Fatema Jawad  ( 7th Floor, Rimpa Plaza,.M. A. Jinnah Road, Karachi. )

7th Floor, Rimpa Plaza,.M. A. Jinnah Road, Karachi. BACfERIOLOGICAL STUDY OF DRINKING WATER IN DISTRiCT ABBOUABAD. Khallq, M.A. Khan, S.P., Khan, LA. Pak. J. Med. Res., 1986; 25: 97-100.
Seventy samples collected from various sources of drinking water in Abbottabad District were studied for contamination. It is an estab­lished fact that enteric fever, gastroenteritis, infective hepatitis and diarrhoeal diseases are caused~ by contamination of drinking water with bacteria from sewage.
Seventy samples of water were collected from taps, springs, wells and streams of different areas of Abbottabad District in 500 ml. screw capped glass bottles, These were cultured on Mac Conkeys broth and later sub-cultured. Identifi­cation of colifonn was done by the Cruickshank method.
Seventy six percent of the samples were found to be contaminated with the count ranging from 11 to 1800 coliform per 100 ml. 57.2% samples had faecal contamination, 24.2% had non­faecal contamination and 18.6% were sterile.
Faecal contamination was observed in76.2% spring water, 100% streams, 44% taps and 50% shallow wells. Hand pump water showed nofaecal contamination. The organisms isolated were 572% Escherichia Coil, 143% Klebsiel 1% Pseudomonas, 1 .4% Proteus and 1 4% Micro­cocci.
Waterborne diseases due to faecal con­taniination are a great health hazard encountered more in the developing countries. Good sanitation and clean drinking water, rigidly controlled by bacteriological analysis should be given top priority to attain a good standard of health.
ACTINOMYCOSIS Ahrnad, R., Raziq, 25: 113-116.
Six cases of actinomycosis and actinomy­cetoma, treated at Distcict Headquarter Hospital, Abbottabad are presented. There were five young females and one male. The lesion was found in the angle of the left jaw, vagina, hand, undersurface of the foot, epigastric mass and the male patient had a swelling with multiple sinuses on the sole of the foot. The patient with the epigastric mass was operated and the lesion was found in the middle of the transverse colon. All cases under­went histopathology for confirmation of the diagnosis. Treatment was carried out with Penicil­lin injections million units twice daily or oxyte­tracycline capsules. Inj. Streptomycin 1 gm daily, tablets Cotrirnoxazole were also used. All cases showed a good response. Mycetoma is a subcutaneous infection by fungi and actinomy­cetes a higher bacteria with branching, charac­terised by swellings and multiple sinuses discharg­ing pus composed of coloured granules. It is a chronic suppurative, granulomatous disease. The causative bacteria are sensitive to Penicillin and tetracycline. Bone involvement can take place especially in actinomycetoma. Diagnosis is esta­blished by biopsy. Treatment should be continued till the patient is symptom free.
EFFECT OF HONEY ON BLOOD SUGAR. Noor, N.A., Chughtai, M.A., Islam, M. Pak. J. Med. Res., 1987; 26:93-96.
The effect of honey on blood sugar in 15 normal volunteers and 15 known diabetics was observed. The first group comprised of 11 men and 4 women with the average age being 27 years and mean weight of 65 Kg. The diabetic group had 8 men and 7 women with mean age being 47 years and an average weight of 70 Kg. Both the groups were given 75 gm. Glucose in 250 ml. water and 83ml. honey in 250 ml. water on two consecutive days. Blood samples were withdrawn for sugar estimation at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. 5 normal and diabetic indivi­duals were given 15 g. of honey and another group of 5 were given 30 g. of honey and Blood Sugar was estimated at 30, 60 and 90 minutes. Somogi method was used for blood sugar estima­tion and urine sugar was tested with Benedicts reagent.
In normal individuals glucose and honey showed the same peak at 30 minutes but after 60 and 90 minutes honey gave lower blood glucose readings.
In the diabetic group honey elicited a lower blood sugar reading at 90 and 120 minutes than glucose.
The small dose honey ingestion showed a dose related blood sugar rise.
The slightly lower blood glucose response to honey in both normal volunteers and diabetics can be attributed to the considerable amount of fructose in honey. The rise in the blood glucose was proportional to the dose of honey given and thus it is a wrong belief that honey in small doses does not effect blood sugar levels.
ANTIHYPERTENSIVE, ANTILIPEMIC AND ANTIDIABETIC PROPERTIES OF GARLIC (ALLIUM SATWUM). Mirza, W.B., Shafique, M., Mirza, A., Ahmed, S. Pak. J. Med. Res., 1987; 26: 97-100.
Garlic has been widely used not only as a food and spice but also as a popular remedy. A study was conducted to note the effects of garlic on hypertension, blood sugar and cholesterol on randomly selected volunteers attending the outpatients of B.V. Hospital, Bahawalpur.
There were 7 cases of mild hypertension, 10 of hypercholesterolaemia and 5 patients of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.
The hypertensive and hypercholesteraemic cases took 5 gm, of garlic pearls daily for one month. Blood pressure was recorded before and after the treatment and cholesterol was estimated after an overnight fast by the Watson’s method (total and LDL). and Lopes-Virella technique (HDL.cholesterol).
The diabetic patients used pure garlic extracts as Lasona Capsules 500 mg. twice daily for one week after which post-prandial blood glucose was estimated. After one week’s interval Tablet Glibenclamide 5 mg. daily was given for one week and post-prandial blood sugar was determined.
There was a significant fall in systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05) in hypertensive patients after one month’s use of garlic. Total cholesterol levels decreased (P < 0.05) and LDL cholesterol (P< 0.02) fell significantly with an increase in the HDL-cholesterol levels (P<0.05).
The blood glucose values did not show any notable difference after garlic use, whereas Glibenclamide had a significant hypoglycaemic action.
It has been observed that garlic contains certain chemical constituents which exert an anti. hypertensive, antilipemic and mild antidiabetic action. It has been suggested that the activity of garlic resides in an essential oil which chemically is a sulphur containing compound. Domestic garlic could be used as a long term therapy without danger of side effects.