PAGE 20, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1987 Br ROXANNE REVELER News & Features Editor I've dot a told in my node. But that isn't so surprising seeing as every other person I have come in contact with over the past few weeks, including my own kids, has one. Appears to be the national pastime, save for going on strike. Anyway, I thought I would let you in on one of the revelations of our time. Just how you get a cold, and what you can do to get rid of one. It is 7:58 a.m. The victim steps into an empty elevator and pusies the button. Moments before, the night watch- man had left the same elevator. On the ride down he had been humming one of his favorite tunes when he was in- terrupted by a sneeze. He cursed the weather, sneezed again and covered his mouth with his hand. Impatiently, he pushed the elevator button again. 7:59. Walking down the hall to her desk, the victim pulls a windblown strand of hair from the corner of her eye with her right thumb and index finger. Under an ordinary microscope no one would have detec- ted anything unusual about the' air in the elevator, the elevator button or the victim's finger. But there were several million drops of moisture, with billions of specks of dust clinging to each drop, spewed into the air by the man's singing and sneezing. In the elevator when the victim breathed, a quarter of a million of the particles lodged in the minute hills and valleys of her nose. A second invasion was relayed by her fingers from the elevator button to her eye, and the dust began drifting along the membrane lining toward her throat. 10:00. Drifting randomly, several of the dust particles begin to bump into cells. The attraction is irresistible and the particles fasten their hold on the cells. Minute geodesic domes, the particles are rhino, or "nose" viruses. Uncloaked, the virus is nothing but pure poten- tial. Its single purpose - to multiply. 2:30 p.m. The virus, which has no means of reproduc- tion, starts to take control of the cell's manufacturing cen- k "ni r 7VIEWPOINT by Roxanne Reveler Al about colds ter. The takeover starts with the firing up of viral genes that will locate and shut down the cell's factory. 8:00. The 900,000 cells in the victim's nose have had their manufacturing centres shut down. A second battery of viral genes fires, directing the cell factory to begin production of viral nucleic acid. With sufficient supplies of nucleic acid on hand, a third series of genes goes into ac- tion, switching production to materials for the armor coat. Twenty-four different types of amino acids are needed for the armor the virus will wear. With the production of viral coating material complete, assembly of the young virus begins. Twenty four hours after entering the victim's body, the new viruses make their triumphant'escape, massing toward the edge of the cells and bursting through the cell Walls. Fatally wounded, the cells soon die. Within the hour, progeny from each of the 900,000 cells - 90 million strong - drift toward healthy cells. The victim feels the start of a scratchy, sore throat. Forty-eight hours after inhaling the contaminated air, the second generation of viral progeny floods into cir- culation. In the nose, dead cells begin to accumulate by file Phone 655-3637 the millions and the body secretes fluid to wash them away. The victim has a slightly runny nose. By the third day, the third generation of viruses pours into her system. There are now close to a trillion and for every virus the immune system manages to kill, 10,000 take its place. That morning, the victim wakes feeling miserable. Her eyes and nose are rivers. Her head aches. Her throat is dry and sore. She calls in sick, stays in bed, drinks a half gallon of orange juice to swallow a handful of aspirin and vitamin C pills. But the virus continues to proliferate and cell losses rise higher. • Day four. At 96 hours something happens. Suddenly the virus stops infecting new cells and the body begins to wash them away. Exactly what happens is a mystery. Why a cold stops short instead of persisting for weeks scientists cannot say. The crucial facts defy explanation. Why are there so many types of rhinovirus? Over 100 have been identified, which explains why there has not been a vaccine for colds. Although modern medicine has not been able to come up with a vacine to prevent a cold, or for that matter a cure for one, they have made other discoveries which offer lit- tle or no comfort. There is no evidence that .getting a chill or being ex- posed to a draft have anything to'do with getting a cold. The best studies show vitamin C has no useful effect on cold. Antibiotics are useless against the common cold. Most nonprescription remedies may relieve certain sym- ptoms, experts say, but they will not prevent, shorten or cure the common cold. prink lots of fluids...it will make you feel better even though it won't affect the progress of the cold. Finally, get lots of bed rest. Nice if you can get it, but it still won't cure that cold. So what do you do? The answer is easy. Grin and bear it and if it gives you any satisfaction, retilize you have spread it on to someone else. Reflections of a Golden Age » _ amm.« maa By MABEL M. McCABE I don't know if any of you were lucky enough to read Rachel Carson's book released twenty-five years ago. It was called 'The Silent Spring,' and told of the dangers of pesticides. At that time the worst was DDT. Now we know that there are many such chemicals being manufactured for the farmers and the homes to get rid of the bugs and diseases that harm crops. What we fail to notice is the damage these compounds are doing to our health and the good environment of our surroundings. I am happy to say that even though Rachel died many years ago, her book is being reprinted and we will again have the chance to gain from her knowledge. It should be a must on the shelf of everyone who has developed strange allergies or found that many of the foods they once enjoyed do not agree with them now. It's simple. All the spraying and use of pesticides is gradually poisoning the very food we eat and the air we breathe. Much of the pollution of our beautiful lakes and streams can be at- tributed to the run-off from sprayed fields after a rainstorm. Does anyone out there care that we are killing ourselves for the price of a few less bites and flies? I can't speak for you but I care. I've noticed my grandchildren are plagued with more than the usual amounts of colds and sore throats. They are also developing coughs and rashes for unknown reasons. Doctors cannot explain what many of the children growing up now are allergic to and it's no wonder. The chemical companies are forever altering formulas to get around the prohibitions of governments. Just one small change gives the manufacturer the right to carry on until it is proven harmful once again. We all know how long the veterans of the Viet Name war have been fighting for compensation because of Agent Orange which contains digoxen (yet it is as 'dioxen'). In Canada and the United States it is used and allowed to destroy our drinking water. Remember Love Canal? Our whole nation will be one large Love Canal if the people in charge do not take their responsibilities to heart. Yes, we would find that there are smaller crops and it would be harder work to protect them but they would be fit for human consumption. As a senior who wants to live long and be as healthy as I can it is an important factor. I remember when visitors from the States were hap- py to get up here and drink our sparkling cold water from the tap. Now I can't get a cold drink from any tap and most of the tap water is so badly tainted it is almost as dangerous as drinking cyanide. Let the health departments start checking on the foods we eat and the water we drink to find the causes of so many new and unheard of maladies that are causing illness among young and old alike. Maybe the old ways were the best after all. At least we were not dying from the very foods we ate. I pray the prophecy in Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring' never comes true. What a lonely and sad world this would be without the song of birds and the chirp of crickets to fortell the coming of summer. Puppet troupe at Meadowcrest Primary students at Meadowerest Public School in Brooklin were recently treated to a special visit from some 'Kids on the Block.' The Kids on the Block program originated in the United States. It was started by a special education teacher to help integrate children who were "different" into the mainstream of regular classes. Using large as life puppets, the size of an average two-year-old. and special scripts, Kids on the Block teaches children about their peers who might be afflicted with epilepsy, diabetes, retardation, leukemia and even such afflictions as acne. The program even touches on physically abused children. Ail puppets and scripts are imported from the United States (they are copyrighted>. The program is intended for children from kindergarten to Grade 6. While at Meadowerest, the Kids on the Block troupe will give three 45-minute performances. Members of the group. Suzanne Cook, Lynn Kenyon. Lenna Reid and Nan Patrick are ail volunteers who work together as a team. as a team. Patrick, who is a resident of Brooklin, herself attended Meadowerest as a child. She has been a volunteer since just after the inception of the group in Durham a little over a year ago. Since that time, Kids on the Block has travelled to many schools throughout Durham Region. Orchid discussion at society meeting Brooklin Horticultural Society will hold its next general meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at Brooklin United Church, starting at 8 p.m. The topic of the evening will be "Growing Native Orchids" with a guest speaker from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton. Everyone is welcome to attend. bringing with them their message that some children are a little dif- ferent. Through their one-act plays, they use their puppets to explain varioùs afflictions and solicit questions from their young audien- ce. Operating from the Maplewood Centre on Adelaide St. in Oshawa, the Durham group is fortunate to have had various organizations within the region donate puppets for their use. The Cancer Foun- dation donated the leukemia puppet and the Diabetes Association, the diabetic puppet. United Church Women and their guests enjoyed a potluck supper at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 6. Special guests included the minister Rev. Frazer Lacey, Presbyterial president Margaret. Anne Lamb and missionaries Leone and Gordon Taylor. The Taylors are missionaries on a boat, the 'Thomas Crosby V,' which calls at lonely outposts on the B.C. coast where there are no roads. The Taylors showed slides and took turns describing them and telling of their work as pastor and nurse. UCW members are reminded to bring new knitted articles to the church by Oct. 25 for the 'Jack Frost Project.' A bale of good used winter clothing will be packed at the church on Nov. 2. Parents wishing to have their children baptized at the morning service on Oct. 25 should contact the minister as soon as possible. Rev. Jim Dowden of Ancaster will be guest preacher on church anniversary Sunday, Nov. 1. He was a member of Brooklin congregation when he was studying for the ministry. He also served as student assistant with Rev. Frazer Lacey at St.. Andrew's United Church in Oshawa. On Nov. 15, Rev. George Lavery of Toronto will be guest preacher. He is the overseas personnel officer with the division of World Outreach. Tickets are still available for the Hunters and Hillbillies Hoedown on Nov. 6 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. They are $15 per couple and may be pur- chased from Tani or Harry Agar. The Christian Education Com- mittee will be taking orders for cheese to provide funds for projects involving the children of the congregation. Contact Maureen Jackson at 655-4469 or any member of the committee. Play to celebrate library week The Brooklin Branch of the Whit- by Public Library will 'be celebrating Ontario Public Library week by offering a play especially for children 3 - 6 years on Friday, Oct. 23 at1 p.m. Founded in 1985, Lilliput Produc- tions has since been thrilling young audiences. Their aim is to provide professional, original and enter- taining productions for children. There's trouble in Toyland! Frisbee, the lovable'watchdog at Grumbles Toy Store, is too shy and bashful to scare away intruders. The future looks bleak! With the help of Martha Mop-Up. his friend and cleaning lady. he discovers his true potential. Lots of songs, dan- cing and audience participation. j United Church news