Posted on 04/23/2002 7:58:39 AM PDT by Mitchell
Edited on 09/03/2002 4:50:21 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
The standard application rate in pecan orchards, for example, is 20 lb/acre (employing a granular powder that was 15% active ingredient). I used as little as 3 lb/acre, applied tree-by-tree, and still got effective control of pecan aphids.
Temik can be inhaled, ingested, enter via a wound or be absorbed into the skin. Small dosages can be fatal, microscopic doses can do damage. Accordingly, simply being around this stuff is dangerous. It was the only material we ever worked with on the farm that I was actually afraid of.
Temik is expensive, as agricultural chemicals go, but dirt cheap as far as chemical warfare would be concerned. Simply scattering it on the ground around abandoned installations, or spraying it into rooms, would be an effective "scorched earth" tactic. In a desert climate, it would remain active until solubalized and washed away by a rain (in which case, don't drink the well water).
I'm not suggesting that the Iraqis may have used Temik, per se, in the Gulf War. But they could very well have employed a relatively common (and low cost) ag chemical for this purpose.
And they could have "complemented" the anthrax in a similar fashion -- though I don't know if they could've gotten the same aerosol effect on such a chemical as they did on the spores.
Yes, but the interesting thing here is the set of symptoms exhibited by some (but not all) of the survivors.
So let me get this straight: The unionized government employees who came down with anthrax are now suffering from lingering, impossible-to-verify effects, previously not associated with anthrax, that keep them on their disability leave. Meanwhile, the elderly retiree who has no financial incentive to continue to be sick has made a full recovery. Does that about sum it up?
You have a point -- I don't know any of these people, and I have no idea if you're being overly cynical or not.
Is it in fact true that Blanco would have no financial incentive to continue to be sick? Doesn't he have disability coverage as well? (AMI seemed to take better care of their employees than the USPS, at least during the critical period.)
It does appear from the article that the various individuals are describing very similar symptoms and that they were surprised to discover that. But of course I don't know that they aren't in collusion; however, it would require collusion on the part of all four of these individuals, and their doctors, and their family members. I also don't think that it's necessarily fair to characterize these effects as "impossible-to-verify". The symptoms can be tested for, and malingering (to the extent of being able to fake convincingly the results of medical and psychological tests) is a skill unlikely to be found in four randomly selected individuals. (Plus, at least one of the four is likely to be honest or have an honest family member.)
Yes, this is a possibility. I'm not sure if the treatment details have been released. My guess is that they have, in order to be able to learn to treat future anthrax patients more effectively. A search at the CDC or of ProMED might show something.
True enough. I don't know these individuals or their doctors. It's possible that your cynicism is justified. But they are all reporting similar symptoms. How likely is it that all four individuals, and their doctors, and (to some extent) their families are in collusion?
I'll add also that the literature on inhalation anthrax is minimal because so few cases have occurred in the past. No one really knows what typical long-term effects might occur.
You could be right. I think the evidence is a little stronger than you're suggesting, but I'd agree that these are the kinds of things that could easily be imagined, especially the fatigue. ["Imagined" may be a poor choice of wording here; your description explains the potential situation well.] But they're also the kinds of things that do genuinely occur as long-term side effects of illnesses.
The joint pain and, to a lesser extent, the memory loss strike me as more significant than the fatigue. And the similarity with Gulf War syndrome is intriguing.
U.S. Now Tells of Much Deeper Damage by Pollard Than Thought
What I personally believe happens is that the pending lawsuit and/or disability claim cause the sufferer to "dwell" on his injuries - because of medical exams, interrogatories, claim interviews, etc. etc., they are constantly on his mind. Doctors and claims adjusters in perfect good faith ask questions about symptoms that prompt the claimant to think about any symptoms he may have (or may not have had before he started asking himself if he did.)
In contrast, if you're not having to deal with claims or litigation, you can put it behind you and out of your mind instead of having it constantly dredged up to deal with.
While I have encountered some deliberate malingers, I think most long-term vague symptoms are caused - in all innocence - by this sort of inadvertent prompting.
Seymour M. Hersh?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.