What was the final impact of Thalidomide?

Answer 1

Thalidomide was a drug given to pregnant women to help with morning sickness. It resulted in babies being born with limb deformities. As a result, there was stricter study and control of drugs.

Answer 2

Thalidomide acts upon the ectoderm (nerves) rather than the mesoderm (skeleton).

(Dr Janet McCredie, "Thalidomide - Birth Defects Explained", London, The Royal Society of Medicine Press, 2007, p. 90)

In a fetus, from day 21 past conception onwards to day 42, this causes absence of (part of) limbs

(McCredie, op. cit, p. 189 and many other places in the book}

It is possible that thalidomide stops mitosis directly without mediation through the sensory nervous system.

This possibility underlies part of the recent rationale for using thalidomide against cancer.

But Salzgeber's observations refute the case for direct action of thalidomide on mitotic cells.

(McCredie, op. cit., p. 191).

"Ockham's razor" says

"entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem"

"it is vain to do with more what can be done with fewer",

if everything in some science can be interpreted without assuming this or that hypothetical entity, there is no ground for assuming it.

(Bertrand Russell, "History of Western Philosophy", London and New York, Routledge Classics, 2004 (first published in 1946 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London), p.435)

This means that two phenomena must be resolved into one unified mode of drug action.

(McCredie, op. cit., p. 191)

"Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for …"

(John Lennon)

+

Every mother knows that her child should not play with a toy the child does not understand. The mechanism of the biological action of thalidomide is still being debated.

Human nature is constituted as such that some individuals who have inside knowledge about the effects of thalidomide will 'always' deliberately and unnoticeably cause the serious harm thalidomide can 'so easily' cause. They do that precisely because the damage is so serious to the mother and to the child and because they can do that so easily and without being noticed. It may be that 'in clinical trials', thalidomide is shown to be effective against many things. But 'in real life', it is given to unsuspecting girls. This can be reconciled with John Lennon if one remembers that thalidomide was created by the Nazis.

At this stage - 11 December 2010 -, I leave in the middle whether Ockham's razor can be reconciled with John Lennon.

Answer 3

It can be several years before you need to change your deck tiles. Tiles can be replaced individually as they fall into disrepair, or the deck can be completely replaced after several years. It is important to oil your deck every six months to a year to prevent damage to tiles.

Answer 4

The final impact of thalidomide was to justify the Welfare State http://bphouse.com/honest_money/2009/09/10/how-dare-obama-talk-healthcare/