_ c._ _ .
Health Service Handbook
The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students of the
University of Michigan
Wednesday, July 6, 1977
News Phone: 764-0552
Neutron bomb explodes
insufficient controversy
BY A SINGLE VOTE margin in the Senate late last week,
that dubiously distinguished body of legislators prov-
ed to the American public just how irrational our national
defense system can get. The show's not over yet, folks, the
best is yet to come.
That single vote margin left funds for the develop-
ment and testing of the neutron bomb intact, when such
funds indubitably should have been blown to smithereens.
That bomb, exploded in the air above the target, would,
through what is known as "enhanced radiation", kill peo-
ple, but leave the physical structures which mark the cul-
tures of mankind en Coto.
Just how the development and testing of such a wea-
pon woulud affect the arms race or the SALT tests is not
known-the White House-which, incidentally, favors the
development and testing of "enhanced radiation" weapons
-has not yet submitted the impact statement to those
people whio decide the fate of such matters.
How can an executive branch which purports to abhor
the arms race, which is allegedly seeking a SALT agree-
ment, which deplored the lack of a comprehensive nu-
clear test ban in campaign statements, justify this insane
pose?
THIS WEAPON COULD feasibly change the apparently
now-old-fashioned-war strategy of crippling the ene-
my's warring capabilities in times of con lict to simply
eliminating numbers of the enemy. And the proposed
death- by radiation-is one of the most horrible imagine-
able.
Statistics on the size and long lasting effects of radia-
tion upon the environs of targeted areas are not known.
But the slow, painful lingering death of those fatally ex-
posed to the radiation is all too familiar. It is also known
that exposure to the radiation could affect the yet-to-be
born.
Little information about this horrible neutron bomb
is available. As such, our senators, faced with a vote on,
the issue, voted with even less information than what we
now have. They voted without the feedback of their con-
stituencies. They voted, not knowing the full horrible de-
tails about the effects of this bomb.
And they voted knowing the creation of such a bomb
would make nuclear war harder to avoid than it is now.
On August 15, 1945, after tales of the devastation at
Hiroshima just begari to be told, Americans and people all
over the globe feared that A-bomb would be but the begin-
ning of a new and terrifyingly awesome era in warfare.
The bleakest hopes and darkest fears of those days, now
rekindled, become less of a nightmare and closer to real-
ity.
And.human life be damned.
By SYLVIA HACKER
and NANCVPALCHIK
QUESTION: Will a diet in
fatty foods eventually lead to
a heart attack?
ANSWER: According to Dr.
Edmund Whale, a Health Ser-
vice staff member, in order to
understand the effects of a diet
high in cholesterol and satura-
ted fats on your chances of
having a heart attack, you must
consider their effect on the mid-
dle and larger sized arteries in
the body. There are certain
growths or deposits that develop
inside these arteries which can
then undergo a series of pro-
cesses which may eventually
result in obstruction of the ar-
tery by a blood clot (throm-
bosis).
A diet high in cholesterol and
saturated fats may speed up
this process. While many other
factors are involvedl here, both
intrinsic (genetic factors, blood
pressure, blood sugar, etc.),
and extrinsic (cigarette smok-
ing, environmental stresses,
etc.), it is true diet and choles-
terol levels are often important.-
Does this mean everyone must
give up bacon, eggs, butter and
cream? Not really. Some peo-
ple who haye a relatively high
intake of such foods as these
may not have high blood levels
of cholesterol and may not have
a heart attack or stroke. But
of all the various indications
of future cardio-vascular events
such 'as heart attacks and
strokes, cholesterol blood level
is one of the best predictors.
Slood cholesterol level varies
considerably in different and
in different populations. Hope-
fully, young adult students will
have a cholesterol blood level
of 200 or less. However, 200 plus
a person's age is a rough indi-
cation of "normal" cholesterol
level. Since certain foods such
as egg yolk are high in choles-
terol, it would be prudent to
limit intake of eggs to 3-5 per
week. But of course, since oth-
er foods also influence choles-
terol, limitation of eggs may
not be that necessary if the
remaining foods are relatively
low in cholesterol.
QUESTION: The doctor at
Health Service saidI had hem-
orrhoids. Is this posible? I'm
only 19.
ANSWER: Hemorrhoids (also
called piles) are common in all
age groups. We see a lot of
students with this problem -
maybe 35 to 40 a month. The
cause is not clear since it is
"1 AM War A CSCOK f/"
seen in persons engaged in both
sedentary and- active physical
work. Hemorrhoids are varicose
(enlarged) veins of the rectum
which can bleed and/or be pain-
ful. Usually they are treated
with sitz baths which are warm
water soaks in a bathtub, and
with suppositories which are
medicated objects which melts
when inserted in the rectum and
aid healing. In the end,. most
get better in a few days.
Send all health related ques-
tions to:
i Health Educators
University Health Service
Division of Office of
Student Services
217 Fletcher
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
i
I
Letters to The, Daily
pot law
To The Daily:
The recent outburst in the
House of Representatives where
Rep. Rosetta Fsurstenburg (D-
Detroit) assaulted Rep. Perry
Bullard disgusted mecomplete-
ly. Decriminalization is long
past due. Rep. McKneely's mis-
understood comparison of mari-
juana and hishson's death by
overdose of heroin was ap-
parently too emotional for Fur-
stenburg. Perhaps she needs to
smoke a joint?
Thomas Armstrong
bikeways
To The Daily:
Ann Arboryand the U can
lead the nation in helping to
solve both the energy problem
and the youth employment at
one stroke by using unskilled,
young people to build simple,
strong, elevated, level, primari-
ly wooden structures for motor-
les bikes to travel from one
hill to another in Ann Arbor
in much faster time than a car.
This blow at air pollution could
also open up wider housing
possibilities in Ann Arbor The
first viaduct -should run from
State St. to Westgate, and in-
volve considerable metal. Es-
pecially in cities, such viaducts
would cut the bicycle deaths
of youngsters.
M.J.L. O'Connor
church stands
To The Daily:
I appreciate your running the
story "Presbyterians Nix Anti-
gay Move" in your issue Wed-
nesday, June 29! I have not seen
its appearance elsewhere. I cer-
tainly say "hats off!" to the
leaders of the Amerian as-
sembly of the United Presby-
terian meeting in Philadelphia
for turning thumbs down to the
"first-cousins-to-Anita" in their
midst, one of whom seriously
proposed "we should devise a
ministry for the homosexuals
so they can be cleared of this
sin." But the majority had a
suspicion, I assume, that gay-
ness was, instead, a life long
way of life of which one's sexu-
al preference is only a part and
voted strongly to continue an in-
depth study of gayness as it
relates to the mission and min-
istfy of their church.
It is said and disappointing
that, for the most part, we have
heard nothing but a tomb like
silence from other major church
bodies, Christian and Jewish,
since Ms. Anita has been rant-
ing and raving her anti-gay ...
anti-human fulminations down
Dixie side. Silence tokens con-
sent? Guts?
One church leader who has
been heard from is television
and print media personality, the
Rev. Father Malcolm Boyd of
the Episcopal Church. He said
the other day: "We are witness-
ing the phenomenon of religi-
ous McCarthyism, the self-right-
eous and arrogant tyranny of
politicized fundamentalism over
the human rights of a scape-
goat minority. Disciples of hate
are not Christian, I don't care
how much scripture they car
quote." Right on brother Mal-
colm!
Rev. Craig S. Wilder
Contact. your reps -
Sen. Donald Riegle (Dem.), 1205 Dirksen Bldg., Washing-
ton, D.C. 20510
Sen. Robert Griffin (Rep.), 353 Russell Bldg., Capitol Hill,
Washington, D.C. 20515.
Rep. Carl Pursell (Rep.), 1709 Longworth House Office Bldg.,
Washington, D.C. 20515.
Sen. Gilbert Bursley (Rep.), Senate, State Capitol Bldg.,
Lansing, MI 48933.
Rep. Perry Bullard (Dem.), House of Representatives, State
Capitol Bldg., Lansing,'MI 48933.