Euthanasia--a paper for discussion by psychiatrists

There are two factors that are focusing attention, both public and professional, on euthanasia. These are: (i) the increasing ability of medicine to maintain life; (ii) the activity of the Law Reform Commission of Canada which might result in new legislation. Euthanasia raises problems medically, legally, morally and ethically. These difficulties are placed in context and discussed. The author offers a personal opinion on euthanasia in an attempt to mobilize Canadian psychiatric opinion.     

Fiscal resource development for state mental health agencies

As funds for human service programs grow scarcer, state mental health departments must become more aggressive in seeking out new funding sources. The development of a fiscal resource development unit at the state level is proposed as one approach to the problem.     

Gastrointestinal disorders: the role of diet in cause and management

Diet has a definite role in certain gastrointestinal disorders, and dietary manipulation often is beneficial. In other cases, such as peptic ulcer, traditional dietary therapy cannot be justified by available evidence.     

The cell membrane: a frontier between 2 worlds

The structure and function of the plasma membrane is reviewed. Three of its main functional roles are discussed, i.e. of 1. selective, physico-chemical barrier; 2. key regulator of cell tolerance and cell recognition; 3. effector organelle for long range and short range cell communication. From the structural viewpoint, the fluid mosaic model is presented as a particularly dynamic picture of the membrane machine and its components (pathways for active and passive transport, enzymes, hormonal receptors and other active sites). Some recent aspects fo the modulation of membrane permeability by hormonal or pharmacological agents are discussed by considering two examples of the author's own research: the hydrosmotic action of vasopressin and the vasopressin-like effects of a hallucinogenic drug, harmaline. Finally, the growing list of anomalies of membrane transport and membrane receptors found both in rare and in common clinical entities emphasizes the importance of membrane research in the understanding of human disease.