Ayurvedic Medicines to cure Coronary Artery Disease

Global Warming Impact on Animals - Part 3

NEW DRUG TO COMBAT SKIN CANCER DEVELOPED

APOBEC- A KEY DEFENSE PROTEIN CAUSES CANCER

APOBEC-2 is a member of the APOBEC family

A recent study conducted by a team of Swiss and Russian scientists led by Sergey Nikolaev at the University of Geneva, Switzerland deciphered that APOBEC, a defense protein that usually functions as protecting agent against viral infection causes cancer in human beings.

APOBEC is a family of intrinsic cellular protein which has the power to modify a single-stranded DNA. Since the viral DNA is being frequently single stranded, the double stranded human DNA cannot be altered.

About 20% of APOBEC mutations arise due to abnormality in the DNA called "double-stranded breaks" where a part of the DNA is in a single-stranded state for a period of time causing multiple mutations. Researchers were able to govern the remaining 80% of APOBEC related mutations. They managed to identify in which direction the replication fork was travelling through the human cells. During the cell division process, the DNA replication starts at a specific location to produce two identical copies from the original DNA. The replication fork is caused by the separation of two original strands and synthesis of the new ones. DNA replication process is a dangerous mutagen when it takes advantage of a weakness during the DNA replication process thereby inducing mutations in our genome.

As a result, new strands are rebuilt as the fork moves along the chromosome. The two strands are replicated in two different mechanisms depending on the direction of the replication fork. Hence the reconstruction of strands is possible only when one of the them are constructed immediately.

Therefore, one strand i.e. the "leading strand" never exists as single stranded DNA whereas the other strand " lagging strand" continues to be single stranded for a period of time. Researchers were able to discover twice as many mutations on the "lagging strand" when compared with "leading strand". Findings suggested that APOBEC takes advantage of the DNA when "lagging strand" remains single and weak.

DNA replication process:

DNA replication process is a process of creating two identical replicas from the original DNA molecule which ensures that the next generation of cells contains the same genetic information.

DNA replication process

Leading strand:

It is one of the two strands which is oriented in 5' to 3' direction travelling towards the replication fork. It is synthesized continuously with no breaks in between.

Lagging strand:

It is a single stranded DNA replicated in 3' to 5' which moves away from the replication fork. It is synthesized discontinuously in fragments known as Okazaki fragments.

Okazaki Fragments:

Okazaki Fragments is a relatively short fragment of DNA which is formed on the lagging template strand during the DNA replication process. In 1968, Reiji Okazaki, a pioneer Japanese molecular biologist along with his wife Tsuneko Okazaki and their colleagues discovered Okazaki fragments while conducting a research on replication of bacteriophage DNA in Escherichia coli.

Some of the encoding members of APOBEC protein family are mentioned below:

• APOBEC3G (A3G): is a single stranded DNA which acts as an effective cellular host defending agent prohibiting the expression of the functional form of the HIV encoded protein Vif. When this wild type of Vif attacks the A3G enzyme, all sorts of host defense advantage provided by A3G gradually diminishes and thereby promoting the emergence of new virulent strains of the HIV virus.A3G acts as a double agent in defense. It can either be an anti-viral factor capable of destroying the virus or it can help diversify viral genomes through gene mutation allowing the virus to be more resistant to drugs.To be more effective, the A3G should be incorporated into the virus.

Protein APOBEC 3G

• APOBEC-1 (A1): It is a cytidine deaminase which is linked with cholesterol control, cancer development and inhibition of viral replication. Levels of A1 is extremely low in the human liver and small intestine but higher in gastrointestinal epithelial cells. A1 is highly expressed in rodents with a wide tissue distribution.
• APOBEC 3A: It is a DNA cytidine deaminase commonly found in human beings, non-human primates and mammals containing antiviral effects. Studies suggests that APOBEC 3A can inhibit activity against parvoviruses, retroviruses, adeno associated virus (AAV), human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), foreign DNA and mobility of retrotransposons.

• Activation induced cytidine deaminase: AICDA is an enzyme which creates mutations in DNA by converting cytosine into uracil.

APOBEC Cytidine Deaminase and cancer:

DNA Cytidine deaminase APOBEC3B accounts for multiple human cancers. The researchers discovered that mutations induced by APOBEC3B can be found in many tumorous cells throughout the genome. There are presence of APOBEC mutation pattern in bladder, cervical, breast, head and neck, and lung cancers.

ZIKA VIRUS - ALARMING THREAT TO PREGNANT WOMEN AND NEW-BORN BABIES

The outbreak of Zika virus in Latin American and Caribbean nations spreads panic among the officials. They have warned women to avoid pregnancy amid concerns over an illness causing severe birth defects. Many countries including Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica recommended delaying of pregnancies until more was known about this malignant disease. The pregnant women may not be aware of the danger from the sting of the mosquito bite followed by fever due to Zika virus until it strikes their unborn child. It is suspected to be the cause of microcephaly or abnormally smaller heads  resulting  in brain damage. US health authorities have issued travel warnings to pregnant women in certain countries like South America, Africa, Oceania and Caribbean. The virus is expected to spread more drastically covering local areas in Barbados, Bolivia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, Venezuela, Cape Verde in Africa and Samoa in the South Pacific.

 Baby Jose Wesley being bathed in a bucket, Poco Fundo, Brazil. His microcephalic condition was diagnosed a couple of days after his birth

What is Zika Virus?

Zika virus which is a member of Flaviviridae virus family is a mosquito-borne viral disease transmitted to human beings by Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes. It is interconnected with similar pathogenic vector borne Flavivirus such as dengue, West Nile and Japanese encephalitis producing a comparatively mild febrile viral illness known as Zika fever in humans. The incubation period ranges between 3 to 12 days.

Aedes albopictus

    Aedes aegypti mosquito

Spotlight on Zika Virus:

The virus was first identified in April 1947 when a rhesus monkey living in the Zika forest of Uganda developed an unknown febrile illness. Scientists isolated a new transmissible agent from the sick monkey and named it Zika virus. The vector of Zika virus was finally confirmed in 1948 when the same virus was discovered in an Aedes africanus mosquito trapped in the same forest. Researchers were unable to trace any evidence of human infection with ZIKV until twenty years later when it was isolated from human patients in Nigeria.

In 2007, an outbreak of illness characterized by skin rashes, conjunctivitis and arthralgia was reported on the Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia, but the outbreak caused only mild illness among 108 confirmed cases.

Since 2015, the current outbreak of Zika virus that began in Brazil has now progressed to other countries in Central and South America and to the Caribbean Islands.

Causes of Outbreak in Brazil:

Local authorities suspected the outbreak was due to a massive influx of foreign visitors attending the 2014 Fifa World Cup combined with large population of Aedes aegypti and A. Albopictus mosquitoes in the region. The virus had previously been existed only in some parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

Counter measures to eradicate virus carrying mosquitoes:

With just few months away before the highly anticipated 2016 Summer Olympics going to be hosted in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil's Ministry of health has announced its countermeasures to ensure safety and protection of Olympic athletes as well as spectators from  Zika virus who are expected in the city. Based on their countings that August is relatively a drier month in Brazil, the population of mosquitoes that spreads disease could be much lower than at present. Further steps are put forward by the authorities such as inspecting the facilities four months before the events as well as fumigation. However, the latter will only be implemented in extreme cases to avoid health issues for athletes and audiences. Stadium premises will be swept clean daily.

Risk of local Zika Transmission

Symptoms of Zika Virus:

• Low grade fever
• Skin Rashes and Pruritus (severe itching of the skin)
• Arthralgia (pain in a joint) with possible swollen joints.
• Conjunctivitis (red eyes)
•  Myalgia (Muscle pain)
• Headache
• Asthenia (a chronic respiratory disease)
• Digestive problems like abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation
• Aphthae (mucous membrane ulcerations- a small ulcer formed in groups in the mouth or on the tongue)

Diagnosis:

Consult a healthcare provider and explain to him in detail how you developed the symptoms and from when and where you contracted the virus? The healthcare provider conducts the necessary blood tests to confirm any virus infection like Zika or other similar viruses like Dengue, chikungunya.

Treatment:

Currently, there is no specific anti-viral treatment or medicine for Zika virus infection available. Patients are advised to take plenty of rest and drink fluids to prevent dehydration.

Travel guidance related to Zika Virus:

Travelers are strongly recommended to protect themselves from mosquito bites by:

• Wear appropriate clothing like long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent tick bites and mosquito bites.
• Walk in the center of hiking trails and stay away from wooded and brushy areas with high grass, brush and leaves where the ticks are more active.
• The tsetse fly which lives in the sub-Saharan Africa can contract African sleeping sickness or African trypanosomiasis.
• Prevent tsetse fly bites by wearing neutral -colored clothing since they are more attracted to very bright and dark colors, metallic fabric.
• Avoid bushes during the day time. The tsetse fly usually rests in bushes and will bite if disturbed.
• Apply insect repellants containing Deet, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus which are safe for pregnant and nursing women, but not advisable for children under the age of 3.
• Avail permethrin treated clothing and gear such as boots, pants, socks and tents to kill or repel insects such as mosquitoes and ticks.
• The tsetse flies are attracted to moving vehicles, so inspect the vehicle for any flies before entering.
• Sleep in " screened-in or air-conditioned rooms."

Countries confirmed with Zika virus cases

Mother Nature as Healer

Nature cures not the physician said the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. It has been known for centuries that nature has a healing quality. People are drawn to nature in many ways. They instinctively turn to outdoors as a way of relaxing and to enhance their well-being. It is a source of inspiration, comfort, guidance and regeneration. Some die-hard nature lovers are allured to a specific aspect of nature such as meditating on a mountain, laying on a wildflower field, strolling beside a meandering stream or rambling in redwood groves. Studies have revealed the fact that contact with nature can lower blood pressure, sharpen mental states, improve behavior and learning among children.

Wild animals first seek solitude and absolute relaxation while relying on complete remedies of nature. They know unerringly which herbs will cure what ills. The ability of the creatures to pick what they need can be uncanny. For example: a bear grubbing for fern roots; a wild turkey impelling her babies in a cool and rainy spell to eat leaves of the spice bush, an animal bitten by a poisonous snake, confidently masticating snakeroot. An animal with fever quickly spots an airy, shady place near water, there remaining quite, eats nothing but drinks often until its health is fully recovered. An animal afflicted by rheumatism discovers a suitable location to lay under the hot sunlight until misery bakes out.

A series of deadly diseases emerged from medical treatment intended to cure other diseases known as iatrogenic ailments. A drug named cortisone has been hailed as a wonder cure for arthritis. This drug bring skin rashes, ulcers and minimize body's resistance to infection as an after effect. Certain anti-biotic have been found to damage the liver that cause anemia or tumors. A drug formerly was used as a sedative, thalidomide so-called safe sleeping pill was responsible for congenital malformation in new born babies, but later banned in UK in the early 60's.Many people today still believe that naturopathy is the most safest and suitable remedies for curing disease. Naturopaths believe that one should lead a simple life free from stress, anxiety and worry, get plenty of fresh air, regular exercise and a balanced diet. The body needs natural foods uncontaminated by new virulent drug resistant superbugs ,synthetically manufactured food additives, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and pharmaceutical medications.

Hippocrates believed in the life force, a healing power present in the body itself could improve the balance of health. He and his followers implemented some fresh air, a plain diet with use of spices to purge impurities from heart and lungs by means of sneezing, massage, water treatment, wine or barley water as drinks.

Hippocrates, who believed that disease and cure were both natural processes, with Galen, the last of the ancient physicians

Hydrotherapy:

A hot bath is a liquid hypo therapy or Hydrotherapy, which acts as a cleansing agent has a peaceful and soothing effect and makes you feel insulated from your troubles.

History of Hydrotherapy:

Water therapy has been around for centuries. It is one of the oldest form of therapy that have been used for the treatment of disease and injury by many cultures comprising of ancient Rome, China and Japan. The Ancient Greeks took therapeutic baths. The Romans took over the idea of bathing from the Greeks and they built vast public baths or thermae which made available to all Romans for a small charge. Social life encircled around the palatial buildings where ordinary men, women could enjoy hot baths, cold baths, vapor and shower baths. During those times, a special instrument called strigils were used to scrape against their body instead of soap. The early Christians had a misconception that hot baths led to wickedness and the thermae fell into ruins. They raised no objection to cold water. Pagan Europe had many healing wells or springs dedicated to various local deities where pilgrims drank the water and immersed their body in it. During the 14th century, some waters were acclaimed to eliminate curse of barrenness in women.

The Fountain of Youth, a painting by the 16th century German Lucas Cranach depicts how old women become young girls after a dip in the magical waters.

By 1580, a French scholar Montaigne during his visit to the spas of Europe, discovered a new way to dissolve his kidney stone by water. He found hot springs, warm springs and waters that contained elements of liquorice oriron, alum or sulphur. By late 16th century, throughout the entire Europe, cult of water cure escalated. Doctors encouraged their patients to drink them that contained medicinal properties. Even when waters had little therapeutic powers, the chances of recovering health at a spa were often higher.

In 19th century, a peasant farmer Vincenz Preissnitz well-known as Water Demon of Grafenburg is generally considered the founder of modern hydro-therapy. His cold water cures were demanding. In 1816, he was seriously injured when his ribs were crushed by a wagon and doctors declared his case was fatal. But he eventually succeeded by curing himself, keeping a cold wet compress to his chest for a year. He eventually became renowned for applying principles of water therapy to other afflictions and started healing animals and his neighbors by pouring cold water.

Vincenz Priessnitz, Water Demon of Grafenburg, 'father of modern hydrotherapy'

History of Homeopathy

A German physician Samuel Hahnemann who was an erudite, religious man, a linguist and a chemist introduced a new method of treatment called homeopathy which is derived from Greek word, homios meaning like and pathos meaning suffering. In 1790, he tested the powers of quinine on himself when he developed symptoms of fever. He conducted other experiments with other substances and concluded that like cures like. He believed that the proper drug reacted by setting an antagonistic fever which battled against the illness.

Curing scurvy by Lemon juice:

When a disease is detected and a cure is recommended, the treatment could take several years to gain acceptance. One such case materialized in 1593, a fatal and painful disease known as Scurvy caused by lack of Vitamin C, a substance that occurs in several vegetables and fruits, especially in citrus fruits. An English admiral Sir Richard Hawkins son of the Elizabethan pirate and explorer Sir John Hawkins complained of scurvy from which tens of thousands of sailors died. He said that most fruitful for this illness is sour oranges and lemons. James Lind, a British naval surgeon proclaimed that the disease could be cured by adding mustard cress, tamarinds, oranges or lemons in the diet.

Dosing tailors with lime juice as a preventive against scurvy on an Arctic expedition

Senior Citizens and their ageing problems

Old Age:

Old age is a natural process and each individual has to proceed with this process. When an individual grows older and older, he or she might need a helping hand. During this stage, an individual will not be able to sustain his/her mobility and independence. Many elderly people  during this stage have no kin to turn to for assistance. It is very crucial that at this stage he or she requires assistance/backing and support from his family members or relatives in order to perform their daily activities and overcome their ongoing health challenges.

Old age can be defined as when a person becomes old. It can also be defined in another way, the final stage of normal life span in human beings. It is the ultimate stage in the life processes of an individual.

A Senior Citizen confiding and solving problems

Symptoms of Mental Illness /Old age:

Quiet often old age draws us closer mostly with health related problems. Some of the signs of old age are mentioned below:

• When the older adults are encountering /suffering from aches and pains. Notice that there will be a transformation or change in their behavior or mood. They appear to be sulky, bad-tempered or in a depressed mood.
• Memory loss is yet another common and challenging problems  of the geriatric population in the world over. A person fails to remember or recollect the names of the people with whom he/she interacts with or even failing to memorize activities that took place very recently.
• When there is a sudden fall/drop in the way the older adults dress and take care of the home. They show no signs of interest in brushing, bathing and dressing neatly. The main factor for this decline might possible be they have lost confidence to manage on their own.
• Another instance of old age is where a person is unable to make out or distinguish the exact taste or flavor in the food or if he/she has hurt severely and does not feel any burning sensation.
• Loss of hearing.
• Loss of appetite in the older adults is a major concern. They become increasingly picky about the choice of foods. Dental problems could be one of the factor such as dental caries or absence of teeth. Indigestion or inability to procure foods of their liking is another reason for the loss of appetite.
• Lack of mobility is one of the biggest challenge faced by the elderly. They are more vulnerable/liable to falls. With weak bones there are higher chances of risk to fractures and head injuries .
•  Loss of control over urine is another regular/frequent problem with the older adults. It is mainly due to stress incontinence or prostate. Lung Infection like Pneumonia might be another factor responsible for urinary incontinence.

An elderly women using a walking cane

Common Health issues faced by the elderly:  

These are some of the common physical and mental illness found in the elderly:

·         Acute cognitive impairment(Dementia):  Most common mental health issue found among the elderly is acute cognitive impairment which is particularly caused by Alzheimer's Disease. An individual finds trouble in learning and remembering new things, concentrating or making decisions that affect their everyday life.

• Manifest signs of severe depression, anxiety and gloominess
• Heart failure 
• High blood pressure 
• Hypertension         
• Vascular Disease       
• Arthritis
•  Diabetes           
• Breathing problems         
• Sleeping disorders  
• Osteoporosis      
• Parkinson's Disease       
• Hearing Loss        
• Vision problems (cataract, glaucoma, Macular Degeneration)
• 
  
  Overcoming health issues in old aging:

These are some of the successful tips to overcome health issues in old age:

• Follow and maintain healthy habits and positive life styles.
• Quit cigarette smoking and limit alcohol consumption.
•  Maintain the triad of exercise, weight-bearing, aerobic, and balance activities.
• Get regular health exams and test.
• Cultivate intellectual stimulization and socialization.
• Engage in social activities such as dancing.
• Build a healthy family relationship.
• Take part in challenging adult educational activities to revitalize your mind.
•  Make practical and effective use of community support and local senior centers to overcome. physical limitations like difficulty in walking and balancing problems.
•  Be sensible in financial planning such as management of assets and investments.

News report on elderly abuse:

The Press Trust of India reported on 17th of December 2015 that a 59-year-old Indranee Pumbien, an Indian origin home care owner based in UK was sentenced to 18 months in jail for elderly abuse. She was found guilty of imposing an elderly resident failing to pursue immediate assistance for a 99-year old women who was cauterized in a hot bath.

Caregiving for the elderly:  

Family members are the bedrock of a stressed healthcare system: They should accomplish certain tasks  to ensure long-term care of their elder adults in the following manner:

• Observe symptoms and keep track of complex medication regimes.
•  Personal care assistance
•  Carry out housekeeping tasks
• Provide guidance and support
• Handle troublesome behaviors such as wandering, aggression and hallucinations
• Administer financial planning

Elderly Care

X-Ray

Most of the people must have come across the term 'X-Ray'. They may not be aware of its exact nature and what is it used for? What are precautions to be taken while using an X-Ray? What are the risk factors hidden behind using an X-ray?

X-Ray:

X-Rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation or wave of high energy and very short wavelength which is capable of passing through many materials opaque to light. It is a machine that sends individual x-ray particles through the body. They often pass through skin and soft tissue but it will not smoothly pass through bone or metal. X-Rays are produced when the electrons collide the atoms and nuclei of the metal target.

X-Ray machine

Discovery of X-Ray:

A German physicist named Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen invented X-Rays in the year 1895 at the University of Wurzburg , Germany. He discovered X-Rays while he was conducting an experiment with electron beams in a gas discharge tube. He observed that a vivid light began to glow when the tube was turned on.

Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen

Properties of X-Ray:

1. X-Rays have a very short wavelength
2. They produce ionization ( process by which electrons are added or removed in atoms and molecules)
3. It upsets the photographic film turning it black.
4. They are blocked by metal and bone.
5. They pass through healthy body tissue.
6. They travel in a straight line in free space.
7.  It cannot be targeted to a set point.
8. It is not visible with our naked eye and cannot be heard or smelt.
9. They cannot be reflected, refracted and deflected by magnetic or electric field.
10. They exhibit properties of Interference, Diffraction and Refraction identical to Visible light.
11. They don't require any medium for propagation.
12.  X-rays can infiltrate through solids, liquids and gases.
13. They are absorbed by matter depending upon anatomic structure of the matter and wavelength of x-ray beam.
14. X-rays are used for treating malignant lesion (a type of skin cancer)

Chest X-Ray Show:

It shows the structures in and around the chest. This test is conducted to search and track conditions of heart, lungs, bones or chest cavity. It helps in detecting diseases such as pneumonia, heart failure, lung cancer, lung tissue scarring, or Sarcoidosis. However this test have some limitations. It only shows the conditions that change the size of the tissue in the chest.

Chest X-Ray

Medical Uses of X-Rays:

1.  Radiographs:  It is the process of examining or diagnosing a part of the body by the means of X-rays and record the findings when exposed to photographic film. It is very effective in detecting pathology of the skeletal system as well as for diagnosing diseases present in the soft tissue. For example--Chest X-Ray can be used to detect lung diseases such as pneumonia, lung cancer and pulmonary edema. Pathology such as Kidney stones, Gallstones which are not often visible can be detected via X-Ray. Dental Radiography is typically used to diagnose dental problems such as cavities.
2. Computed tomography:  In other words  CT Scanning is a radiography in which three-dimensional figure of the body structure is designed by the computer from a series of plane cross-sectional images formed along an axis. It is mainly used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
3. Fluoroscopy:  It is a study to capture images of a moving body. An X-Ray beam is passed through the internal structures of a patient. The beam is transmitted to an X-Ray image intensifier and  CCD Video camera to record the images and played on the monitor. For example, cardiac catheterization is used to determine coronary artery blockages and barium swallow to detect esophageal disorders.
4. Radiotherapy:   Radiotherapy also known as Radiation therapy is a treatment to kill the cancer cells by radiation. It is used in treating skin cancers and cancers present within the body such as brain, lung, prostate, and breast.

 X-rays are also used for the following purposes:

·         Canned goods and packaged products are scrutinized through x-rays.

·         They are used to analyze paint pigments and other substances.

·         Technicians make use of X-Rays to analyze petroleum products and metal alloys.

·         Customs officers and airport security personnel utilize  x-rays to inspect luggage and packages for weapons or smuggled articles.

X-Ray applications

Harmful Side-effects of X-Rays:

1.       Risk of cancer rises when a child is still in the mother's womb are exposed to X-Rays. Various types of cancers like tumors of the nervous system increases by 50%  and leukemia's by 70%.

2.       When X-Rays are radiated on head, neck, shoulder and upper chest, the thyroid glands will be severely damaged.

3.       Multiple X-rays are associated with multiple myeloma(a type of bone marrow cancer).

4.       X-Radiation of the lower abdominal region develops genetic damage which may pass on to the next generation and increases chances of common aging diseases such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, strokes and cataracts.

5.       Each year at least 4000 Americans succumb to X-Ray related illness.

Precautions:

·         Most efficient way to reduce exposure to harmful radiations is to replace old x-ray machines with the new ones because the radiation emitted by the old x-ray machines are 20-30 times higher than the new ones. The best way is to avoid getting  those unnecessary x-rays done.

·         Pediatric patients must take special care before proceeding with X-Ray imaging exams.

·         Special care should be given to imaging pregnant women's because the unborn child will be exposed to the effects of radiation exposure.

Mesmer's Hypnotism

The first thing that comes to our mind when we hear the word Hypnosis is a mysterious figure like person waving a pocket watch back and forth drawing his subject into a semi-sleep or zombie like state. But people discussed and argued about hypnosis for more than 200 years. They are not able to perceive exactly how the human mind works?

Hypnosis:

The term Hypnosis is derived from the Ancient Greek word Hypnos meaning  sleep. It is an artificially induced trance like state characterized by extreme suggestibility, focused attention, concentration and heightened imagination which is usually performed with the help of a therapist  through a procedure known as hypnotic induction. During this process, a person can concentrate intensely on a specific thought or memory obstructing all sources of distraction.

Franz Anton Mesmer:

A German physician named Franz Anton Mesmer was the forerunner of the modern practice of hypnotism. During the 18th century, he theorized  animal magnetism also known as mesmerism which is presumed to be an intangible or mysterious force that is said to influence human beings. His theory was that Universe was filled with a magnetic fluid. Absence of this fluid was the cause of illness and it could be restored through magnetic contact. One such event took place in Mesmer's salon. Parisians of all classes flocked to his salon. The room was richly furnished and hung with mirrors, thick carpets covered the floor, drawn curtains shut out the world. Everyone sat close together around a piece of apparatus known as baguet, an oak tub containing water and iron fillings, and many flasks filled with magnetized water. A number of iron rods and cords jut out from the baguet which the patients held against the affected parts of their bodies. A soft background music was played on wind instruments or on Mesmer's glass harmonica. When the music accelerated the patients cried out hysterically and fainted with excitement. Mesmer appeared at the height of the session dressed in a robe of purple silk trimmed with lace. Using his elegant iron wand he fixed each and every patient by touching them with his penetrating gaze. Some women patients collapsed while others went into trance. When they recovered their senses, many of them were cured.

Franz Anton Mesmer

In his early days in Vienna, Mesmer developed the concept of invisible fluid in the body that affected health. He stroked his sick patients with magnets, but gradually he realized that manipulating fluid using magnets is unnecessary. He believed that establish a rapport with his patients was essential to cure illness. He concluded that certain people like himself were able to concentrate the universal magnetic fluid and cause it to flow to others. Other objects such as clothes, trees or even his glass harmonica too could be magnetized. He termed this power as animal magnetism.

Animal Magnetism

Mesmer's methods were criticized by his contemporaries and were frowned upon by medical establishment in Vienna. So in 1778, he fled to Paris hoping for a better reception,. He achieved overwhelming popularity, except among physicians. Messer's methods were taken out of context by the French Government in an effort to discredit him. Under continued pressure, he retired to Switzerland where he spent the remaining years of his life.

An anti-mesmer cartoon of which there were many shows Mesmer's salon as a scene of lascivious activities.

The Magnetized Tree:

During the 18th century, the implications of his work were carried out by two French aristocrats Marquis De Puysegur and his brother Count Maxime in Paris. Many French aristocrats cared little about the peasants living in Grand Chateaux. Following Mesmer's instructions, they discovered a new method of healing to all the local inhabitants. The two brothers magnetized a large elm tree in the center of the village and hung down cords that dangled from the branches. Sufferers sat under the tree on a circular stone and a cord is tied around their parts of the body in which they felt pain. Then they touched each other's thumbs which allows the magnetic fluid to flow from one to the other and circulate freely among them. They got well soon.

The Magnetized Tree

Teeth Extraction using Hypnosis:

In the United States, a number of dentists make use of hypnosis for teeth extraction. Demonstrations have shown that teeth can be extracted without pain or even bleeding when a patient is in a deep trance.

In 1951, in The East Grinstead Hospital in England, a sensation was created among dermatologists. A boy of 16 complained of Congenital Ichthyosis which was formerly considered incurable. A genetic skin disorder characterized by a black horny layer that spreads thickly over the skin. Warty excrescences covered his entire body except the chest, neck and face. The thick crust was perpetually cracking which caused infection. The boy was hypnotized. Five days later, the horny layer softened and fell off. After ten days, the skin underneath became pink and soft and his arm was completely clear from shoulder to wrist. Both his arms were treated successfully.

How to prepare yourself for a Hypnosis session ?

·         Take a good look at your beliefs and expectations about hypnosis.

·         Avoid straining by taking a deep satisfying breath by raising your eyes up as high as possible.

·         Gently allow your eyelids to flutter down as you exhale    and finally

·         Imagine yourself travelling in outer space or riding on a magic carpet.

Benefits of Hypnosis:

·         Hypnotherapy can be an effective method to cope with stress and anxiety.

·         It is beneficial for pain associated with cancer,  irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint problems, dental procedures and headaches.

·         Hypnosis alleviate symptoms of hot flashes with menopause.

·         Behavioral changes such as insomnia, bed-wetting, smoking, obesity and phobias can be treated effectively using hypnosis.

·         Hypnosis helps women recover more quickly from debilitating breast cancer surgery.

·         An individual will be able to visualize vivid, powerful feelings or strong and clear images in their mind in accomplishing their goals.

Risks and Complications of Hypnosis:

•  Headaches
•  Drowsiness
•  Masking actual physical health problems
• Suicidal depression
•  Hypnosis may result in detrimental effect on an individual creating false memories.