[net.med] whats going on in these silly hospitals?

gary@ur-cvsvax.UUCP (Gary Sclar) (03/22/85)

first it was this guy bob east down in florida who got injected with
glutaraldehyde; then it was that pregnant woman in ny who got injected with
a cancer drug by accident that killed her; now some poor slob in nashville
goes in for cataract surgery and winds up drinking down a glass of air
freshener; at least his breath smelled nice when he went; what's happing in
the hospitals to cause this; does it happen all the time? what kind of
people are allowed to work in hospitals and is it worth all the money they
charge to allow some idiot to kill you by accident; something is very
wrong; oil of wintergreen (the airfreshener) is not something you ever
mistake for something for somebody to drink

g. sclar @ Center for Visual Science ; university of rochester
[decvax,seismo, others!rochester!ur-cvsvax!gary]

jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla) (03/24/85)

>        oil of wintergreen (the airfreshener) is not something you ever
> mistake for something for somebody to drink
> 

	Just a note here - oil of wintergreen (methyl salicilate) is not
actually an air freshener (though it smells good). It is usually used as
a muscle rub much the way that commercial preparations like BenGay and
Mentholatum are. It creates heat on your skin by producing a counter-irritant
effect. I haven't seen a news story about this particular incident yet, and
I can't possible imagine anyone drinking the stuff, even by mistake. The first
time it hit your lips you'd be howling !

[ps. I am NOT going to comment on what is going on in hospitals, silly or
otherwise. Take my word that I *never* get near patients !]
-- 
  

jcpatilla

"'Get stuffed !', the Harlequin replied ..."

friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) (03/29/85)

In article <196@osiris.UUCP> jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla) writes:
>
>	Just a note here - oil of wintergreen (methyl salicilate) is not
>actually an air freshener (though it smells good). It is usually used as
>a muscle rub much the way that commercial preparations like BenGay and
>Mentholatum are. It creates heat on your skin by producing a counter-irritant
>effect.

	A small additional note: most of these OTC heating rubs,
like BenGay, actually *contain* oil of wintergreen as the active ingredient.
-- 

				Sarima (Stanley Friesen)

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