Mad Child Disease !!!-American news report

[ksasnic]

Mad Child Disease

Michael Arnold Glueck and Robert J. Cihak

Monday, Sept. 13, 2004

 

The medical, scientific and political rifles are loaded and the shots will soon be heard in Sacramento and around the nation. Hopefully the winners will be all our children and grandchildren. The issue, which has drawn nationwide attention, is the bitter strife over possible risks from the chemical thimerosal, which is about half ethyl mercury, in our vaccines given to children and pregnant women.

 

The California State Assembly on August 26 voted to eliminate the mercury-based preservative from vaccines and sent the measure to the governor's office, where its prognosis is uncertain. The vote was 48 to 21 in favor of the bill, which earlier in the week passed the state Senate, 22 to 13, despite opposition from leading vaccine maker Aventis Pasteur Inc.

 

We applaud the California Legislature. We think they got it right in spite of clashing evidence, studies and emotions.

 

 

A spokesman said Schwarzenegger had not taken a position on the bill. We urge him to sign it. The bill would bar pregnant women and children under three years old from getting vaccines with more than trace levels of thimerosal after July 2006.

 

 

During the 1990s, millions of infants and toddlers were exposed to mercury above federal guidelines because of a rising number of routine shots in which thimerosal was a common ingredient used to prevent bacterial contamination. Since 1999, the chemical has been reduced to trace levels in most pediatric vaccines. Vaccine makers and many health officials say there is no proof of a causal link between thimerosal and autism. To which we add that there is no definitive proof there isn't!

 

The audience listened with enthralled attention to a talk about one mad cow from Canada, which caused an investigation costing millions of dollars, observed Dr. Boyd Haley at the July 2004 meeting of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness.

 

 

But the major disaster, he said, is the one that is happening to our children. Psychiatrists call it attention deficit disorder, autism, autism spectrum disorder, or pervasive development disorder. He calls it mad child disease and thinks that its various forms represent different levels of mercury toxicity.

 

 

Dr. Haley, chairman of the chemistry department at the University of Kentucky, blamed the medical and dental professions, for not speaking out. Every quantitative study has shown that the largest contributor to the mercury body burden in Americans is dental amalgams. The level is increased 10-fold by brushing and another 10-fold by placing the amalgam in a cup of hot coffee, Haley stated.

 

 

In a position statement released in October 2002, the American Dental Association (ADA) asserted that "the process by which amalgam is made renders the bound mercury component stable." The FDA reaffirmed the safety of dental amalgam in March 2002; however, it has never tested or funded a test of an amalgam filling to determine whether it releases mercury, according to Dr. Haley.

 

In a July 2002 press release, the ADA admitted that a "minute" amount of mercury "may be released" by "vigorous chewing and grinding," but "there is no scientific evidence that this negligible amount results in adverse health effects."

 

 

Babies don't have fillings, but their mothers do. The more amalgams, the higher the mercury level in the hair of normal infants. But unexpectedly, autistic children have low levels of mercury in their hair, and the more severe the autism, the lower the level tends to be, even if the mother has many fillings.

 

The mercury that is not found in the hair or the blood is retained in the tissues, Dr. Haley explains; some individuals cannot excrete it properly. Autistic children have more mercury in their baby teeth and unload much more mercury than normal when challenged with a mercury-chelating agent.

 

 

Thimerosal was removed from vaccines for cats and dogs in 1992, but thimerosal-free hepatitis B vaccine was not available for babies until 2000.

 

 

The epidemic of these child diseases started at the same time as the mandated vaccine program in 1982-1985, Dr. Haley notes. The first case of autism, for a time a uniquely American disease, was described in 1941.

 

Thimerosal had been patented in 1928 and was added to various American drugs in the 1930s.

 

The male:female ratio is about 4:1 in all of these child diseases, suggesting that the cause is probably the same toxic vector. It happens that boys are much more susceptible to mercury toxicity than girls because testosterone potentiates toxicity while estrogen is protective.

 

Bernard Rimland, Ph.D., founder of the Autism Research Institute, said that 4 percent of American boys are autistic. He predicts a serious shortage of technically trained men and suggests that fully vaccinated children could lose 15 to 20 IQ points and have blunted emotions and behavioral problems.

 

 

On the other hand, The Institute of Medicine has called for an end to research on a connection between mercury and neurodevelopment disorders, and for channeling funds into "more productive" avenues. Officials, however, are unable to state their hypothesis to explain the epidemic of mad child disease, Dr. Haley said.

 

On June 4, 2004, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel forwarded to Congress hundreds of disclosures from private citizens alleging public health concerns about thimerosal in childhood vaccines.

 

It is alleged that:

 

1. Vaccines containing 25 mcg of mercury per dose and carrying an expiration date of 2005 continue to be produced and administered.

 

2. Some data sets showing a relationship between thimerosal and neurologic disorders no longer exist.

 

3. Independent researchers have arbitrarily been denied access to CDC databases.

 

It is also alleged that the CDC and the FDA colluded with pharmaceutical companies at a conference in Norcross, Ga., in June 2000 to prevent release of a study showing a statistical correlation between thimerosal exposure and autism, attention deficit disorder, and speech and language delays.

 

Instead of releasing the data presented at the conference, the author of the study, Dr. Thomas Verstraeten, later published a different version of the study in the November 2003 issue of Pediatrics, which did not show a statistical correlation. No explanation has been provided for this discrepancy.

 

And so the conflict continues.

 

We urge Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign the California legislation and set a higher standard of safety for the country. Since the dose makes the poison, why not error on the safe side?

 

Robert J. Cihak, M.D., is a Senior Fellow and Board Member of the Discovery Institute and a past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., is a multiple-award-winning writer who comments on medical-legal issues.

[Elanor]

Well, I'm sure there's lots to say about mercury, but I couldn't read the article properly because I was blinded by the incredible insensitivity of the description of 'Mad Child Disease'. How dare any physician use this term? What if this term catches on? It's hard enough as it is, to help our children adjust to a difficult and uncaring world, without having them labelled as 'mad' too.

[Lisajb]

How dare he!

 

Lisa

[bid]

Same here!

 

Bid

[CarolJ]

Mercury poisioning was once termed "Mad Hatters Disease", in the last century. This is probably where they have coined the phrase.

 

MAD HATTER SYNDROME

What is the 'mad hatter syndrome'?

 

The term "mad as a hatter" has been inextricably linked to the madcap milliner in Lewis Carrol's classic children's book of 1865 Alice in Wonderland.

 

It actually relates to a disease peculiar to the hat-making industry of the nineteenth century. A mercury solution was commonly used during the process of turning fur into felt, causing the hatters to breathe in the fumes of this highly toxic metal, a situation exacerbated by the poor ventilation of most of the workshops. This led in turn to an accumulation of mercury in the workers bodies, resulting in symptoms such as trembling, loss of co-ordination, slurred speech, loosening of teeth, memory loss, depression, irritability and anxiety - the "mad hatter syndrome"! The phrase is still used today to describe the effects of mercury poisoning, albeit from other sources.

 

Mercury and industry- a marriage made in hell!

 

Mercury (also known as quicksilver) is one of the most toxic substances known to humanity. Despite this it is still in use industrially. Indeed, most modern day exposure to mercury comes from industrial pollution and dental amalgam fillings. It is released from burning fossil fuels, coal combustors, lead smelters and chlorine producers as well as being used in the paint, pesticide, gold mining and electrical industries (in the latter it is utilised in the production of thermometers, barometers, fluorescent tubes and alkaline batteries). The knock on effect of this continual spewing out of mercury into the environment has been increased contamination of our oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.

 

Methylmercury is formed when mercury settles in the sediments of the Earth's water systems, where it combines with methogenic bacteria to produce a new type of mercury that binds to protein in the small fish that eat the methylmercury-tainted plants. The concentration of methylmercury increases the further it travels up the food chain, thus the larger the fish the higher the risk of pollution. Fish consumption has risen dramatically in recent years due to widespread media coverage of its health benefits, in particular the high concentration of low saturated fatty acids on offer. Thus, it is paramount that the fish consumed come from the cleanest waters possible - not an easy task in these environmentally polluted times. The governments of the world should be lobbied continuously in a bid to curtail manufacturing plants from dumping mercury and other toxic wastes into our waters before it is too late!

 

The dental amalgam debate - something to chew over

 

The debate still rages as to the safety of amalgam dental fillings. According to the World Health Organisation these so-called 'silver fillings' are a major source of mercury exposure. They have already been banned in countries such as Sweden, Germany and Denmark, and an increasing number of dental surgeons in other countries are now turning to mercury-free alternatives. Amalgam dental fillings are comprised of at least 50% mercury, 35% silver, 13-9% tin and 6%-2% copper, with a trace of zinc thrown in for good measure. The mercury releases vapour on a daily basis, the amount increasing the more we chew, brush our teeth or eat hot/acidic/salty food.

 

This chronic exposure to mercury has been linked to various degenerative and autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and lupus erythematosis. Mercury is a cumulative poison and particularly affects the brain and nervous system. Symptoms of mercury poisoning are all encompassing, ranging from neurological complaints (headaches, dizziness, tremors, etc.) and inflammatory/immunological conditions. (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, allergies, asthma, etc.) to psychological disorders (memory loss, mood swings, anxiety, depression, mental confusion, etc.), gastrointestinal problems (diarrhoea, constipation, IBS, etc.) and so on.

 

Mercury does not show up in urine or blood samples. However, hair analysis will detect toxic levels of mercury. A sample of the hair can be sent by post to one of the many laboratories that specialise in such matters. It is best to use a laboratory that has been recommended by your healthcare professional.

 

Treatment strategies

 

Nutritional supplements can be used to leech out mercury and other toxic heavy metal. This process is known as chelation therapy, whereby a chelating agent specific to the metal involved attaches itself to the offending article and then removes it from the bloodstream. Sodium alginate (found in seaweed), apple pectin and Vitamin C are excellent natural chelators. Calcium, magnesium, zinc and selenium may be used to neutralise the effect of mercury, or prevent its uptake in the first place. Supplements such as glutathione, L-methionine, L-cysteine and garlic can be used to detoxify the body.

 

These days there also a number of supplements on the market especially designed to rid the body of heavy metals. They contain a variety of ingredients including the above. The ideal diet should be organic, with plenty of fibre and distilled water to enable proper elimination of toxins. Sulphur-containing foods such as onions and beans are recommended to protect the body against poisonous substances. If dental fillings are the cause of mercury toxicity it is advisable to have them removed by a dentist who advocates the amalgam-free approach.

[streamdreams]

This is BS period

 

Dr. Haley notes. The first case of autism, for a time a uniquely American disease, was described in 1941.

 

Oh ! and what was Hans A' doing at the time then ? Inventing the pencil sharpener !

 

 

 

Wikipedia has a Less Biased opinion Thimerosal

 

J