08/22/02 NEWSLETTER carlstonmd.com
Hello Patients HOME
     I hope you have been enjoying the lovely summer. Those of us in Santa Rosa seem to have seen a bit too much of it from Highway 101 with all of the current construction. California is always supposed to be the trendsetter but this year I’ve been thinking about Minnesota’s two tradition seasons - winter and road repair, and hoping that California doesn’t decide to import Minnesota winters next.

Best,
Michael Carlston
In This Issue: INDEX
Book Release:  Classical Homeopathy - By Michael Carlston M.D. TOP
     After many years of labor and with the assistance of many I will become a parent again on October 8 when my book Classical Homeopathy is published. As I had long recognized that it was my task to create this book to bridge homeopathic and conventional medicine, this represents the completion of a major life goal. In my inevitably biased opinion it is close to perfect (See how the parenthood analogy applies?). However, as the book was created for health professionals and health sciences students I do not know how many of you would enjoy reading it. If you read it, it will certainly be informative, maybe too much so. It is, after all a textbook. You will certainly learn more than you ever wanted to learn about homeopathic medical research. It is much more than just research though, with discussions of the ancient roots of homeopathic medicine, clinical methods in homeopathy, the place of homeopathy internationally and speculation about the role of homeopathy in the future as well as other academic information (homeopathic pharmaceutical practices, credentialing etc). We will have copies of the book for sale for anyone who is interested.
LactobacillussGG And Eczema Prevention TOP
     I am certain that too many of you have been lectured to boredom about the benefits of the probiotic organism Lactobacillus GG but I do need to share some new information. As we have been learning (see information about the “hygiene hypothesis” on my website) there are important interactions between environmental bacteria and our immune systems. This is especially true during infancy. Some of the research along this line has focused on the bacteria all of us have living in our digestive tract. A recent study of women in Finland who had strong family histories of allergic disease looked at the rate of allergic disease in their children. This placebo controlled study found that these high risk pregnant women reduced the risk of allergic eczema in their children by 68% if they took Lacto GG during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy continuing through the first 6 months of life if they breast fed. The children who were not breastfed received the Lacto GG directly.
Newson Prion (Mad Cow) Disease TOP
     Those of you who have been reading these emails are aware of my concern about "Mad Cow Disease" being just the tip of an iceberg of prion diseases. Unfortunately my fears seem to be justified. Read the following from the Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources (http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/whealth/issues/CWD/)
     Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a new disease threat to North American deer populations. CWD is a brain disease related to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as "Mad Cow Disease." CWD affects elk, mule and white-tailed deer. It has been diagnosed in free-ranging deer and elk primarily in northeastern Colorado/southeastern Wyoming and adjacent Nebraska, but has been found in captive elk in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan, and South Dakota.
     Researchers are just beginning to understand CWD. CWD appears to be caused by an abnormal protein called a prion. CWD can be spread by close contact between animals, and animals exposed to a CWD-contaminated environment may also become infected.
     Fortunately there is no evidence yet that this disease can be spread to humans however authorities there are sufficiently concerned about the health of the entire deer population and possible threat to humans to have determined that they must try to kill all the deer in the areas of known infection (29,000). I know this eradication zone well as it is near the town of Spring Green were Frank Lloyd Wright maintained his school and home in the summer months. I still have some pictures I took in that beautiful area 30 years ago. The problem is so severe that all organizations have agreed that destroying the entire population of deer in this area, including fawns, is necessary to stop the spread of the disease.
Website Updates TOP
     There are more materials available on the website - including patient forms, dietary calcium and protein source information, and lots of other interest-specific information (e.g. Good Health Habits for Referees, Fluid Intake Guidelines, Musings on Kent and Swedenborg). Please explore it and use it as a resource.

Best,
Michael Carlston, M.D.
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