Almost a month has elapsed since Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, and ever since that fateful day in November, the mainstream media has been searching for a reason to explain how such a thing could happen. First it was dubbed as a whitelash by Van Jones on CNN, then Hilary's defeat could be only be attributed to overt sexism on behalf of the American public. There was a but a brief hint of introspection with articles such as this from the unabashedly pro-Hilary NY Times, and recently even Bernie Sanders suggested that the left needed to veer away from identity politics. For making this statement he was castagated by fragments of the left for apostosising from their sacred doctrine. However, these moments of contemplation have been fleeting, and now the mainstream has a new narrative to illustrate how and why the election was lost. pfFake news! The mainstream media cries foul. Trump's election and any anti-estsblishment backlash is largely the result of misinformation from alternative media sources and social media algorithims. Now when delving into the world of online media, an individual is required to do some research to determine which sources are trustworthy and not verging on the conspratorial. Nevertheless, do these establishment media organisations have the right to proclaim that they are the soul arbitors of truth? In the mundane world of CNN, political commentators and representatives, in a seemingly perpetual cycle of monotonous debate, will spew out the usual pre-rehearsed, bland and ultimately meaningless rhetoric. Studies have shown that Fox News viewers are consistently the most misinformed on the news, and in a perfect illustraton of just how out of touch media opinion is with the public at large, pre-election the Huffington Post forecast that Hilary Clinton had a 98% probability of winning. This year, above all else, has seen the cosy cartel of the political and media establishment rocked to it's very core. Sites such as Breitbart, and alternative media personalities like Tomi Lahren and Milo Yiannopolous, have benefited greatly from the overall dissolution with the "old media". So in an age where information is so readily available, where does one go to find reliable and honest sources? For genuine, informative and entertaining discussion, look no further than Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report on Youtube, and if you like the content do considering supporting the show via Patreon. Regarding what news sites to follow, my only advice can be to read articles from multiple publications of differing political viewpoints. Whether you identify as a liberal, conservative, libertarian, or an anarchist, don't insulate yourself in an echo chamber and most importantly think critically for yourself.
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In light of events this week in which a bill legalizing the use of cannibas for medicinal purposes passed through the Dáil, meaning it could soon be available to those suffering ailments such as cancer/epilepsy/multiple sclerosis, I feel it apt to discuss one of the lesser known figures in Irish History.
Born in Ocotber 1809 in Limerick, Sir William Brooke O'Shaughnessy was an Irish physician who first introduced the theraputic use of cannibas into Western medicine. He graduated MD from the University of Edinburgh in 1829 and shortly afterwards in 1831, his analysis of the blood of cholera victims laid the foundation for what was to become intravenous fluid and electrolyte-replacement therapy in the treatment of cholera. From 1833-1841 he spent his time in India with the British East India Company in Calcutta. It was during his time in India that he discovered the medicinal properties of cannibas. Having read a paper by to a group of students and scholars of the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta in 1839, which included in it a thorough review of the history of cannabis medical uses by Ayurvedic and Persian physicians in India and the Middle East, he began his own research. O'Shaughnessy conducted the first clinical trials of cannabis preparations, first with safety experiments on mice, dogs, rabbits and cats, then by giving extracts and tinctures to some of his patients. O'Shaughnessy presented concise case studies of patients suffering from rheumatism, hydrophobia, cholera, and tetanus, as well as a 40-day-old baby with convulsions, who responded well to cannabis therapy, leaping from near death to "the enjoyment of robust health" in a few days. O'Shaughnessy appended a paper by his cousin Richard on a case of tetanus cured by a cannabis preparation. He also warned that a peculiar form of delirium may be "occasioned by continual Hemp inebriation," and cautioned doctors to start with low doses. O'Shaughnessy concludes that these clinical studies have "led me to the belief that in Hemp the profession has gained an anti-convulsive remedy of the greatest value." Upon his return to England in 1841, he brought quantities of hemp for the Pharmaceutical Society and specimens of Cannabis indica and Nux vomica back to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. O'Shaughnessy's paper caused a sensation when it became widely available in England. He had introduced a wonder drug to treat some of the most awful medical conditions of the 19th century. Physicians throughout Europe and America tried cannabis for a huge variety of illnesses. As Dr. Lester Grinspoon noted in Marihuana Reconsidered, "Between 1839 and 1900 more than one hundred articles appeared in scientific journals describing the medicinal properties of the plant." A similar thing happened when Dr. Tod Mikuriya reprinted O'Shaughnessy's paper as the lead article in Marijuana: Medical Papers 1839-1972-it reinvigorated medical interest in the drug and sparked hundreds more articles on cannabis therapy into the 21st century. In 1844, O'Shaughnessy returned to India where he worked in various government positions in the fields of pharmacology and assay. During this period he began work on various telegraph instruments and systems. After briefly returning to England in 1852, O'Shaughnessy was appointed Superintendent of Telegraphs in 1853. During the years 1853-5 he installed 3500 miles of telegraph across India and wrote numerous manuals and reports on his telegraph inventions. In 1856 he was knighted by Queen Victoria for his work on the telegraph in India. He was also appointed Director-General of Telegraphs at this time. During the following years O'Shaughnessy wrote on telegraphy-related subjects, including a book of Private Codes for encrypted telegraphy. In 1860, O'Shaughnessy returned to Europe for sick leave where he remained in obscurity until his death in January, 1889. |
AuthorClassical liberal from Generation Y. Opposed to faux liberals and pro the free exchange of ideas. ArchivesCategories |