies of infant behavior and development. Delineates a behavioral hypothesis relating prenatal and neonatal risk factors in infancy to crib death. The mutual dependence of experience and neurostructural development suggests that infancy is a period of critical learning experiences. (Author/RH)

Describes a class experiment illustrating students' illusions about their own mortality (often referred to as "unique invulnerability"). The students received information, culled from actuarial tables, concerning age and mortality rates. The students consistently overestimated their own age of death even when told they would do so. (MJP)

Presents data from recent studies on exercise and fitness as they influence the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Results show that individuals who have or adopt higher physical activity and fitness levels lower the risk of CVD, live longer, and improve their quality of life. (SM)

Examined 10 measures of personality, self-image, and emotional and family problems in 2,158 Australian adolescents, some of whom had suffered parental loss. Data revealed pattern of poorer adjustment in adolescents who had lost a parent but clearly demonstrated that type of loss and family reconstitution had no differential effects on psychosocial…

Details types and causes of accidental injury to young children. Notes that of the average 5,000 accidents per day nationwide, falls account for the greatest number. Concludes with four cautions: check for hazards in child's environs; think safety at home; lobby and advocate for safer toys, furniture, and equipment; and report defects and…

A survey of 127 hospice physicians attempted to identify appropriate performance objectives for medical training in care of the terminally ill. The 39 objectives identified covered physician attitudes, knowledge, and skills. Thirty-four of the objectives were validated. The list of objectives with their ratings is included. (MSE)

Junior high school students with deafness explored their feelings about having someone with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) enroll at their special school and then wrote about what their reaction and the reaction of the staff, parents, and other students would be. Students seemed to become more compassionate and understanding toward…

This study describes depressive symptoms among caregivers following bereavement and connects these trajectories to earlier features of caregiving using life course and stress process theory. Data are from a six-wave longitudinal survey (five years) of spouses and adult children caring for someone with Alzheimer's Disease. The analytic subsample (N…

Introduction: The headmaster of a school (NRMV) in rural eastern Nepal, pleaded for help from the public health Department of Psychiatry, BKIHS, Dharan, Nepal, to prevent closure of his school as guardians of many students refused to send their children to his school, which was supposedly haunted by evil spirits. The author, along with his staff,…

This paper examines the roles that companion animals play in the lives of American families, and discusses how those roles change as families progress through the stages of the family life cycle. It highlights the importance of pets in the lives of children and the benefits they receive from such relationships. It also presents information…