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“Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties”

Article  in  Canadian Medical Association journal · November 1983

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2. WOOD JONES F: The Principles of Anato- soldiers were published in Paris2 6 to make prisoners lose control and
my as Seen in the Hand, 2nd ed, Bail1i.re days before Reiter's paper was pub- cooperate with their interrogators.
Tindall, London, 1941
3. Idem: Life and Living, Paul (Kegan), lished in Germany. Three of the prisoners said that
Trench, Trubner, London, 1939 Since Isaac Senter3 noted postdys- attempts had been made to hypno-
enteric polyarthropathy in 1776 tize them.
and Sir Benjamin Brodie4 reported That torture continues to be prac-
postvenereal arthropathy in 1818, tised routinely in Chile may not be a
"Compendium of there seems to be excellent justifica- surprise to anyone. However, I am
Pharmaceuticals tion for clearing up the confusing sure that members of the medical
and Specialties" nomenclature by calling the. syn- profession cannot fail to be deeply
drome "Reiter's disease" (in view of concerned about the role of their
We have become aware of a com- its long association with Reiter) but colleagues in this practice. Torture
puter programming error that calling the subgroups "Senter's ar- is proscribed under a number of
caused a number of eye care pro- thritis" (if the disease is postdysent- United Nations codes, and the in-
ducts to be listed as discontinued in eric) and "Brodie's arthritis" (if the volvement of doctors in torture is in
the 1983 edition of the "Compendi- disease is postvenereal). direct contravention of the World
um of Pharmaceuticals and Special- Medical Association's Declaration
JAMES MCSHERRY, MB, CH B of Tokyo and the United Nations.
ties". A list of the products that are Director, student health service
in fact still available appears below. Queen's University recently adopted principles of medi-
Kingston, Ont. cal ethics. Should any member of
CARMEN KROGH the medical profession in Canada
Director of publications References wish to voice his or her concern
Canadian Pharmaceutical Association
Ottawa, Ont. about these violations of medical
1. REITER HCJ: Ueber eine bisher uner- ethics they could do so in a brief
kannte Spiroch.iteninfektion (Spirochaeto-
sis arthritica). Dtsch Med Wochenschr letter to the president of Chile, Gen-
Bantes4%frACab&. 1916; 42: 1535-1536 eral Augusto Pinochet, Moneda Pal-
a ankingaol 2. FIEssINGER N, LEROY E: Contribution . ace, Santiago, Chile. Further infor-
Coui.ortDrops >.. l'.tude d'une .pid.mie de dysenterie dans mation can be obtained from me at
la Somme (juillet-octobre 1916). Bull Soc the address below.
Neo.Tar. Med Hop Paris 1916; 40: 2030-2069
One So.ou 3. SENTER I: Quoted in MCSHERRY JA: ELAINE KENNEDY, MD
Soft Le.u. b ffqu.ed..It tablets Reiter's syndrome and the American revo- 95 W 23rd Ave.
S.!tLpm i.iea*frg wMtlo. lutionary war. Practitioner 1982; 226: Vancouver, BC
794-795 V5Y 2G8
Soft Lens weekly de.a.g'*ttlo. 4. BRODIE BC: Pathologic and Surgical Ob-
Soquette servations on Diseases and Joints, Long-
Titan man, London, 1818: 54
Wetting sOlution Carpal tunnel syndrome
hgtaa. & 34Lt4
. yn. m pregnancy
Germicide Evidence of torture in Chile In his letter on carpal tunnel syn-
Msko
SoIro.PIast I am writing to draw attention to a drome (Can Med Assoc J 1983;
Swg-I..Pepu recently published Amnesty Interna- 128: 1348-1349) Dr. A.R. Hudson
Ztue. tional report entitled "Chile: Evi- specifies that there is a very simple
dence of TQrture". This report docu- outpatient procedure for the reduc-
& Cm. K ments the findings of an Amnesty tion of carpal tunnel stenosis (i.e.,
Sobnr International delegation that visited surgical release under local anesthe-
Chile in 1982 to examine people sia). However, he does point out
who claimed to have been tortured that the procedure is not free from
while being detained by the Chilean morbidity.
Reiter's syndrome? security forces between March 1980 I have had considerable success in
and April 1982. There are detailed reducing the symptoms of carpal
I share Dr. J. Graham Gillan's per- accounts of tortures including beat- tunnel stenosis by injecting 40 mg of
plexity at finding that Reiter's syn- ings, administration of electric prednisone into the carpal tunnel
drome is now classified as a sexually shocks, near asphyxiation and sexual with a 21-gauge needle. Relief has
transmitted disease (Can Med Assoc humiliation, including rape. lasted well over the final trimester,
J 1983; 129: 221,224). This report is of particular inter- which is the most common time for
Although the malady is epony- est to the medical profession because the complaint. I have also had con-
mously known as Reiter's syndrome, of the role played by doctors and siderable success using the same
there is no good reason for this. paramedical staff. There is strong technique to treat carpal tunnel ste-
Reiter's original observation was evidence that doctors actively partic- nosis not associated with pregnancy.
made on a German soldier who had ipated in or assisted during the tor- C.M. GODFREY, MD, FRCP[C]
recently contracted dysentery.' Si- ture and that they administered non- Ste. 109, 484 Church St.
milar observations made on French therapeutic medicine in an attempt Toronto, Ont.
928 CAN MED ASSOC I, VOL. 129, NOVEMBER 1, 1983

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