Saturday, June 19, 2010

"LIFE CAN BE BOUGHT" by Dr. Paul De Kruif November, 1936

"Isn's it worth ten dollars to keep any american boy alive?"

Ok, so First issue, First article......

Written by a doctor, this article tells the story of the death of a young boy by hydrophobia....also known as rabies. The rabies vaccine was available at the time of this boys contraction, but unfortunately the family did not have the money to pay for it. An easy connection to make to this story would be through the issue of healthcare as it is a hot topic in today's media....
However, the connection I made to this disease? Cujo, by Stephen King. I first saw it at the age of 10 or so at a lock-in at my school. A lock-in for those of you who don't know is when grown ups throw a chaperoned party for kids in a safe environment. The term lock-in is used due to the fact that the doors are "locked" once the festivities begin. And once you leave, there is no re-entry. At the age of ten it was really cool! Staying up all night, hanging out with friends, being crazy! And then again after graduation from high school, still fun, just not as cool!

So, rabies...apparently it can still be contracted. Bats are the main carriers, so as I am rarely in the presence of a bat, I think I am in the clear. As for me being in close proximity to any St. Bernards, the chances are higher these days as all my friends seem to think that getting a dog is a step towards adulthood and responsibility. Luckily we live in the city, where a St. Bernard would be ridiculous!!