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Peace under Fire: Israel/Palestine and the International Solidarity Movement. Edited by Josie Sandercock, Radhika Sainath, Marissa McLaughlin, Hussein Khalili, Nicholas Blincoe, Huwaida Arraf, Ghassan Andoni. London: Verso Books, 2004. 297 [...]

Judaic tradition from the 10th century B.C. to the present era, has always attempted to soften the blow of death. In its various aspects, it has engaged both the dying and the remaining living in principles and ceremonies that would make death more acceptable. Of equal importance is the preparation for the end of days through historical, theological, philosophical and psychological approaches. Most of these avenues are of interest and adaptability to other traditions as well.

It is well known that in certain diseases malnutrition or wasting occurs despite the fact that the process itself does not involve primarily the gastrointestinal tract. A good example of such a disease is pulmonary tuberculosis, which received the name of consumption or phthisis. Jacobi1 in 1889, discussing the symptomatology of tuberculosis in childhood, noted: "The children are thin and puny, or emaciate visibly, in spite of good and sufficient nourishment and fair digestion in the absence of fever." Recently in a study of malnutrition in infants conducted by one of the authors,2 it became strikingly clear that disease in the form of chronic infection was the most important etiologic factor as regards failure of infants to gain weight. Of 1,000 infants admitted to a hospital with the chief complaint of failure to gain, only 10 per cent could be considered to have been badly fed. The failure

The effect of corticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH]) and cortisone on the acute state of the nephrotic syndrome has been described by a number of workers.* That endogenous corticotropin may be responsible for spontaneous remissions is suggested by diuresis following measles and other infections complicating the disease. Also, in one patient whom we observed during the occurrence of a spontaneous remission, we found an increase in urinary cortins and 17-ketosteroids, a fall in eosinophile count and an increase in uric acidcreatinine ratio immediately preceding the diuresis.4 It is the purpose of this communication to try to evaluate the ultimate value of these hormones when given in short-term courses by reviewing our observations in 64 infants and children who had the nephrotic syndrome and who were treated with either corticotropin or cortisone during the past four and one-half years.In accordance with a recently proposed classification,5 no effort will be

PLEUROPNEUMONIA-LIKE organisms, although known to produce disease in animals, are of questionable pathogenicity in human beings. They have been isolated repeatedly from the genitourinary tract, apparently as part of the normal flora of females, but possibly associated with nonspecific urethritis and Reiter's syndrome (nongonorrheal combination of arthritis, conjunctivitis and urethritis) in the male. The finding of similar pleuropneumonia-like organisms in blood cultures of two children with nonthrombocytopenic purpura and in one child with brain abscess and meningitis leads to the consideration of possible pathogenicity of such organisms in unsuspected situations in childhood.Pleuropneumonia-like organisms are a group of extremely pleomorphic, filtrable, poorly staining bodies that can be grown on enriched artificial mediums. Cultures consist of small granules and fine filaments. The small granules enlarge to form soft, spherical masses of varied size which finally rupture and free numerous daughter granules. The method of reproduction is in contrast to the usual

The psychological insights of Talmudic times remain fresh and meaningful for our age. The sages, who contributed to and compiled the Talmud, their anthology of legal, moral, and sociopsychological dicta, consider both the dignity and indignity of old age. The wise words of the sages may also suggest a modus for greater self-tolerance, and for greater forebearance by reluctant and overburdened progeny.