ABSTRACT
A controlled study was conducted on a batch of fifty-four medical students in the paraclinical period of study, to compare the relative effectiveness of self-reading of books, didactic lecture and use of self-instruction kits as teaching-learning experiences. The assessment was done by an immediate and delayed objective type examination as well as questionnaire. The results indicate self-reading to be relatively ineffective. Didactic lectures and use of self-instruction kits have a similar rating in objective assessment while, subjectively, the students expressed a marginal preference for self-instruction kits. Comparison of the performance of the students grouped according to merit reveals that there is no significant difference between the three methods of learning in the lower group while the upper group did perceptibly better with self-instruction kits than with didactic lecture.
Subject(s)
Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Teaching/methods , India , Programmed Instructions as Topic , ReadingABSTRACT
An alcoholic extract of Cucumis trigonus was studied for its diuretic activity in albino rats using hydrochlorothiazide as a standard drug for comparison. The extract exhibited a dose-dependent saliuretic effect reaching a peak at 4 hours. Unlike hydrochlorothiazide, the extract does not affect potassium excretion.
Subject(s)
Diuretics , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Animals , Chlorides/urine , Cucumis , Female , Hydrochlorothiazide/pharmacology , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Male , Potassium/urine , Rats , Sodium/urineSubject(s)
Blood Vessels/metabolism , Endorphins/pharmacology , Enkephalins/pharmacology , Muscle Contraction/drug effects , Muscle, Smooth/drug effects , Prostaglandins E/pharmacology , Animals , Aorta/drug effects , Aorta/metabolism , Chickens , Colon/drug effects , Drug Interactions , Enkephalin, Methionine , In Vitro Techniques , Prostaglandins E/metabolism , Rats , Rectum/drug effects , Stomach/drug effectsABSTRACT
Alcoholic extract of Cucumis trigonus was studied for analgesic activity by tail clip method in mice with pethidine hydrochloride as standard drug and by hydrochloric acid-induced writhing in mice using sodium salicylate as standard drug for comparison. ED50 of the extract was found to be 2.5 +/- 1.9 and 2.5 +/- 1.7 mg/kg in the two methods, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity was studied in carrageenin-induced oedema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma using phenylbutazone as a standard drug for comparison. In both the methods the extract exhibited statistically significant activity.
Subject(s)
Analgesics , Anti-Inflammatory Agents , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plants, Medicinal , Animals , Chemical Phenomena , Chemistry , Edema/chemically induced , Female , Lethal Dose 50 , Male , Mice , Phenylbutazone/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/toxicity , Reaction Time/drug effectsABSTRACT
Tetramisole produced a dose-dependent persistent contraction of cat nictitating membrane. This was not significantly altered by prior adrenalectomy or reserpinisation and tyraminisation, but was abolished by prior alpha blockade.
