Zur Entwicklung der medizinischen Wissenschaften in China

Three periods or stages can be recognized in the development of medicine in China. The first one, being the indigenous medical practice, has its own philosophical approach and can therefore not simply be combined with Western medicine. The second period, in which medical missionaries introduced modern medicine was still a time of laissez-faire and pestilence. The third stage was ushered in by the liberation in 1949 and is characterized by the fact that the government no longer regards health as the private affair of the individual but as a task for the whole community. A number of endemic and epidemic diseases were conquered mainly through close cooperation between the population and medical workers. Success must be regarded as in an important part due to land reform and the eradication of famine. Further improvement in health care will depend to a great deal on improvement in living standards and a lessening of population pressure. As family planning meets resistance for economic and other reasons, only specific measures by the state can bring about a change in attitude. The progress in preventive measures is matched by advances in the technical aspects of medicine and especially too in medical education.     

Prinzip und Anwendung des Radioimmunoassays

Radioimmunologic assay techniques are superior to most analytical procedures with regard to sensitivity, precision, general applicability, and experimental simplicity. Both for diagnosis and for monitoring of therapy this method has greatly advanced our understanding of endocrine physiology. Besides its use in clinical chemistry, radioimmunoassay is also employed in pharmacology, toxicology, and in pharmacokinetics of new drugs.     

Gifttiere und ihre Waffen

Animal venoms have aroused great interest during the past decades. During recent years, especially substances from marine animals have been investigated, not only in regard to their chemical structures but also to their biological relevance. Neurotoxic peptides from scorpions opened new aspects of action mechanisms on cell membranes; from snake venoms also ingredients have been obtained which serve as valuable pharmaceutical drugs.