No More Homework Essay Example for Free

No More Homework Essay Homework has historically been given to students to reinforce what they learn at school, and ultimately to help them learn the material better. However, too much homework is not helpful, and can be counterproductive. Excessive amounts of time spent on completing homework can take away from a students social life, family time, and limits participation in sports or other activities. The amount of homework a teacher can give to a student should be restricted, and only assigned due to necessity. Critically acclaimed author Tamim Ansary reports that since 1981, the amount of homework given to the average sixth grader has increased by more than fifty percent. Many people claim that the increase in homework dates as far back as 1957, when the Russians launched Sputnik into outer space. The new competition that resulted served as incentive for schools to try to increase the difficulty of the curriculum. With harder classes came more homework (Ansary). Many teachers defend large amounts of homework, claiming that it helps prepare students for a world that is becoming increasingly competitive. However, Dr. Kralovec, author of The End of Homework argues that doing homework during high school has little or no effect on successful study skills of students in college. College students have only a few hours of class a week and lots of daytime hours in which to study. She says the college schedule is nowhere as grueling as in high school. In addition, the average adult does not return home from the office with three or more hours of work to complete (Kralovec). Excessive amounts of homework can be harmful to kids both physically and mentally. A lot of homework usually means a lot of books to carry. Fifty-five percent of the Massachusetts children surveyed by researchers at Simmons College carry loads heavier than fifteen percent of their body weight, the suggested limit. Carrying large amounts of weight daily at a young age can do a lot of damage because bones are still in development. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that in 1999, more than 800 kids were treated in emergency rooms for backpack-related injuries. Many of these injuries can lead to serious problems later in life including chronic shoulder, neck, and back pain (“Children”). The large amount of homework is causing kids in both high school and junior high school to be up until midnight or later. When extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, etc., are added to the picture, kids may even have to wake up early the next morning to finish their homework, leaving them with an insufficient amount of sleep. Some parents and teachers argue that it would be beneficial to a child’s academics to limit after school activities. However, cutting back on the few hours a week teenagers use for exercise could be a factor in the growing obesity rates (Igo). Homework also takes away from time that a kid could be spending with his or her family. Rather than spending time bonding and building strong family relationships, parents and children argue over homework. Time is taken away from important elements of daily life. This time is particularly precious in families with two working parents whose time with their children is limited. This time could be better spent going out to dinner as a family, or doing other activities that most families are not able to do because the kids do not have time to take a break from their homework schedule (Igo). When busy work assignments are given carelessly and frequently, it causes students to lose interest in the subject. Negative results can also occur when a student is not able to complete his or her homework. Many times they will resort to copying homework, having others do their assignments, or cheating on tests. Bad habits such as these are likely to follow kids through their lives and have an effect on their moral judgment. With no consequences to these actions students will almost always take the easy way out when it comes to homework (Kralovec). The use of homework is effective when used by the rule less is more. Overwhelming students with loads of homework can cause them stress and possible physical injury. Homework takes away from the small amount of time kids get to spend with their parents and siblings. A limit on their physical and social activities can also take a large toll on their lives, and could hinder their health and future relationships.

A Brief History Into Greek Medicine History Essay

A Brief History Into Greek Medicine History Essay Medicine is a huge part of our society. Millions of people become ill every year and become in need of medical attention. Every day hospitals fill with sick patients and they turn to medicine to heal them and to decrease their problems that they are having. So when did medicine all start? Disease was a huge and destructible problem for the Greeks. In the time of the Greeks disease were strong and overwhelmed many cities with death and destruction because of all the unsanitary conditions they were living in. The Greeks didnt bathe a lot and germs would just overwhelm them. Medical problems that people come I with today would of instantly killed the Greeks because they did not have any kind of health care system. In the Greek world one out of three babies died before they could even reach the age of one and half of all children died before they reached the young age of ten. Overall though most Greeks died when they were only in their thirties of forties so the Greeks needed a better he alth care system that would stop all their people from dying (Medicine.net). In 900 BC in Greece medicine was only a rumor but then took off into this great idea appreciated by everyone. The process went from a crazy idea to observation and reason. Before Greek medicine was discovered the world had never seen anything like it. The methods helped the lives of thousands and saved thousands of people as well. The Greeks were very interested in using scientific observation and logic to figure out what caused the diseases that were infecting their people and how they could prevent them in the future. These ideas of this new system of healing spread quickly throughout the Mediterranean and as far East as India and still to this day the methods stay strong in the West. These methods would later create what medicine is today and further the lives of thousands. Ancient Greece medicine was considered to be an idea from the Gods because it was so special and unique. Greek mythology is full of legends and many different symbols explaining the origins and the methods of using medicine to heal people. In the myths the gods and goddesses who take part in them are fascinated by the art of healing. They consider it one of the most precious rituals performed since it really all has to do with life and death. Greeks also believed that the Goddess Gaia had a lot to do with the coming of Greek Medicine since she was considered to be the creator of the earth. The way of Mother Gaia is the passive, feminine, Yin way of healing. All we need to do to regain our health is to return to the bosom of Mother Nature and live in accordance with her laws (Greek Medicine. Net). The Greeks thought that medicine came from her because she created everything else so this must be another method devised by her. The Greeks actually did not discover the art of medicine but rather refined it and improved it from its original form. They had a large amount of prior knowledge to build on and create their own system of medicine. Scientists and archeologists say that medicines original roots came from Egypt which was already a well established civilization right before Greece started its own civilization. Although scientists and archeologists still debate on how Egypts roots of medicine translated over to Greece. Many medical scholars debate and truly believe that the Minoan civilization on Crete served as the transmitter from Egypts medical system to Greece. Crete was an Egyptian who practiced medicine but was set to be executed in Egypt for challenging Egypts government. Crete ran away before his execution and resided in Greece where he was said to spread his ideas he learned in Egypt about medicine. Thayles was also said to be the transmitter to Greece about Egypts system since Thayles actually traveled to Egypt and back to Greece bringing the methods learned back to Greece to be adapted and improved there (Kee 22). The Egyptians wrote on papyri and recorded their medical findings so they could pass these notes down to future generations. Most consisted of medical recipes from their main god that they believed in named Imhotep. There was also recording of effects of some drugs if taken and the symptoms of certain diseases. The Egyptians were also very clean. They bathed twice a day which was unusual in this time period because usually men and women only bathed once a month and boiled water before drinking it to cleanse it from all the bacteria retained in it. They also never ate pork because they said it was unclean. Not eating pork which is a red meat could have defiantly lowered their cholesterol and improved their health considerably. They also had specialists which were a bunch of different people who were in charge of healing certain body parts. Each person would have their own specialty in a certain part of the body that way they could focus on a small part and learn a lot more about the c ures and symptoms of the disease from that body part instead of having to learn about the entire body as a whole (schoolhistory.com). In Greek medicine there were many different influential contributors that made Greek Medicine possible. One huge contributor was Hippocrates. Hippocrates was considered to be the founder of Greek Medicine and was the one that made this science rational. He brought the science from being superstition and magic to actual facts and descriptions. Hippocrates took Greek Medicine and put reasoning behind it and could easily explain why things happen to the body the way that they do. Hippocrates conducted many experiments and collected a lot of important data that was found and concurred by the data that disease was a natural process. In the data that was found, he found that the diseased bodies had symptoms that were caused by the disease and could be read. By creating and discovering data it really furthered Greek medicine from what it was previously (GreekMedicine.net). When Hippocrates first started to practice medicine the only real established school to study medicine was at the Cnidian School.   The only problem was that this schools approach to medicine had a lot of inconsistent data and many flaws that held the school back from really understanding what medicine was. The students that attended also graduated not really having a clear idea about medicine and the flaws in the study that were taught to them. The Cnidian School considered the body to be merely a collection of isolated parts, and saw diseases manifesting in a particular organ or body part as affecting that part only, which alone was treated.   Their system of diagnosis was also faulty, relying exclusively on the subjective symptoms related by the patient, while totally ignoring the objective signs of the disease (Greek Medicine.Net). Hippocrates greatly disagreed with this statement along with many other ideas that the school recently had. Hippocrates believed that the human bo dy functioned as a whole with every part working together to accomplish a common goal. He did not believe that every part works differently and has a different goal then the other. Both theories were very different and a method needed to be cleared so the study of medicine for the Greeks could continue and proceed forward (Schiefsky 27). Hippocrates truly believed in strengthening and building up the bodys resistance to disease, basically a humans immune system. Since in this time in history the most up to date sanitary precautions and vaccines were not available to Hippocrates knew that the Greeks needed to build up a better immune system to fight off these diseases so it would be easier to fight them when they eventually got sick.   When encouraging this Hippocrates prescribed diet, gymnastics, exercise, massage, hydrotherapy and sea bathing as all ways of helping prevent disease and the spread of disease.  Even something as simple as sea bathing in which he prescribed really could help a person fight disease because of the amount of salt in the water which will kill the bacteria on a persons body. Hippocrates was a strong believer and activist in eating healthy while someone was sick. With this in mind he came up with many ideas of diets for each kind of disease that a patient had.  He prescribed a light die t during the climax stage of a small illness which is when the illness is the worst, and a liquid diet if the patient was diagnosed with a fever. He prescribed a liquid diet because then the patient had a faster recovery kind because the liquids were constantly going through body collecting germs and turning them into waste, basically flushing out the fever from the body (Schiefsky 61). Hippocrates was the first physician to diagnose a disease on the patients symptoms by comparing them to the symptoms in relation to other patients.   Hippocrates also originated the disciplines of etiology and pathology by deciding the diseases the patient was diagnosed with. For once patients felt convinced of their diagnosis and were not as skeptical as they were before Hippocrates. Overall Hippocrates was one of the all time best known and most influential physicians. His works lead the way for future medical physicians and really changed the whole world of medicine around. He will always be known for his love of healing and great attitude towards his patients. As a physician it is not all about just healing the patient but also creating a relationship with them of trust because they truly are putting their life into the physicians hands. Hippocrates is most remembered today for his famous Oath, which physicians take before beginning the practice of medicine.   In writing his Oath, Hippocrates set high ethical standards for future physicians to follow.   Needless to say, compliance, both then and now, has been considerably less than perfect (Schefski 87). Another important and influential figure in Greek Medicine was Aristotle. Aristotle even though became a great figure in medicine he made his biggest findings in Biology. Aristotle was a natural historian who spent most of his time dissecting plants and different kinds of animals to collect data and tried to come up with new theories. Aristotle was the father of comparative anatomy and physiology. Aristotle even contributed too many ideas about evolution (Sigerist 150-152).   Aristotles most influential and most popular contribution to Greek Medicine was his document made up of the  Four Basic Qualities which were hot, cold, wet, and dry.   Later philosopher-physicians would apply these qualities to characterize the Four Elements, Four Humors, and Four Temperaments.   The Four Basic Qualities are the foundations for all notions of balance and homeostasis in Greek Medicine (Greek Medicine. Net). Aristotles teachings on biology, medicine and the natural sciences were finally accepted by the church which before denied all of Aristotles claims and findings because they didnt believe that he was being true to the religion. Another important part of Greek medicine was actually getting it passed to practice by the church. This was the most difficult challenge in the study because the church did not agree with most of the methods and ideas. Physicians needed to clearly explain that the methods being performed by the patients was for the better of mankind an d was not offending or going against God in any way (Sigerest 155). There were many different basic principles to Greek Medicine. One principle was the seven natural factors principle. These factors were what the Greeks used to measure whether or not the body was healthy or not. The first one of the Four Elements which is what the body is made up of. The second is the Four Humors which are the metabolic agents of the Four Elements This principle is made of what a healthy body is made up of so they could compare it to a body that is diseased. The third is the Four Temperatures which is the qualitative yardsticks by which health and homeostasis, or deviation there from, are measured; the basis of constitutional medicine (Greek Medicine.net). The fourth is the Four Faculties which describe the basic functions of life. The fifth is the Vital Principles which are the essence and energies that give life to the body. The sixth principle is the Organs and Parts which is about the basic usage and functions of different parts of the body. The last is the Force s or Administering Virtues which are the principles of all bodily fluid. The four element principle was a principle based on the four elements that the Greeks believed in which were earth, water, air, and fire. Each element had a different meaning. Earth the center of the universe and the Greeks related that back all dense solids in the body that are permanent such as bones, joints and teeth. Water is running over and around the earth and is very important to the Greeks so they related it back to the vital fluids of the body such as blood and mostly the clear fluids such as mucus. The element air goes over the earth and water so the Greeks related that to the lungs, chest and, thorax of the body and all open spaces. The final element fire was considered to light up the sun, moon and stars to the Greeks so they made it represent all muscles, the heart, the liver and the stomach of a person (raredisease.com). The Greeks also came with principles for energy. The Greeks discovered that there are two different kinds of energies. One kind of energy is thermal kinetic or Pneuma energy which is what the Greeks called it which is responsible for the digestion and metabolism and basically all kinds of energy inside the body (thermal meaning warm describing the inside of the body). The second kind of energy called kinetic energy is responsible for controlling all functions of movement that the body does. Both energies work equally together to accomplish certain goals. For example in digestion kinetic energy is caused when the stomach churns the digested food then moves the food to the intestine. The thermal kinetic energy is caused when distillation and metabolism occurs (historyforkids.com). Another principle that was discovered was the vital faculty. The vital faculty is the most important organism because it gives the body life. The vital faculty is centered along the heart and lungs and includes the immune system which is a cell group working together to get rid of all unnecessary cells in the body that might cause harm or damage. This system helps the body fight disease once it has entered the body. The circulatory system is also included and that system which includes all organs and tissue that help blood flow throughout the body. The last system it includes is the respiratory system. The respiratory system is a system that retrieves oxygen and feeds the lungs while turning that oxygen into carbon dioxide. This system includes the lungs, bronchi and nasal passages. Besides giving life to the organism and empowering cellular metabolism, the Vital Faculty also activates and coordinates responses of the organism as a whole to its environment.   This includes the immu ne response.   And so, the Vital Faculty acts as a central nexus for the whole organism (GreekMedicine.net). The heart and lungs are the central part of the Vital Faculty. Both components work closely together, the lungs pump blood for the heart and the heart takes that blood and makes new blood out of the blood that the lungs pumped to the heart. The Greeks came up with many different diagnosiss to treat disease. The word diagnosis literally means knowing through (dictionary.com). Making a diagnosis means someone has gone through the mazes and calculations of figuring out what is wrong with the patient then figuring out a plan of action to heal that patient and eventually save their lives. Making a clear diagnosis for someone in Greek Medicine was difficult and a lot more difficult than it is today because of the technology we use. Back then the Greeks used several different methods to figure out how to approach that persons disease and how to stop it. The Greeks had to act as a detective on a case because that was basically what they were doing. Making a diagnosis separates all other kinds of science away from medicine and takes medicine away from being supernatural and magic. Diagnosis is the heart of the medical world (GreekMedicine.net). There were several different ways that a Greek physician would make a diagnosis. One thing that the doctor needed to have was a basic knowledge of anatomy. Knowing the anatomy of the body and where everything was created many new possibilities of diagnosis for the Greeks. Knowledge of the physiology of the body is also needed so the doctor can pinpoint where the problem is and how to fix it. Knowing the physiology of body also comes with knowing the seven natural factors and the basic principles which the Greeks thought of and used throughout their medical discovery. Another kind of science that the Greeks used was pathology which is the study of what went wrong with the body before death or cause of injury (RightHealth.com). Using the information they about pathology they could relate what bodies looked like after they died with certain diseases and compare them to what they saw on the new patient and what they couldnt stop for one patient they could learn and heal another. One type of diagnosis the Greeks used was a visual diagnosis. Seeing someone for the first you get a first impression and that was exactly what the Greeks used when trying to make a diagnosis. This is the first kind of diagnosis performed by the Greek doctors because as soon as a patient came to see the doctor the doctor would start to analyze them up and down to try to find out if there were any visual keys to the illness that was occurring.The clinical eye of the physician is trained to be more objective, detached and dispassionate than the average layperson.   In general, it moves methodically from the generalities of the patients overall frame and physique, behaviors and mannerisms to increasingly more detailed, specific signs and clues (GreekMedicine.net). The physician looks for a cue and goes with the cue he finds and most of the time that one small cue that the doctor originally noticed leads to a complete diagnosis of the patient. Observing and inspecting the patient were also major parts in Greek Medicine for creating a diagnosis for a patient. After observing the patients outer most part the doctor could take samples and observe the urine, stool, and tongue (Longrig 109). The Greeks would also observe the behavior of the patient and take that into account when creating a diagnosis. There are four different attitudes that can be associated to certain terms to match behavior to a certain disease. If the patient is acting forceful and energetic that person was considered Choleric. If a person was acting poised and sophisticated then that person was considered to be Sanguine. If a person was acting quiet and reserved then that person was considered melancholic. Finally if a person was acting slow and relaxed they were considered Phlegmatic. Hippocrates discovered that patients that were acting incoherent or unresponsive such as a Melancholic or Phlegmatic patient was never a good sign and a diagnosis would need to be made as soon as possible (Singer 63). The Greeks also looked at the posture and physique of a patient. The way a person carries themselves could tell a lot to a doctor about just how low their energy levels were and their vitality levels. The Greeks would look if the patients were leaning or slouching which could indicate certain disease factors just from their body language observed. The complexion of a patients skin could also be a factor in making a diagnosis according to the Greeks. Normally a persons skin is a pink-like color so when the Greeks saw patients that had a pale face they knew that something was wrong. The Greeks figured out that if a patients face was a pale color then that person could be suffering from a blood deficiency or anemia as well as a common cold virus (Grmek, Mueller, Mueller 102). The Greeks also used a patients nails as a way to figure out a diagnosis. A healthy nail is a pink-like color which shows generally good blood flow throughout the body. A pale nail represents some kind of blood deficiency problem. A purple-like nail represents cyanosis which is when the body does not get enough oxygen to its cells. White spots on a patients nails can also indicate an insufficiency such as not even zinc or calcium in a patients diet. The sturdiness of their nails can also be a symptom of something going wrong in their body. The sturdiness of a patients nails was founded by the Greeks to show a lot about the kind of nutrition the patient has. Flimsy nails can mean a lack of protein in the patients diet and it reflects the bones and hard tissue underneath the skin as well. The Greeks came to the conclusion that what the nails look like is similar to what the patients bones look like and a diagnosis can be made from that. (MedicineNet.com). Urine samples were also used by the Greeks in helping creating a diagnosis. There were six different tests when testing a urine sample. The first one was color. The Greeks would take a normal urine sample and compare it to the patients urine sample. From there they would not whether the sample was darker or lighter then the comparative sample. If the urine was darker then the patient could be dehydrated and the Greeks would also look at if there was a red-like color to it because then there was blood in the urine which is a symptom of kidney problems. Consistency is the second test for urine. In this test the Greek doctors would look at the urine to see if the urine was thick or thin. The third test for urine is looking for sediment in the urine. The Greeks would look whether there was some kind of presence of an unknown substance in the urine. The fifth urine test was the foam test. The Greeks would shake the urine vigorously and if there was foam formed, different amounts of foam c ould tell the Greeks different things about the urine. The last test was the odor test. The Greeks would test the urine to see if there was a different kind of smell to the urine or if there was even a smell at all. Different smells or no smell could tell the Greek doctors different things about the urine (RightHealth.com). Since the earliest times, Greek physicians like Hippocrates and Galen have always considered the tongue to be an important indicator or barometer of health and disease.   Other great traditional medical systems of the world, such as Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine, also have sophisticated systems of tongue diagnosis (GreekMedicine.net). The Greeks found the tongue to be one of the most interesting and important of all the bodies organs. They found this because taste comes from the tongue and the Greeks are fascinated with how taste works and how vital it is to their lives. There are millions of little nerve endings that cover the tongue. The Greeks derived a method of where they saw sore spots on the tongue to where in the body the trouble was occurring. For example on the back center of the tongue there were sore spots the Greeks knew there was an intestinal problem. If there were spots in the center of the tongue there were stomach issues, if spots were on the front center of the t ongue then there were lung problems, and if there were spots and on the tip of the tongue there were heart problems. The Greeks made another diagnosis by the pulse which they called the river of life. The Greeks used pulse as a method to see irregular heartbeats or any kind of heart problem that could be occurring to the patient. Even in todays health care doctors and nurses take pulse rates to see if they can figure out a problem that the patient is having. Health care today can tell a lot more about whats wrong with the patient from their pulse then the Greeks could but overall making a diagnosis from a patients pulse rate was common for both time periods (Nulton 174). The first Greek to master the pulse was a Greek named Galan. Even Galan though had trouble deciphering medical conditions from the pulse saying For many years, I was doubtful about clearly discerning the movement of contraction by touch, and I shelved the question until such time as I could learn enough to fill the gap in my knowledge.   After that, the doors of the pulse were open to me (GreekMedicine.net). Galan introduced this new method of creating a diagnosis to the Greeks and then the Greeks mastered this skill and used it in their study of medicine. They found that this was a vital method in creating a diagnosis and this pushed Greek medicine even further in the study (Bendick 106). In todays health care the art of pulse taking can be taken at many different pressure points on the body. The Greeks however only used the artery in the wrist to take pulse because they only knew of being able to take it from a patients neck and the wrist and they felt that taking the pulse from the patients wrist gave much more accurate results (Bendick 94). When taking the patients pulse the Greeks looked for ten symptoms which could mean something is wrong. The first one was the speed of the pulse. If the speed o the pulse was too fast or too slow then the Greeks knew there was some kind of problem. The Greeks would look at whether the speed was about 70 beats per minute because they discovered that was the average heart beats per minute of a normal, healthy person. The second indication the Greeks looked for was the force of the pulse. If the force of the pulse was strong then the energy of the body was high and that was a good sign to the Greeks. However if the energy of the pulse was low then this could be symptoms of many different diseases that usually drain the energy from the body such as the common cold (Bendick 73). The depth of the pulse taken was also taken into consideration. The depth of the pulse could either be moderate which is normal, deep which is taken close to the bone or superficial which is close to the skin. For a healthy person the pulse should be taken at a moderate deepness because if the pulse is taken at a deep level that could mean that the heart is beating at a very low level or if the pulse is needed to be taken at a superficial level then the Greeks knew that the heart was beating sporadically and the patient was in danger either way. The final way the pulse was taken was and looked at was the rhythm in the beats. The Greeks knew that if the rhythm of the heart was too slow or too fast then the patient was having trouble and needed to be treated right away (Bendick 113). Since the Greeks thought of ways to diagnose a patient they then discovered a way of healing them with different kinds of therapies and treatments. Some of their treatments and therapies are even used today on our present health care. One technique that was used for a remedy to the common cold was the water diet. The Greeks came up with a theory that if the cold was taken into the body then it should be able to be flushed out. After coming up with this hypothesis the Greeks came up with the diet. The water diet is exactly what it sounds like. The patient is told to only ingest liquids and not any kind of solid food. This way the liquid will easily be digested and flushed out the patients system. After a couple of days of this diet the patient should be starting to get rid of the disease by basically urinating it out of their system (Philips 94). The Greek Doctors prescribed many different kinds of medical drinks that the patient could make and drink. A popular herbal tea that was prescribed contained lemon and was called Luiza by the Greeks. This tea would be prescribed if the patient was complaining of digestion or stomach problems. The tea would actually act as a digestion and was also great for the patients skin because of the amount of lemon used. Another medicinal drink is called Oxymel which contains only honey and vinegar but can be used in a few different ways. If a patient is complaining of a sore throat this liquid can be gargled and the acid in the vinegar will kill the bacteria while the honey soothes the throat. A patient could also just put a spoon full of this substance in a glass of water for a refreshing medicinal beverage that can be used for patients after they are starting to heal from a disease to keep the healing process strong (Freeman 221). The most respectable and drink of choice for almost anything for the Greeks though was wine. Even though the Greeks did not invent wine they still consider it one of their main drinks of the culture. Wine is actually very good for you if you drink it responsibly. Wine stimulates the heart thus helping blood flow because of the low alcohol content. The Greeks also used wine as a disinfectant to kill bacteria on open wounds of a patient (Dawson 111). The Greeks found Hydrotherapy to be a very compatible treatment because it was capable of producing a wide range of therapeutic effects not only by differentiating the temperatures, but also how the Greeks applied them.   Although there are endless ways to apply hydrotherapy, the major ones are full bath, foot bath, sitz bath, sponge bath, blanket wrap, steam bath, and fomentations (Lloyd 152).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Full bath is when the  total body submerged into the water used.   This therapy can produce a wide range of different effects and reactions, depending on the water temperature that the Greeks decided to use. Foot Bath was when the Greeks submerged the patients feet up to their ankles in a tub of water that was shallow.   The Greeks used different water temperatures for different symptoms. The Greeks used cold water for varicose veins, foot edema, headaches, low blood pressure, sweaty feet, and sprained ankle. The Greeks used cold water for those symptoms because they knew that cold temperatures decreased swelling thus healing the patient. The Greeks used warm water for sleeplessness, susceptibility to colds and flu.   The Greeks also found that the best way to improve circulation in the feet and legs was to Alternate between hot and cold water temperatures. The Greeks decided though that they need to avoid cold foot baths if the kidneys are weak or the bladde r sensitive  because that would trigger the patient to urinate (Lloyd 154).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Sitz Bath is when the Greeks  submerged the patients hips, buttocks and pelvis by sitting down in a medium sized tub, with water up to about the patients stomach.  The Greeks found that this method was great for treating all types of pelvic disorders because it brought down the swelling so much.   The Greeks used warm water when the patient was diagnosed with urinary obstruction, irritable bladder, or any kind of problem with their prostate.   The Greeks concluded that when they alternated between cold and hot water they greatly strengthen circulation, immunity, healing and regeneration in the patients pelvic organs. A Sponge Bath the Greeks found was  excellent for bringing the patients body temperature way down when the patient had a fever (Lloyd 155).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Blanket Wrap was when the Greeks wrapped their patient  in a cotton or linen sheet that was soaked with cold water.   Around the wet blanket the Greeks then wrapped a dry sheet, and around the dry sheet they then wrapped a thick wool blanket.   If the patient wants they can drink a cup of hot diaphoretic herbal tea before getting wrapped in these blankets since their body temperature will be shot higher and already having something warm in the patients body will just help the patient at that point.  The Greeks used this method so the patient could sweat out the deadly toxins that caused their colds.  A Steam Bath is a sauna that the Greeks created with the use of water or herbal teas to create steam.   Steam has many of the natural effects of hot water such as a relaxing effect.   Steam also penetrates into the lungs and respiratory tract to release phlegm from the lungs, and opens the pores of the skin to releases sweat which can contain toxins that are causing the patient to become sick. Steam baths and saunas are used by the Greeks in small i

The New Deal Essay -- American History Great Depression Essays

The New Deal In the early 1930's in the midst of the largest economic crisis our country has ever seen newly elected Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt was faced with the task of figuring out a way to pull our country out of the terrible depression that seemed to have no end. To rally the country and try and jump start the economy and the people from the apparent standstill that gripped the nation President Roosevelt implemented a plan that became known as the ‘New Deal’. The New Deal was America’s introduction to government entitlement programs. The era of President Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal sparked change in the country that has left lasting effects on our economic, political and social behavior. The New Deal was not purely economically rooted. Roosevelt rather than basing his strategies on the rules of economics he implemented projects based on opportunity and practicality. The overall goal of the New Deal was to introduce America to a larger more expansive federal government which took control and provide services to assist the country out of the depression. The New Deal began with several programs some successful other not so successful, known as the â€Å"Alphabetical Agencies†. These programs and administrations were spread out over the first two terms of President Roosevelt which are seen as the ‘first’ and ‘second’ New Deals. The first New Deal began when Roosevelt entered office in 1932. He opened his New Deal with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation(FDIC), which is still in use today. At its inception, the FDIC insured bank saving up to $5,000 and there were also very severe regulations put upon the sale of securities on the stock exchan... ...s Act, the Social Security Act was also enacted at this time two mainstays of our government even today. The political implications are along party lines. In the 1936 election, because of the New Deal certain groups became strongly aligned with the parties. The Democratic party became the party of labor groups, farmers, immigrants and urban ethnic groups from eastern Europe, African Americans and the South. The Republican Party found its support in the businesses and middle and upper class people in small towns and suburbs. Many of these political alliances continue today as a result of the New Deal. The New Deal also gave us our first and last President to serve 3 terms. FDR won three consecutive Presidency terms on the momentum of the New Deal and the ensuing war. The New Deal although seen as a short term failure by many has turned out to be a long time success.

Peirce, Virtuality, and Semiotic :: Pierce Virtual Virtuality Essays

Peirce, Virtuality, and Semiotic The adjective "virtual," practically unheard-of a few years ago, has without a doubt become the number one buzzword of the nineteen-nineties. Virtual reality has become a catch phrase for the interactive multimedia technologies that have supplanted desktop publishing at the cutting edge of personal-computer graphics technology. The virtual communities which for years have flourished in comfortable obscurity on the Internet, have recently been thrust into the glare of publicity as commercial gateways have opened up the net to the public, while virtual corporations have transformed the world of business. Yet the word "virtual" is nothing new; although its ubiquity is new, as is perhaps its current meaning or meanings. In his admirable glossary of cyberterms, the philosopher Michael Heim defines "virtual" as: "A philosophical term meaning 'not actually but just as if'," and he notes that the term in this sense goes back to the thirteenth-century philosopher John Duns Scotus. (1) The word "virtuality" may have been first used to describe interactive computer systems by Theodore Nelson (the inventor of the term "hypertext"), who proposed this definition, in 1980: (2) By the virtuality of a thing I mean the seeming of it, as distinct from its more concrete "reality," which may not be important. ... I use the term "virtual" in its traditional sense, an opposite of "real". The reality of a movie includes how the scenery was painted and where the actors were repositioned between shots, but who cares? The virtuality of a movie is what seems to be in it. While this may at first blush seem equivalent to Heim's later definition, Nelson's definition is in fact somewhat more specific and represents a significant meaning shift from the traditional sense, as becomes clear when we contrast it with the definition offered in 1991 by the media philosopher Paul Levinson. Paraphrasing Levinson slightly, we may say that he defines a "virtual" X as what you get when the information structure of X is detached from its physical structure. (3) Levinson's examples include virtual - i.e. electronic - classrooms, libraries, and books, and these certainly do not have the look and feel of actual classrooms, libraries, or books. As I have noted elsewhere, the two definitions coincide in the case of virtual reality - the information structure of reality as a whole includes its look and feel - but this is a coincidence; the two definitions represent different concepts.

Producing Your Own Play :: Theatre Drama Personal Narratives Acting Essays

Producing Your Own Play Recently, two friends and I structured a piece of theatre involving three characters and their journey through life. Throughout the play themes such, alcohol abuse, child abuse, drug addiction and many other themes showing the mental ability as the characters come across hard dissions during their journey through life. The play is about three characters who are faced with many temptations in which all resulting in some sort of addiction and later resulting in the character ending up in a mental hospital. The play is fast moving and perceptive entertains and thought provoking, funny yet ultimately tragic. Throughout the planning of our production we came across a few difficult disicions, one that really stands out in my mind was how to show the audience a sub-consion veiw of the characters thoughts, we wanted to really show the depth of these characters giving the veiwer the ability to understand the characters choices. To enable this we decided to use fiction in certain scenes showing an angel and a devil both giving adive to each indivdual character. We wanted to give the play a theme of 'Black Comedy' this keeping the audience more intreaged. My partners and I decided we could create our own characters, I decided that when my character first enters the play aged 9 years old I wanted to play this child to the best of my ability, I found this difficult at first for I had never played a character who was suffering with child abuse. After thinking about how I would play my character I decided that to give the veiwer a deep insite of my characters thoughts to acomplish this I tried to come across as a very insicure child, growing up with no love or affection in his life, this suggesting I would keep my voice in a quiet pitch and also while my character grows older and discovers he is a free person he still is traped with his father torment constant in his mind, this resulting in him turning into a more visiuos man with a very controversal veiw upon women this veiw growing into an addiction, growing to the ecstent wher the only pleasure was when he would kill women; '' GRABBING EVERY WOMEN IN SIGHT INTO DARK ALLYS LATE AT NIGHT'', in certain scenes we used ryme to give a stronger affect.Later on in the play my character finds himself in a mental hospital, my characters mind was no loger stable and useing very simular insicure body language like when I was a child I tried to give an affet where I was trabbed in my childhood

Martha Stewart: A Brand in Crisis

1. Stewart repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, despite the conviction and failed appeal, yet she still says she did nothing wrong. Is this the right strategy? Yes, admit your mistakes, learn from them and move on but don’t continue to make them over and over again. Stewart demoed that she engaged in any improper trading when she sold her shares of ImClone stock (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2007, page 345). Stewart claimed she had previously issued a â€Å"stop-loss† order to sell her 3928 shares; she also called her friend Sam Waksal, but could not reach him. However, Stewart’s explanation that she unloaded her stock because of a pre-arranged sell order collapsed when Douglas Faneuil, the broker’s assistant who handled the sale of the ImClone stock for Stewart, told Merrill Lynch lawyers that his boss, Peter Bacanovic, had pressured him to lie about a stop-loss order. 2. Did Stewart’s actions justify the subsequent sentence to her and those around her? Despite her reputation and business successes, Stewart was indicted in 2003 on criminal charges and faced several civil lawsuits to her sale of the ImClone stock (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2007, page 344). Stewart sold the stock on December 27, 2001, one day before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to review ImClone System’s cancer drug Erbitux; the company’s stock tumbled following the FDA’s announcement. On June 4, 2003, a federal grand jury indicted Stewart on charges of securities fraud, conspiracy (together with Bacanovic), making false statements, and obstruction of justice (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2007, page 346). At her trial, the indictments for securities fraud were dropped, but the other indictments were prosecuted (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2007, page 347). Stewart faced humiliation and some prison time but examples have to be set when running a company. You just can’t do what you please because you own it and not face the consequences. 3. Compare other executives’ wrongdoings versus Stewart’s. Discuss why MSLO is or is not different from what happened at companies such as Enron and Tyco. Enron’s demise caused tens of billions of dollars of investor losses, triggered a collapse of electricity-trading markets, and ushered in an era of accounting scandals that precipitated a global loss of confidence in corporate integrity (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2007, page 328). Now companies must defend legitimate but complicated financing arrangements, even legitimate financing tools tainted by association with Enron. Executives in these positions have a duty to protect the investors and shareholders of the company. Consumers put their trust in them for results and their ethical standards should be top priority. Enormous evidence of book-cooking and scandals involving WorldCom, Enron, Andersen Consulting and now Xerox, combined with Martha Stewart's embroglio over dumping ImClone stock last year, have caused growing skepticism among consumers about big brands in an already shaky economy that's trying its best to rebound. â€Å"The overall impact of the corporate financial scandals are going to cause consumers to question the ethics and the corporate behavior of many corporations,† said Lynne Doll, president of Rogers & Associates, a crisis communications firm in Los Angeles. (Hein & Cassidy, 2002). The investigation of Ms. Stewart's trading of ImClone stock continues. But at issue is perhaps less the outcome of the investigation than the more mystical question of what this does to the brand-a subject on which brand experts are more pessimistic than marketers. â€Å"An important element of the brand is authenticity,† said Don Pettit, president-CEO of brand identity firm Sterling Group. â€Å"A lot of Martha's credibility is built on her integrity and authority, and that's exactly what's being called into question. â€Å"

Reaction Paper to Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction Essay

Abstract Dr. Laaser (2004) provides a detailed look into sexual addiction from a Christian viewpoint in Healing Wounds of Sexual Addiction. The focus of this assignment will be to gain knowledge of what sexual addiction is, how family dynamics are affected, treatment of sexual addiction, and lastly addressing sexual addiction in the church. Exploring the different areas of how sexual addiction and how it can affect the life of the addicted individual will be assessed. Sexual addiction is a sin that Dr. Laaser (2004) discusses in his work. Healing Wounds of Sexual Addiction examines the many areas of the addicted person’s life that can be affected but it also provides hope and encouragement. Experts speculate that up to 10 percent of the total Christian population in the United States is sexually addicted (Laaser, 2004). There are so many individuals that are struggling with a sexual addiction and are too ashamed to seek help thus leaving a great number of unreported cases. Several reasons may apply to the sexually addicted person for not seeking help; Laaser (2004) discusses some of those reasons as being shame, guilt, fear of losing a job and their family. Dr. Laaser’s work is clearly articulated and provides great information on healing sexual addiction and the road to recovery. It is through his work that a Christian worldview is established towards the healing process. Synopsis Dr. Laaser’s understanding of sexual addiction is described as sinful behavior that the addict has no control over. The sexual behaviors that become addictive are sinful (Laaser, 2004). Sexual addictions can take many forms which include cybersex, pornography, and fantasies. Dr. Laaser explains that these addictions if left unmanaged can also lead to destruction (p.24). Sexual addiction is classified as a disease and like all  diseases must be treated properly. Both sexual addiction and disease have observable symptoms and a natural progression that, if left untreated, get worse and eventually lead to death (Laaser, 2004). From a biblical standpoint Dr. Laaser makes a clear correlation between sexual addiction as a disease and a sin. Sexual addiction is also seen as a moral sin (Laaser, 2004). Moral sexual sin describes how the addict does not view their behaviors as wrong because they are only having sex with their spouse. However, they have detached from the spiritual and emotional aspect of their relationship. The addict uses sex as a way to escape reality. Dr. Laaser mentions that, â€Å"the question is whether or not sex is an expression of intimacy or an escape from it† (p. 26). There are similar views that I share with Dr. Laaser in regards to sexual addiction. I absolutely agree that sexual addiction is a disease that can be deadly to the addict. As mentioned earlier, diseases that are left untreated can lead to death. The diseased mind of the sexual addict may lead to high risk behaviors as well. My personal understanding of sexual addiction is in line with Dr. Laaser’s in viewing the addiction as a sexual sin for it is. Family Dynamics Dr. Laaser takes a deep look into how family dynamics can contribute the behavior of the sexual addict by explaining four categories of family dynamics; boundaries, rules, roles, and addictions. Addicts that grow up in families in which unhealthy dynamics are present are more apt to believe that their negative behaviors are justified. Dr. Laaser describes in his work how boundaries are broken in families that sexual abuse exists. Boundaries define the ways a person’s invisible space can and can’t be crossed (Laaser, 2004). When these boundaries are broken, it can leave the child feeling confused. The confusion comes into play when a loved one inappropriately touches them or engages in sexual acts. Dr. Laaser mentions that there are different types of boundaries such as loose and rigid. Loose boundaries are when something happens in the family that should not such as fondling, touching inappropriately, and sexual contact. Rigid boundaries are stricter, loving and caring interactions do not take place. Underline issues pertaining to family dynamics can deeply impact the life of the individual that suffers from sexual addictions. Those issues carry into adulthood and can impact the relationships that the addict has. It becomes difficult for the addict to recover when underline issues are not addressed. The cycle will continue if not addressed and the addict may do what was done to them, to their children or others. It is important for sex addicts to recognize that their sexual activity is an attempt to medicate old wounds and to find love (Laaser, 2004). Examining my own family dynamics I recognize that in our household we did not talk about sex, it was almost taboo. My mother was strict and therefore was somewhat rigid in raising me. I was taught very early in age to never let any one touch my private parts and that included other family members. If those boundaries were violated I was to tell my mother or grandmother immediately and not be afraid to tell them. When the time came to discuss the birds and the bees, I almost felt embarrassed because I did not want to have that conversation with my mother. My personal values that were taught to me by mother and grandmother shaped my beliefs about sex. I believe that it may be some challenges in treating an individual with a sexual addiction because I would have to be careful not to be judgmental. Treatment of Sexual Addiction The treatment of sexual addiction is a long one that can take a lifetime. The process of healing from sexual addiction includes answering important questions, creating accountability, and understanding how people change (Laaser, 2004). Dr. Laaser mentions that before treatment with new people he asks three spiritual questions: 1. Do you want to get well? 2. What are you thirst for? 3. Are you willing to die to yourself? (p. 122). Dr. Laaser’s approach to treatment provides a spiritual standpoint that makes the sexual addict dig deeper into themselves and explore their relationship with God. The ten steps of accountability allow an individual to look at the rebuilding process in their road to recovery. One of the biggest challenges that the sex addict will face is changing their behaviors. The healing journey is a process of changing old addictive and destructive behaviors into new and healthy ones (Laaser, 2004). The Sexual Addiction Screening Test and Sexual Addiction Inventory is the most used screening test for sexual addiction as noted by Dr. Laaser. It is important that an effective treatment plan includes five components which are; stopping sexual behaviors, stopping rituals, stopping fantasy, healing despair, and healing shame (Laaser, 2004). Dr. Laaser also recommends that the individual experiencing a sexual addiction work through healing abuse in six stages; 1. Understand the abuse and accept that it has happened. 2. Accept the abuse and express anger. 3. Go through the process of grieving. 4. Confront the abuser. 5. Learn to forgive. 6. Find meaning in the pain. (p.161). At this point in my career, I am continuing to learn about different disorders and what counseling approaches work. I feel that in order for me to effectively counsel an individual with a sexual addiction, I will need to continue to learn and become competent in the area of sexual addiction. It is with my belief that with the appropriate coursework and trainings, I will be able to counsel those that suffer from sexual addiction. As I continue through my graduate program it is imperative that competence is attained because I would not want to cause more hurt to the client. Dr. Laaser’s work has provided a clear cut understanding of what it takes to work with individuals with sexual addictions from a Christian perspective. Sexual Addiction and the Church A Leadership Journal survey revealed that 23 percent of 300 pastors had done something sexually inappropriate with someone other than their spouse (Laaser, 2004). It is becoming more prevalent to hear about sexual misconduct in the church. This misconduct has made people skeptical about the leaders of the church in whom they are suppose to trust. Dr. Laaser outlines characteristics of the sexually addicted pastor or priest in his work. Dr. Laaser’s recommendations regarding addressing sexual addiction in the church, not only looks at healing the pastor or priest but also the congregation and victims. I agree with Dr. Laaser in addressing sexual addiction in the church. His  approaches look at the church as a whole and how everyone in the church as affected. Indeed the pastor or priest that has inflicted sexual abuse onto their members must get the needed help and take accountability for their actions; however, it is also important that those that have been abused be treated and has the opportunity to process what has happened. With instances of sexual indiscretions becoming more frequent, it is imperative that parishioners feel that they have a safe place to worship and a leader that they can confide in and trust. Conclusion Healing from sexual addiction takes time and is a process. The road to recovery is long and ongoing in the sexual addict’s life. The person living with the addiction has to come to a point in which they want to change. Shame and guilt can hinder the sex addict from seeking help. It is important that the individual living with a sexual disorder feel supported and not judged. Dr. Laaser’s work illustrates how there is hope and that through Gods love and forgiveness recovery is possible. Sexual addiction affects not only the addict but their loved ones also. As Dr. Laaser stated, â€Å"ultimately, if all things are possible with God, we can accept that there are sex addicts who may be cured† (p. 223). Reference Laaser, M.R. (2004). Healing the wounds of sexual addiction. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House.