Rambam Described Blood Circulation in 12th Century
NEW YORK—A remarkably ac- movement in three dimensions as
curate description of blood circu- movement of a cubic form or a
lation 400 years before it was de- pointed shape called a cone and
scribed by William Harvey, is pre- the like, but consider it as a move-
sented in Maimonides' "Medical ment in one direction as the move-
Aphorisms," published by Yeshiva ment of a ball so that the move-
University as the first Western- ment of the artery which pro-
language translation of the late duces sensation makes a complete
12th Century work.
revolution."
Acording to Dr. Rosner, "Until
Entitled "The Medical Aphor-
isms of Moses Maimonides," the Harvey's time, a to and fro mo-
work is translated and edited by tion of blood had been postulated.
Dr. Fred Rosner, chief of the hem- Maimonides' 44th aphorism might
atology division, Queens Hospital therefore represent an unbeliev-
Center in Jamaica, an affiliate ably accurate description of blood
of the Long Island Jewish Medical circulation several centuries be-
Center, and Dr. Seussman Munt- fore Harvey. Maimonies states
ner, professor of the history of that he found this information in
the seventh treatise of the Mega-
medicine at Hebrew University.
In the 44th aphorism—one of pulse of Galen. However, Dr. Munt-
1.500 medical rules, regulations ner. whose 1959 edition is the de-
and descriptions—of the 4th treat- finitive Hebrew translation, could
ise or chapter, Maimonides writes: not locate or identify this descrip-
"Do not consider arterial (blood) tion in Galen. An air of mystery
According to present estimates,
agricultural production will in-
crease by 40 per cent in the next
five years. The citrus yield will
grow by 75 per cent, even if no
new orchards are planted. Milk
(From the files of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Dr. Rosner said that hlaimo-
nides' description of coronary
thrombosis, myocardial infarc-
tion, and possibly even athero-
sclerosis, are other examples
of his power of clear and vivid
description.
40 Years Ago This Week: 1930
Lord Melchett, ex-president of the English Zionist . Federation and
ex-chairman of the Council for the Jewish Agency for Palestine, died in
London at 62.
An Arab historian told the Wailing Wall Commission in Cairo that
an Arab had discovered America.
The Arab paper Maraat El Sharak urged Palestinians to boycott
Egyptian goods because of the high protective tariff on certain Pales-
tinian products.
England estblished stiff fines for Jewish barbers who worked Satur-
days and non - Jewish barbers who worked Sundays.
The Ku Klux Klan left a Christmas "present" at the door of Leon
Written in Arabic between 1187
and 1190, the aphorisms represent
Maimonides' (1135 - 1204) last ma-
jor work, and is the most vOlu-
minous of his 10 authentic .medi-
cal writings. A complete Arabic
original manuscript exists in the
Gotha Library in East Germany.
The 1.500 aphorisms were culled
Schwartz, Jewish mayor of Mobile, Ala.
The Union of Unemployed Intellectuals found that Polish JeWs with
from Galen, Hippocrates and a
number of Islamic physicians.
They are arranged in 25 treatises
college education were denied even street - sweeper and snow - shoveler
jobs.
The St. Louis Board of Adjustment rejected, for the second time, a
permit for Beth Hayahaduth Congregation to remodel a residence as a
mikvah, saying it would be a zoning violation and a public nuisance.
or chapters.
To compile the aphorisms, Mai-
monides had to go through 500
volumes of Galen, writings of
other physicians, select relevant
portions, arrange them in logical
cows will give a 17 percent higher
sequence and systematize this
yield, and the herd will grow to
wealth of medical knowledge.
93.000 by 1975.
Though the aphorisms are pri-
Production of milk will increase
by several hundred per cent, as marily a collection of medical
rules
and descriptions, Maimo-
will the output of the meat-proc-
nides inserts his own views occa-
essing industry.
sionally
and debunks his prede-
According to Gvati, these major
gains can be accomplished with- cessors. In particular, he exposes
out adding additional labor costs. falsifications and errors of Galen,
but will require billions of pounds who he attacks for lack of experi-
in new investment to modernize mentation and independent inves-
tigation.
and to reach peak efficiencies.
Hanuka in Israel at Hadassah Medical Center
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
This Week in Jewish History
thus remains concerning circula-
tion of the blood."
Israeli Agriculture Output Sees a Dramatic Upturn
JERUSALEM (ZINS) — Israel
is on the verge of a major break-
through in agricultural produc-
tion, it was reported at a press
conference by Agriculture Minis-
ter Haim Gvati.
38—Friday, December 25, 1970
10 Years Ago This Week: 1960
1
Premier Ben-Gurron threatened to quit over the Ministerial exon-
eration of former Defense Minister Pinhas Lavon in the "security mis-
hap."
Keren Hayesod sought $1 trillion in 10 years to aid Israeli immi-
grants.
Gottlieb Musikant, former SS medical orderly, got 21 life terms in
West Germany for killing 21 wartime prisioners.
Rabbi Abraham Yaacov Friedman, Tzadik of Sadigora and a leader
of the Council of Sages, died in Tel Aviv at 76.
The USSR's 1960 Statistical Handbook said 10 per cent of Soviet
scientists were Jewish, a rise of 25 per cent in five years.
Premier Ben-Gurion enraged American Jews by declaring that
diaspora Jews had forsaken their religion.
Four Jews were among Time magazine's 15 scientific "men of the
year": I. I. Rabi, Edward Teller, Joshua Lederberg and Donald Glaser.
Prof. Jack Bresler of Brown University claimed surveys of Brown
and Pembroke College graduates showed interreligious marriages led
to reduced fertility.
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled an employe could be fired
for demanding time off without pay for Passover and Sabbath, as "in-
dustries can ill afford to have any of the cogs of their machinery slowed
up."
The U.S. District Court in Washingson. D.C., dismissed a suit by
George Lincoln Rockwell against the JTA for reporting he had hid
under a platform during a riot he had fomented.
Drug Control Programs in New York
Get 3-Year Grant From Federation
NEW YORK (JTA) — A special
fund of $100,000 annually for the
next three years has been allocated
by the Federation of Jewish Phil-
anthropies to supplement drug con-
trol programs now being conducted
by federation agencies, in re-
Small patients in the playroom of the pediatrids department of the Hadassah-Hebrew
University Medical Center in Jerusalem write and produce a play about "A Great Miracle
That Happened Here," for the benefit of fellow patients, as shown above.
In the lower photo, at the Hanuka party in the ward, children of all religious faiths
participate in the holiday observance. About 25 per cent are from Arab families. Many
childrehYdnie 'ficirri Iran and Cyprus.
sponse to the "enormity" of the
city's drug abuse problem, George
H. Heyman, Jr., federation presi-
dent has announced. In addition
to provisions for specific agencies,
the allocation will underwrite prep-
aration of a directory of federa-
tion agency drug control programs,
for police and communal refer-
ence, and an emergency after-
hours answering service through-
out the metropolitan area for cri-
sis situations, he reported.
James J. Fuld, chairman of the
federation's distribution commit-
tee, described the special fund allo-
cation as a stop-gap sum, for spe-
cific non-budgeting - activities, made
possible through gifts contributed
by benefactors for discretionary
use. He said "almost every agency
in our functional areas, except the
aged," could use more staff for
work with drug-involved young
people. He said that his committee,
realizing the limited funds for the
drug treatment phase of the fed-
eration program, and the geograph-
ical areas where little or no fed-
eration agency drug service exists,
made its allocation specifically to
four agencies in the family and
children's I services field and to
four Jewish centers. He said the
grants were made to be used pri
marily for preventive efforts and
for individuals in the earlier stages
of drug use. He said the areas
specified for additional aid in fam-
ily and children's services are Nas-
sau and Westchester counties and
the Bronx and Brooklyn. The Jew-
ish centers serve Long Island and
the northeast Bronx, he added.
Federation agencies -- Jewish
centers, hospitals, camps and or-
ganizations relating to children,
family service and vocational as-
sistance — currently sponsor a
wide variety of drug control pro-
grams. The federation is seeking
to obtain additional "back-up"
funds fo rthese programs from out-
side sources — such as the New
York State Narcotic Control Com-
mission, the Greater New York
Fund and private foundations — to
increase the limited funds avail-
able from regular campaign con-
tributions, Fuld said. He added
if additional funds were obtained
from the State, he hoped "pro-
visions will be made for additional
staffing in other federation agen-
cies."
All of the federation children's
family service and vocational agen-
cies are deeply involved with drug
users in their regular case loads,
he reported. Many . youthful drug
users are also admitted to institu-
tions and other placement facili-
ties, as well as to a vocational re-
habilitation workshop, he said. In
addition, he reported, - new and
specialized projects in local neigh-
borhoods have been reported by
the federation's Medical Center
and Jewish Community Services
of Long Island, to provide a wide
variety of services both to those
who come for help and those for
whom federation agencies conduct
out-reach prorgams.
All of federation's general hos-
pitals, and one specialized hospital,
provide medical service to drug-
involved patients. Some have set
aside beds for detoxification pro-
grams. Beth Israel Hospital main-
tains the nation's largest Metha-
done treatment center for hard
core addicts of any voluntary hos- _
pital and supervises 19 similar
units in other hospitals. The Meth-
adone program is financed direct.
ly by New York State through the
Narcotics Contral Commission
Fuld said total dollar expenditures
of Beth Israel for all of its drug
addiction programs amount to $7,-
000,000.
"Boswell, lend me sixpence—
not to be . repaid..":-6arnikel -
son.