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 Activity
Solutions
Of the Prevention of Scurvy (James Lind, 1753)
a) Does ascorbic acid (citrus, vitamin C) prevent scurvy?
b) 12 English seamen suffering from scurvy on HMS Salisbury at sea in
May 20,1747
c) common diet supplemented by one of 6 treatments: common diet plus
cider daily; 25 gutts of elixir of vitriol 3x; 2 spoonfuls of vinegar
3x; half a pint of sea water; bigness of nutmeg 3x; or 2 oranges and a
lemon daily
d) Return to health by June 16th
e) Lind’s experiment involved 6 different treatments each imposed on 2
seamen, but there was no control, randomization, or replication.
f) Lind’s recommendation was that all seamen eat oranges and other
citrus fruit while at sea.
Baseball Injuries (Janda, Sports Medicine, 1991)
a) Does using break-away bases lessen slide injuries in baseball?
b) Baseball players on 19 teams in NCCA and professional minor leagues
c) Stationary bases used in 498 away games and break-away bases used in
486 home games
d) Number of slide injuries (10 stationary and 2 break-away)
e) Experiment since 2 types of bases were used (imposed) in games.
e) Fewer slide injuries with break-away bases caused replacement of
stationary bases for college and high school games.
Knee Surgery and Placebo Surgery (Baylor University in
Houston, 2002)
a) Is arthroscopic surgery more effective that placebo surgery for
relieving pain?
b) 180 patients with knee pain were randomized into 3 groups.
c) 3 treatments: debridement which cut away the bad cartilage with
arthroscope; arthoscopic lavage which flushed our bad cartilage;
simulated surgery with a cut but no cartilage removed.
d) Less pain and improved ability to function.
e) Blind (patients were unaware of real or simulated surgery)
experiment with 3 treatments and randomization.
f) There was no real difference in the pain relief for the 3 groups.
Duct Tape Therapy (Cincinnati Children’s Clinic, 2002)
a) Is using duct tape effective in treating warts?
b) 51 patients between the ages of 3 and 22 who suffered from warts
c) Cryotherapy and duct tape therapy
d) Disappearance of warts within a month of treatment
e) This study was an experiment since treats were randomly imposed on
the patients. f) Duct tape therapy was more effective than traditional
therapy in removing warts for children;
Lithium and Suicide (2003)
a) Is Lithium better than Depakote in preventing suicides for patients
who suffer from bipolar disorder (manic-depression illness)?
b) 20638 patients aged 14 and older who were treated in Washington and
California during 1994-2001
c) Use of drug: either Lithium or Depakote
d) 53 suicides and 383 attempted suicides
e) Observational study of patient records
f) Lithium patients had fewer attempted suicides, but there are no firm
conclusions since this study was observational.
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