Pharmacology

 

This picture is doing the rounds at the moment, in which Elon Musk can be seen clearly exhibiting gynaecomastia. 

He is known to have had male pattern hair loss from quite a young age. He's also known to have had hair transplant, so the hair loss is assuredly something he's sensitive about. It's likely that he is, in view of this, also taking Finasteride. 

Finasteride is a drug that has been around for a long time, having originally been developed to treat Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. It is a long term treatment. It was discovered that it can counter male pattern baldness with up to 80% of affected men seeing some hair regeneration with long term use.

But in pharmacology there's no such thing as a free lunch. Finasteride is a Testosterone inhibitor and there are potential side effects. These include loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, and gynaecomastia.

The late Chuck Jones once said, "A fanatic is one who redoubles his efforts when he has lost sight of the original objective." In his efforts to project an image of youth and vitality Mr Musk may well have been hoist by his own petard.

Quote for today, 21 January

 "Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars."

Martin Luther King

Coincidence

 While we're on the subject of Christmas.

New year

 Somewhat belatedly, Merry Christmas, and happy new year to anyone who reads this page.

Plus ca change

 I've written a number of posts here on the subject of bullying and harassment in the NHS. If you're interested just type "bullying" into the search box top left.

Various politicians through the years have claimed to have introduced initiatives to address this, and to ensure that whistleblowers are protected. None of these have had the slightest effect, as a recent case illustrates.

In 2020, not one, but three neurosurgeons at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham were judged by independent assessors to have been performing surgery "incompetently" for some time. Yet another case where the appraisal/revalidation process proved completely ineffective.

Concerns had been raised by a senior nurse as early as 2017. They were not only ignored, but the nurse was disciplined by the Trust. 

I wish I could say I was surprised, but sadly I am not.

Par for the course really.

Stupidity

 DZ is still trying to come to terms with the extraordinary fact that a majority of Americans voted to put Donald Trump back in the White House, where he poses a very serious threat, not only to the USA, but to the whole world.

It could be of course that the degree of racism in the USA population is far deeper and broader than we had imagined. The same could be said of their mysogyny. 

Or is it just rank stupidity? 

I think the late George Carlin had it right.

'Think of how stupid the average American is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.'

Royal Army Medical Corps

 

Today, the 15 November 2024, marks the end of a British institution that has lasted over a hundred years, and yet does not seem to have had a mention in the media. Even the Wikipedia entry for the RAMC makes no mention of it’s end as yet.

The Royal Army Medical Corps was formed in 1898. Since then the RAMC has attended to the health of Army personnel through peacetime and numerous conflicts, in the UK and throughout the world. It’s members have won 27 Victoria Crosses including two of only three recipients ever to win it twice.

It has undergone many changes. Of nearly forty military hospitals throughout the world not one remains. The last one, Princess Mary’s Hospital in Akrotiri closed in 2013. My own son was born at the Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital, part of the Cambridge Military Hospital, which, despite it’s name, was located in Aldershot.

The Army obviously is not going without it’s own dedicated medical services. The RAMC is being amalgamated with the Royal Army Dental Corps and the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps to form the new Royal Army Medical Services.

The thousands who have served with the RAMC over the years are sad to see it go, and wish it’s successor all success.

DZ. Belize. 1988