On means of transport of Danish veterinarians during the last two hundred years.

For almost 20 years the authors have been selecting and editing the material referring to the means of transport which Danish veterinarians used in the 18th, 19th and 20th century. The source material contains memoirs, advertisements from veterinary medical journals, obituaries and other sources, based on which a 210-page book in the Danish language has been published. The article presents an abridged version of this book. In Denmark, the first veterinarians rendered their services at the time when this profession had not yet established itself. They were relatively poor and very often they had to walk even 15 to 20 km per day in order to visit two or three farms, where their professional help was needed. In the first half of the 19th century, the economic situation of Danish veterinarians improved, so they could afford a horse of their own. From the second half of the 19th century, the gig, a light two-wheel vehicle drawn by one horse, was in use. At the end of the 19th century, bicycles and motor-bicycles were slowly gaining ground. The gig, however, continued to be the main means of transport, because it was cheap and safe. In the 20th century, the automobile era began, but World War I prevented the widespread use of cars due to the shortage of petrol, rubber parts and the like. After the war, automobiles came into common use both in medical and veterinary practice. Only in hard winters with much snow, horses and sledges were coming to the fore again. World War II once again created the shortage of petrol and rubber tyres, so horses and gas generators were in demand. After the war, various car models completely dominated the veterinary practice, cars with built-in shelves for medicines, instruments and other medical supplies in particular. The telephone was a great help and of service to veterinarians, because many of long trips to clients were not necessary any more, thanks to the simple communication over the phone. Veterinarians were often among the first owners of the telephone in a town or village, which can still be seen in their valid phone numbers (ending with 01, 02, etc.). Some veterinarians travelled also by train, during the war in particular. When there was much snow, some used skis. Some Danish veterinarians had to accompany exotic animals on their journey from Africa or Thailand, where planes were the main means of transport. In the 19th and 20th century, veterinarians used to accompany animals during their transport at sea, for example from South America to Danish colonies in West India (Tranquebar). After World War II, several veterinarians accompanied animals transported by ships to some of the Baltic harbours in the former USSR. In Denmark, there are many islands with numerous farms, therefore, if required, veterinarians from the continent have to be ready to go to the islands any time, day or night. In such cases boats are the primary means of transport, but planes and helicopters are also used in modern times. In Greenland, veterinary services are provided by veterinarians travelling by ships or boats, helicopters, and sometimes even dog-sledges.

Arkansas and the motorcyle helmet law.

Motorcycle helmet laws have a long and colorful history dating back to the original work of Britain's Dr. Hugh Cairns during World War II. In Arkansas, the state's mandatory motorcycle helmet law was repealed in 1997 and replaced by a law requiring only those under the age of 21 to wear helmets. Recent work by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has highlighted the impact of the helmet law repeal and demonstrated an increase in nonhelmeted motorcycle crash admissions, head injury severity, ICU length of stay and financial loss at this institution. In February of 2003, House Bill 1024 was submitted to the Arkansas House Committee on Public Transportation to reinstate the mandatory motorcycle helmet law for all motorcycle riders but was killed in committee. This article is a review of motorcycle helmet laws with particular emphasis on the arguments pro and con and the history of these laws in the state of Arkansas.

Lawrence of Arabia, Sir Hugh Cairns, and the origin of motorcycle helmets.

When Colonel T.E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident in May 1935, one of the several doctors attending him was a young neurosurgeon, Hugh Cairns. He was moved by the tragedy in a way that was to have far-reaching consequences. At the beginning of the Second World War, he highlighted the unnecessary loss of life among army motorcycle dispatch riders as a result of head injuries. His research concluded that the adoption of crash helmets as standard by both military and civilian motorcyclists would result in considerable saving of life. It was 32 years later, however, that motorcycle crash helmets were made compulsory in the United Kingdom. As a consequence of treating T.E. Lawrence and through his research at Oxford, Sir Hugh Cairns' work largely pioneered legislation for protective headgear by motorcyclists and subsequently in the workplace and for many sports worldwide. Over subsequent decades, this has saved countless lives.