Developing an export herb industry - The Jamaican Model: a viable and sustainable means of development

An export herb industry would promote and facilitate the production and industrialization of medicinal and other herbs for an export market, which is estimated to be worth US$ 58 billion and growing at 15 percent annually. This will have far-reaching impact on many sectors such as health, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, finance, foreign affairs and trade. The pursuit of this industry involves R&D, production, industrialization and commrcialization of the selected herbs. Import substitution of approximately US$ 2.5 million is also involved. Jamaica has the ability and sustainable advantages to ensure the success of this project. Several of 120 major medicinal plants in the world can grow here. Jamaica also has a large unemployed rural labour force, which could produce primary and value added products. The public sector will support R&D capacity for this project. The socio-economic benefits are significant and widespread. This represents an opportunity to attract our youth into agriculture and reduce rural poverty. It can minimize the dislocation of small farmers, threatened byliberalization, and removal of preferential free trade of outputs in which they are not likely to develop competitiveness in the medium term. This project will shift labour from producing illegal drugs into the production of high value medicinal herbs. The production and export of herbs will not require production subsidies. This industry will enhance the product and improve the affordability of local health care

Lead pollution and amelioration measures in the community of Frazers Content, St Catherine, Jamaica

Lead poisoning, especially in children, is a preventable disease. Many children are exposed to this hazard, especially in poor communities, because of a paucity of information on lead poisoning and increasing economic hardships. In 1994, the case of the poor suburban community of Frazers Content, St Catherine, Jamaica, came to the public attention because of the high frequency of hospital admissions, or outpatient treatment, of children for lead poisoning. This paper reviews a Blue Cross of Jamaica-led-initiative aimed at the clean up and education of the Frazers Content community. The following four-pronged approach was employed: environmental and biological sampling and sample analysis, health education, decontamination and community clean up and entrepreneurial activities. The project outputs included: training of 17 community wardens and 22 schoolteachers; the clean up of 64 residences which had lead levels in excess of 500 ppm; the establishment of an entombment site for the contaminated soil in accordance with the Jamaica Natural Resources Conservation Authority and training of residents in entrepreneurial skills, chicken and rabbit rearing and nursery establishment. The paper includes discussion of the lessons learnt and recommendations for future action.

Bases farmacológicas para o uso de éter venoso em anestesia / Pharmacological basis of intravenous diethyl ether anesthesia

Apresentam-se as bases farmacocinéticas para o emprego do éter a 5% em soluçäo de glicose por via venosa. Descrevem-se os princípios para os cálculos das quantidades a serem administradas, de acordo com os princípios expostos por Brody e desenvolvidos por Lowe para a anestesia quantitativa. A técnica preconizada é descrita com detalhes, quando se utiliza ventilaçäo com oxigênio puro e com misturas de óxido nitroso. As vantagens e as desvantagens säo descritas, ressaltando-se a segurança associada ao baixo custo de sua aplicaçäo