:
TO  : MTS@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu ............ Tom Sanford
    : murray@sumax.seattleu.edu ....... MaryAnne Murray
    : stever@tessi.com ................ Steve Rintala
    : SMIRNES@IMIHSRA.BITNET .......... S. Palazzi, MD
    : PHIP@TEMPLEVM.BITNET ............ Tina Phipps, Ph.D.
    : RRICCIUT@WCU.BITNET ............. Rae Ricciuti
    : andrew@uaneuro.uah.ualberta.ca .. Andrew Penn, MD
    : IEQZ96M@TJUVM.BITNET ............ Michele Lee
    : sissi@tinman.gene.com ........... Sissi Tchehrazi
    : linda@nuhub.acs.northeastern.edu  Douglas Hanson, Ph.D.
    : smith@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu ....... Linda Smith, Assoc. Professor
    : Jim.Knox@um.cc.umich.edu ........ Jim Knox
    : Tom.Butts@um.cc.umich.edu ....... Tom Butts
    : Lori.Nelson@Forsythe.Stanford.edu Lorene Nelson, Asst. Professor
    : boyd@math.fsu.edu ............... Mickey Boyd
    :
FROM: broedel@geomag.gly.fsu.edu ...... Bob Broedel
    :
RE  : ALS DISCUSSION GROUP 
    :

>
>Date: Fri,  8 Jan 93 09:22:53 PST
>To  : BRO@HUEY.MET.FSU.EDU
>From: Lorene Nelson <Lori.Nelson@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
>
>Dear Bob:
>I am an epidemiologist at Stanford University School of 
>Medicine, with a primary interest in the etiology of 
>neurologic disorders.  I am involved with a study of 
>risk factors for ALS at the University of Washington, 
>and would welcome being included in an e-mail oriented 
>discussion group regarding ALS. My e-mail address is:
>     MR.LOR@FORSYTHE.STANFORD.EDU
>Sincerely,  Lorene Nelson, PhD
>Assistant Professor of Health Research and Policy
>

Lorene ... Many thanks to you for joining us. We are hoping
that you will be an active participant by telling us more 
about your important research. 
It would be most interesting to know what you think of the 
following, assuming of course that the ALS victim has some 
kind of a condition that hinders their resistance while the 
majority of the population is not effected.

(1). Re Selenium. Sometimes it is in shampoo (I think).
What if one has used the same brand of shampoo for the
last few decades ... a possible cause of ALS?

(2). Re the phosphate industry. For instance if one lived
in Tampa, FL for a decade ... could there be some kind of
neurointoxication from that?

(3). Re phosphate deficiency. According to an article by
Dr. Patten, a phosphate deficiency can cause the same
symptoms as ALS. What do you think of phosphate deficiency
as a cause of ALS.

(4). Re Chloradane (used as a termite treatment). If one
had their home treated in 1988 with Chloradane.

(5). Re post-polio syndrome. Sometimes it is confused with
ALS. Could one have post-polio syndrome if she slept in
the same bed (at age 7) with a sister who had the fever and
later on became a polio victim. Is there a test to see if
one has had polio virus, but in a way that did not manifest
itself at the time, but that now is causing post-polio
syndrome in the uneffected sister?

(6). Re Mercury. Do you know what is happening with research
about amalgam (alloys that include mercury) effects from
dental work. Mercury intoxication can cause ALS-type symptoms
as I understand it. 

(7). Re psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid (for example Metamucil).
If one has taken this every day for several years ... it is 
made from the husk of a plant in India.

(8). Re Lyme disease.  The screening for this seems to be
unreliable. Also we have learned that Lyme disease is no longer
limited to the northeastern part of the US, and that one can
get it from more than bites from a tick (for instance from pet
urine), that Lyme can at times even cause Bulbar symptoms, etc. 
Any connection with ALS?

(9). Re Aluminium (from maybe Pepto-Bismol, soft drink cans,
cookware, etc.). Any connection with ALS risk-factors.

(10) Re migraines (or medication for such, like Midrin). Any 
connection with ALS risk factors.

(11) What about electric blankets?

(12) Is anyone doing any kind of a survey of ALS patients to
study their histories as a way of coming up with other ideas?

(13) Can you reccomend a book that the rest of us should be 
reading to learn more about ALS risk factors?

It would be most interesting to know more about your research re
ALS risk factors. The person who asked me to ask you the questions
above would appreciate your earliest response. Hope to be keeping
in touch with you.

rgds,bro

== end of als 9 ==