January 8, 2000

BLOODLESS
% w

MEDICINE
and
SURGERY
K ne Growing
6 a Demand
 Average Printing 20,381,000
Published in 83 Languages

Bloodless Medicine
and Surgery
The Growing D em an d
3-11
Bloodless medicine and surgery
is now more common than ever.
Why is there such a demand
for it? Is it a safe alternative
to blood transfusions?

The Amazing World
of Insects 15
Instead of squashing every bug
that crosses your path, why
not learn something about the
amazing world of insects?
A Balanced View of
Popular Customs 26
Many customs are rooted in
superstitions and non-Biblical
religious ideas. How should a
Christian view such practices?
Pioneers in Medicine 3
Blood Transfusions A Long History
of Controversy 4
The Growing Demand for
Bloodless Medicine and Surgery 7
Do You Want to Learn
a Foreign Language? 12
Is Coffee Raising Your
Cholesterol Level? 14
Mothers With AIDS Face a Dilemma 20
The Finest Magazines Available 22
Help for Victims of Torture 23
Watching the World 28
From Our Readers 30
La Bambouseraie
A Dream Come True 31
He Cannot Keep His Copy 32

2 Awake! January 8, 2000

 Pioneers in Medicine
T AGE 61, Jose, a Belgian from the small
A i town of Oupeye, was told that he would
\ need a liver tra n s p la n t. It was the
shock of my life, he says. Just four decades
ago, liver transplants were unthinkable. Even
in the 1970s, the survival rate was only about
30 percent. Today, however, liver transplants
are routinely perform ed, with a much higher
success rate.
But there is still a m ajor drawback. Since
liver tra n sp la n ts o ften involve excessive
bleeding, doctors usually adm inister blood
transfusions during the operation. Because
of his religious convictions, Jose did not want
W orldw ide, th e re a re c u rre n tly m ore
th a n 9 0 ,0 0 0 doctors who have m ade It
know n th a t th e y a re w illin g to
tr e a t Jehovah's W itnesses
w ith o u t bloo d
caRDIOLOGY
blood. But he did want the liver transplant.
Impossible? Some might think so. But the
chief surgeon felt that he and his colleagues
had a good chance of operating successful
ly w ithout blood. And that is precisely what
they did! Just 25 days after his operation, Jose
was back home with his wife and daughter*
Thanks to the skills o f those whom
magazine calls heroes of medicine, blood
less medicine and surgery is now more com
mon than ever. But why is there such a de
mand for it? To answer that question, let us
examine the troubled history of blood trans
fusions.
* Jehovahs Witnesses view organ trans
plant operations as a matter of individu
al conscience.
 Blood Transfusions
A Long History of Controversy
Ifred blood cells were a new drug today, it would be very difficult to get it licensed.
-Dr. Jeffrey McCullough.

N TH E winter o f 1667, a violent madman dell. With his improved techniques and ad

I named Antoine M auroy was brought to vanced instrum entsand his insistence that
Jean-Baptiste Denis, eminent physician to only human blood should be used B lun
King Louis XIV of France. Denis had the dell brought blood transfusions back into the
ideal cure for M auroys m aniaa transfu limelight.
sion of calfs blood, which he thought would But in 1873, F. Gesellius, a Polish doctor,
have a calm ing effect on his patient. But slowed the transfusion revival with a fright
things did not go well for Mauroy. Granted, ening discovery: M ore than half the transfu
after a second transfusion, his condition im sions perform ed had ended in death. Upon
proved. But soon madness again seized the learning this, eminent physicians began de
Frenchman, and before long he was dead. nouncing the procedure. The popularity of
Even though it was later determined that transfusions once again waned.
M auroy actually died from arsenic poison Then, in 1878, French physician Georges
ing, Denis experiments with animal blood Hayem perfected a saline solution, which
provoked a heated controversy in France. he claimed could serve as a substitute for
Finally, in 1670 the procedure was banned. blood. Unlike blood, the saline solution had
In time, the English Parliament and even the no side effects, did not clot, and was easy
pope followed suit. Blood transfusions fell to transport. Understandably, Hayems saline
into obscurity for the next 150 years. solution came to be widely used. Strangely,
Early Hazards however, opinion soon favored blood again.
In the 19th century, blood transfusions Why?
made a comeback. Leading the revival was In 1900, Austrian pathologist Karl Land-
an English obstetrician named James Blun steiner discovered the existence of blood

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4 Awake! January 8, 2000

types, and he found th at one type of blood
is not always com patible with another. No
w onder so m any transfusions in the past
had ended in tragedy! Now th at could be
changed, sim ply by m aking sure th a t the
blood type of the donor was compatible with
that of the recipient. W ith this knowledge,
physicians renewed their confidence in trans
fusionsjust in time for World War I.
Blood Transfusions and War
During World War I, blood was liberally
transfused into wounded soldiers. O f course,
blood clots quickly, and previously it would
have been all but impossible to transport it
to the battlefield. But early in the 20th cen
tury, Dr. Richard Lewisohn, of M ount Sinai
Hospital in New York City, successfully ex
perim ented with an anticoagulant called so
dium citrate. This exciting breakthrough was
regarded by some doctors as a miracle. It
was almost as if the sun had been made to
stand still, wrote Dr. Bertram M. Bernheim,
a distinguished physician o f his day.
World War II saw an increase in the de
mand for blood. The public was bom barded
with posters bearing such slogans as Give
Blood Now, Your Blood Can Save Him,
and He Gave His Blood. W ill You G ive
Yours? The call for blood brought great re
sponse. During World War II, some 13,000,-
000 units were donated in the U nited States.
It is estimated that in London more than 68,-
500 gallons were collected and distributed.
O f course, blood transfusions carried a num
ber of health risks, as soon becam e clear.

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Awake! January 8, 2000 5

 Blood Transfusions-No Medical Standard
Each year in th e U nited S ta tes alone, m ore th a n 1 1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 u nits o f red ce lls are tra n s fu s e d
in to 3 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 p a tie n ts. In view o f th a t large num ber, one w ould a ssum e th a t th e re is a s tric t
s ta n d a rd a m o n g p h y s ic ia n s w h e n it c o m e s to a d m in is te rin g b lo o d . Yet, The New England
Journal of Medicine n o te s th a t th e re is s u rp ris in g ly little d a ta to g u id e d e c is io n s a b o u t
tr a n s fu s io n s . In d e e d , th e re is a w id e v a ria tio n in p ra c tic e , n o t o n ly re g a rd in g p re c is e ly
w h a t is tra n s fu s e d and how m uch b u t also regarding w h e th e r a tra n s fu s io n is a d m in iste re d a t
all. T ransfusion d e p e n d s on th e doctor, not on th e p a tie n t, says th e m edical jo u rn a l A cta An-
aesthesiologica Belgica. C onsidering th e above, it is hardly s u rp ris in g th a t a stu d y publish e d in
The New England Journal of Medicine found th a t an estim a te d 6 6 p ercent o f tra n s fu s io n s are
a d m in is te re d in a p p ro p ria te ly.

Blood-Borne Disease Another Scandal: HIV-Contaminated Blood

After World War II, great strides in medi
cine made possible some surgeries that were
previously unim aginable. C onsequently, a
global m ultibillion-dollar-a-year ind u stry
sprang up to supply the blood for transfu
sions, which physicians began to consider
standard operating procedure.
Soon, however, concern over transfusion-
related disease came to the fore. During the
Korean War, for example, nearly 22 percent
o f those who received plasm a transfusions
developed hepatitisalm ost triple the rate
during World War II. By the 1970s, the U.S.
Centers for Disease C ontrol estimated the
num ber of deaths from transfusion-related
hepatitis at 3,500 a year. Others put the fig
ure ten times higher.
Thanks to better screening and more care
ful selection of donors, the num ber of cases
of hepatitis-B contam ination declined. But
then a new and sometimes fatal form of the
virushepatitis Ctook a heavy toll. It is
estim ated that four million Americans con
tracted the virus, several hundred thousand
of them through blood transfusions. G rant
ed, rigorous testing eventually reduced the
prevalence of hepatitis C. Still, some fear
that new dangers will appear and will only
be understood when it is too late.
In the 1980s, it was found that blood can
be contam inated with HIV, the virus th at
leads to AIDS. At first, blood bankers were
loathe to consider that their supply m ight
be tainted. M any of them initially greeted
the HIV threat with skepticism. According to
Dr. Bruce Evatt, it was as though someone
had wandered in from the desert and said,
Ive seen an extraterrestrial. They listened,
but they just didnt believe it.
Nevertheless, country after country has
seen scan d als b reak o u t exposing HIV-
contam inated blood. It is estimated that in
France, between 6,000 and 8,000 people were
infected with HIV through transfusions that
were administered between 1982 and 1985.
Blood transfusions are held responsible for
10 percent of HIV infections throughout Af
rica and for 40 p ercent of the A IDS cas
es in Pakistan. Today, because of improved
screening, HIV transmission through blood
transfusions is rare in developed nations.
However, such transmission continues to be
a problem in developing nations th at lack
screening processes.
Understandably, in recent years there has
been an increased interest in bloodless medi
cine and surgery. But is this a safe alterna
tive?

6 Awake! January 8, 2000

mmmm

The Growing Demand for

Bloodless Medicine
and Surgery
All those dealing with blood and caring for surgical patients have to consider
bloodless surgery.-Dr. Joachim Boldt, professor of anesthesiology,
Ludwigshafen, Germany.

i E trag ed y o f A ID S has co m p elled ety expends great resources on m aking the

T sc ie n tists and p h y sician s to take

additional steps to m ake the o p e ra t
ing room a safer place. Obviously, this has
m eant m ore stringent blood screening. But
experts say th at even these m easures do not
ensure zero-risk transfusions. Even as soci
blood supply safer than ever, says the m ag
azine Transfusion, we believe patients will
still try to avoid allogeneic [donor] transfu
sions simply because the blood supply can
never be completely safe.
N o t s u rp risin g ly , m an y d o c to rs are

What Some Doctors Say

B lo o d le s s s u rg e ry is n o t o n ly fo r J e h o v a h s W it
nesses b u t fo r a ll p a tie n ts. I th in k th a t e v ery d o c to r
s hou ld b e e n g a g e d in Dr. J o a c h im B o ld t, p ro fe s
s o r o f a n e s th e s io lo g y , L u d w ig s h a fe n , G e rm a n y .
W h ile bloo d transfusion s a re s a fe r to d a y th a n in
th e p a s t, th e y s t ill p o s e ris k s , in c lu d in g im m u n e
re a c tio n s a n d c o n tra c tin g h e p a titis
o r s e x u a lly tr a n s m itte d d is e a s e s .
Dr. T e rre n c e J. S a c c h i, c lin ic a l a s s is
ta n t p ro fe s s o r o f m e d ic in e .
M o s t p h y s ic ia n s h a v e k n e e -je r k
Or. Joachim B o ld t r e a c tio n s w ith tr a n s fu s io n s a n d
j u s t g iv e th e m o u t lib e r a lly a n d
ind is c rim in a te ly . I don't." Dr. A le x Z a p o la n s k i, d ire c
to r o f c a rd ia c s u rg e ry a t th e S a n F ra n c is c o H e a rt In
s titu te .
I d o n t s e e a n y c o n v e n tio n a l a b d o m in a l o p e r a
tion th a t in a n o rm a l p a tie n t ro u tin e ly re q u ires blo o d
transfusion." D r. J o h a n n e s S c h e e le , p r o fe s s o r o f
s u rg e ry , J e n a , G e rm a n y .
Dr. Terrence J. S a cch i
 HU m
Biological hemostats: Colla
Bloodless Medicine gen and cellulose woven pads are
used to sto p b le e d in g by d ire c t
and Surgery application. Fibrin glues and seal
Some of the Methods ants can plug p u n c tu re w o u n d s
o r cover large areas of b leeding
tissue.
Fluids: Ringers lactate solution,
dextran, hydroxyethyl starch, and
others are used to maintain blood
v o lu m e , p re v e n tin g h y p o v o le
m ic sh o ck. S om e fluids now be
ing tested can transport oxygen.
Drugs: G e n e tic a lly e n g in e e re d
p ro te in s can s tim u la te th e p ro G e lfo a n rr
aworbawe gelatin sponge, OSP
d u c tio n o f red b lo o d c e lls
(e ry th ro p o ie tin ), b lo o d p la te le ts S i z e 1 0 0 compress
mo sq cm (8 x 12.5 cm)
(interleukin-11), and various w hite I Asq in (5Vx 5 fn)
b lo o d c e lls (G M -C S F, G -C S F ).
O ther m edications greatly reduce
b lo o d loss during su rg e ry (apro-
tin in , a n tifib rin o ly tic s ) o r he lp to
re d u c e a c u te b le e d in g (d e s m o
pressin).

b eco m in g w ary o f a d m in iste rin g blood.
Blood transfusions are basically no good,
and we are very aggressive in avoiding them
for everybody, says Dr. Alex Zapolanski, of
San Francisco, California.
The general public too is becoming aware
o f the dangers o f transfusions. Indeed, a
1996 poll revealed th at 89 percent of Canadi
ans would prefer an alternative to donated
blood. N ot all patients will refuse homolo
gous transfusions as do Jehovahs Witness
es, states the Journal o f Vascular Surgery.
Nonetheless, the risks of disease transm is
sion and im m unom odulation offer clear evi
dence that we m ust find alternatives for all
of our patients.
A Preferred Method
Thankfully, there is an alternativeblood
less m edicine and surgery. M any patients
view it not as a last resort but as a preferred
treatm ent, and with good reason. Stephen
Geoffrey Pollard, a British consultant sur
geon, notes that the m orbidity and m ortality
rates among those who receive bloodless sur
gery are at least as good as those patients
who receive blood, and in many cases they
are spared the postoperative infections and
complications often attributable to blood.
How did bloodless medical treatm ent de
velop? In one sense the question is rather
odd, since bloodless medicine actually pre
dates the use of blood. Indeed, it was not
until the early 20th century that transfusion
technology had advanced to the point where
it was routinely used. Nevertheless, in recent
decades some have popularized the field o f
bloodless surgery. For example, during the
1960s noted surgeon D enton Cooley p e r
formed some of the first open-heart opera
tions w ithout the use of blood.

8 Awake! January 8, 2000

 Surgical techniques: T h o r
ough operative planning, inclu d
ing consultation with experienced
clinicians, helps the surgical team
to avoid c o m p lic a tio n s . P ro m p t
action to stop bleeding is essen
tial. Delays greater than 24 hours
can greatly increase patient m or
tality. Dividing large surgeries into
several sm a lle r o nes d e cre a se s
total blood loss.

Su rgica l tools: S o m e d e v ic
Blood salvage: Salvaging m a es cu t and seal blood vessels si
c h in e s re c o v e r b lo o d th a t is m ultaneously. O ther devices can
lost during surgery o r trauma. The seal b le e d in g on la rg e areas o f
blood is cleansed and can be re tis s u e . L a p a ro s c o p ic and m in i
tu rn e d to th e p a tie n t in a c lo s e d m ally invasive in s tru m e n ts allow
circuit. In extrem e cases, liters of s u rg e rie s to be p e rfo rm e d w ith
b lo o d ca n be re c o v e re d u sin g out the blood loss associated with
such a system. large incisions.

With the rise o f hepatitis among transfu O ne advantage o f b lo o d le ss surg ery is

sion recipients during the 1970s, many doc th at it prom otes better-quality care. The
tors began looking for alternatives to blood. surgeons skill is of the greatest im portance
By the 1980s a n u m b er o f large m edical in the prevention of blood loss, says Dr. Ben
teams were perform ing bloodless surgery. jam in J. Reichstein, a director o f surgery in
Then, when the AIDS epidemic broke out, Cleveland, Ohio. A South African legal jo u r
these team s were repeatedly consulted by nal says th a t in certain instances surgery
others who were eager to adopt the same w ithout blood can be quicker, cleaner and
techniques. During the 1990s many hospi less expensive. It adds: Certainly the after
tals developed program s that offer bloodless care treatm ent in m any instances has proved
options to their patients. cheaper and less time-consuming. These are
just a few of the reasons why some 180 hos
D octors have now successfully applied
pitals around the world now have programs
bloodless techniques during operations and
specializing in bloodless medicine and sur
em ergency p ro c e d u re s th a t tra d itio n ally
gery.
required transfusions. M ajor cardiac, vas
cular, gynaecological and ob stetrical, o r Blood and Jehovahs Witnesses
thopaedic, and urological surgery can be per For Bible-based reasons, Jehovahs W it
form ed successfully w ithout using blood or nesses refuse blood transfusions.* But they
blood products, notes D.H.W. Wong, in the * See Leviticus 7:26, 27; 17:10-14; Deuteronomy 12:23-25;
Canadian Journal o f Anaesthesia. 15:23; Acts 15:20, 28, 29; 21:25.

Awake! January 8, 2000 9

 Bloodless M edicine
The Hew Standard of Care?
A W A K E! d is c u s s e d th e b e n e fits o f b lo o d le s s m e d ic in e
and su rg e ry w ith fo u r experts in the field.
Besides patients who for religious reasons refuse
blood transfusions, who else are showing interest
in bloodless medicine?
Dr. Spahn: In o u r ce n te r those requesting blo o d le ss m ed
icine are usually extrem ely w ell-inform ed patients.
Dr. Shander: In 1 9 9 8 the num ber of patients w h o refused
b lo o d fo r personal reasons exceeded th e n u m b e r of pa
tients w h o refused blood fo r religious reasons.
Dr. Boyd: There are, fo r exam ple, patients w ith cancer. It
h a s b e e n s h o w n m a n y tim e s th a t if th e y d o n t re c e iv e
b lo o d , th e y progress better and they d o n t have as m uch
re cu rre n ce o f the disease.
Dr. Spahn: W e often treat university professors and th e ir
\ *
fam ilie s w ith o u t using b lood. Even the s u rg e o n s request
Dr. D o n a t R. Spahn Dr. A ryeh S h an d er
professor o f th a t w e avoid tra n s fu s io n s ! O ne s u rg e o n , fo r e x a m p le , assistan t clinical
anesthesiology ; cam e to us a bout his w ife, w ho needed an operation. He professor o f
Zurich. S w itzerland said: Ju st m ake sure of one thingthat she do e s not get anesthesiology,
a blo o d tra n sfu sio n ! United S tates
D r. S h a n d e r: M e m b e rs o f m y a n e s th e s ia d e p a rtm e n t
said: T h e s e p a tie n ts w h o are not g e ttin g b lo o d are d o
ing ju s t as w e ll and m aybe even better. W hy do w e have
to have tw o standards of care? If this is the best care, w e
sh o u ld a p p ly it to everybody. S o now w e are looking fo r
b lo o d le ss m edicine to b ecom e the standard of care.
M r. Earnshaw : It ju st so happens that bloo d le ss surgery
is p a rticu la rly relevant to Jehovahs W itnesses. However,
this is how w e w ant to treat everybody.
Is the bloodless approach more expensive or less
expensive?
M r. Earnshaw : This is co st saving.
Dr. Shander: There is a 2 5 -p e rce n t reduction o f co st w ith
b lo o d le ss m edicine.
Dr. Boyd: If only fo r that reason, w e should use it.
How far have we advanced in the use of bloodless
medical management?
Dr. M a rk E. Boyd M r. P e te r E arnshaw ,
professor o f Dr. Boyd: I th in k its very progressive. Its by no m eans at FRCSf consultant
obstetrics and an e n d . E a ch tim e w e tu rn a round , w e fin d s o m e g o o d orthopedic surgeon,
gynecology, Canada new reason not to use blood. London, England
do acceptand vigorously pursuem edi
cal alternatives to blood. Jehovahs W it
nesses actively seek th e b est in m edical
tre a tm e n t, said D r. R ichard K. Spence,
when director of surgery at a New York hos
pital. As a group, they are the best educated
consumers the surgeon will ever encounter.
D octors have perfected m any bloodless
surgery techniques on Jehovahs W itness
es. Consider the experience o f cardiovascu
lar surgeon D enton Cooley. Over a period
of 27 years, his team perform ed bloodless
open-heart surgery on 663 of Jehovahs Wit
nesses. The results clearly dem onstrate that
cardiac operations can be successfully per
formed w ithout the use o f blood.
True, m any have criticized Jehovahs Wit
nesses for their refusal o f blood. But a guide
published by the Association of Anaesthe
tists of G reat Britain and Ireland calls the
W itnesses position a sign o f respect for
life. In truth, the W itnesses rigorous stand
has been a m ajor force behind safer medi
cal treatm ent becom ing available for all. Je
hovahs W itnesses in need o f surgery have
shown the way and exerted pressure for im
provements in an im p o rtan t sector o f the
Norwegian health service, writes Profes
sor Stein A. Evensen, of Norways National
Hospital.
To assist doctors in providing treatm ent
w ithout the use of blood, Jehovahs W itness
es have developed a helpful liaison service.
Presently, more than 1,400 Hospital Liaison
Com m ittees worldwide are equipped to pro
vide doctors and researchers with medical
literature from a data base o f over 3,000 arti
cles related to bloodless medicine and sur
gery. N o t only Jehovahs W itnesses, but
patients in general, are today less likely to
be given unnecessary blood transfusions be
cause of the work of the W itnesses Hospi
tal Liaison C om m ittees, notes Dr. Charles
Awake! January 8, 2000
Baron, a professor at Boston College Law
School.*
The inform ation on bloodless m edicine
and surgery that has been compiled by Jeho
vahs Witnesses has been of benefit to many
in the medical field. For example, in prepar
ing material for a book entitled Autotransfu
sion: Therapeutic Principles and Trends, the au
thors asked Jehovahs W itnesses to provide
them with inform ation about alternatives
to blood transfusion. The Witnesses gladly
granted their request. W ith gratitude the au
thors later stated: In all our reading on this
subject, we have never seen such a concise,
complete list of strategies to avoid hom olo
gous blood transfusion.
Progress in the medical field has caused
many to consider bloodless medicine. W here
will this lead us? Professor Luc M ontagnier,
discoverer of the AIDS virus, states: The
evolution of our understanding in this field
shows that blood transfusions m ust one day
die out. In the m eantim e, alternatives to
blood are already saving lives.
* By invitation, Hospital Liaison Committees also make
presentations to hospital medical staff. In addition, if their
assistance is specifically requested, they help patients to have
early, open, and continual communication with the physi
cian in charge.
The Patients Role
Talk to your doctor about nonblood alterna
tives before the need for treatment arises. This
is especially im portant fo r pregnant wom en,
parents with small children, and the elderly.
Put your wishes down in writing, especially if
a legal docum ent is available fo r such a pur
pose.
If your physician is not willing to treat you with
out blood, seek a physician w ho will com ply
with your wishes.
Since some alternatives to blood require time
to be effective, do not postpone seeking treat
ment if you know that you need an operation.
11
Do You Want to Learn
A FOREIGN LANGUAGE?
BY A W A K E ! CORRESPONDENT IN BRITAIN

Easier said than done! That is what many say about learning a
foreign language, especially after giving it a try. Granted, learning
another language is challenging, to say the least. But those who
have succeeded say that it is well worth the effort.

H E R E are m any different nication betw een us, Pam ela

T reasons for learning a new confesses. But now th a t I

language. Andrew, for exam can speak Chinese, we are clos
ple, p lanned to spend a vaca er and our relationship has im
tion in France, and he wanted to proved.
be able to converse with the lo
Aids to Success
cal people in their own tongue.
G uido was born in England, but W hat will you need in order
his family background is Italian. to succeed in learning a foreign
I was only fam iliar with a di language? M any who have done
alect, he says, so I wanted to so stress the following.
learn to speak Italian p ro p e r Motivation. You need an in
ly. Jo n ath an s brother recent ce n tiv e a reaso n to p u rsu e
ly moved abroad and m arried a your goal. Students w ith high
Spanish girl. I wanted to speak motivation generally do best.
with my new relatives in their Humility. D ont expect too
native tongue when I visited my m uch o f y o u rse lf m istak es
brother, Jonathan says. are inevitable, especially at first.
B ut lea rn in g a fo reig n lan People are going to laugh, Ali
guage can have other benefits. son says, so keep your sense of
It taught me to have em pathy, humor! Valerie agrees: Youre
says L ouise. N ow I u n d e r like a child learning to walk. Of
stand how foreigners feel when ten you stum ble, b u t you ju st
they arrive in a country where have to get up and try again.
the language spoken is differ Patience. For me, the first
ent from their own. For Pamela two years were difficult, and at
the benefits hit closer to home. times I felt like giving up, ad
R aised in E ngland, she knew m its David. Still, he acknow l
little Chinesethe language of edges: It gets easier! Jill feels
her family. As a result, Pam e much the same way. You dont
la and her m other grew apart. think youve made progress un
T h ere w asnt m uch c o m m u til you look back, she says.

Awake! January 8, 2000


n ative langu age w ith
the one you a re learn in g
Practice. A regular routine
will help you to become fluent
in the new language. Try to prac
tice every day, even if for
just a few m inutes. As one text
book puts it, a little and of
ten is preferable to a lot but sel
dom.
Helpful Tools
A re you ready to accept
the challenge of learning a
foreign language? If so, the
following tools can enhance
your progress.
Flash cards. Each one has a
word or a phrase on the front
and the translation on the back.
If these are not available where
you live, you could make your
own set, using file cards.
Instructional audiocassettes
and videocassettes. T h ese can
help you to hear the language
spoken correctly. For example,
while driving in his car, David
learned the rudim ents of Japa
nese by listening to an audiocas
sette of a tourist phrase book.
Interactive computer pro
grams. Some of these allow you
to record your voice and com
p are your p ro n u n ciatio n w ith
th a t o f native speakers o f the
language.
Radio and television. If there
are radio or television programs
broadcast in your area that use
the language you are learning,
why n o t tu n e in and see how
m uch you can understand?
M agazines and books. Try
reading printed m aterial in the
new language, making sure that
Awake! January 8, 2000
the com prehension level is nei
ther too high nor too low.*
Mastering the Language
O f course, sooner or later you
w ill have to co n v e rse w ith
those who speak the language.
This does not require th at you
travel to a distant land. Instead,
perhaps you can visit a foreign-
lan g u ag e c o n g re g a tio n o f Je
hovahs W itnesses in your own
country.
In any event, your goal should
be to learn to think in the new
language, ra th e r th a n sim ply
to translate words and phrases
from your m other tongue. Like
ly it will also help if you try to
learn something about the cus
toms and habits o f the people
who speak your new language.
There can be no real learning
o f a language w ith o u t u n d e r
standing som ething of the p at
terns and values o f the culture
of which it is a part, says lan
guage expert Robert Lado.
A final thought: D o not be dis
couraged w hen your progress
seems slow. Learning a new lan
guage is, a fte r all, a c o n tin u
al process. I never stop learn
ing, says Jill, who learned sign
language 20 years ago. The lan
guage is always developing.
So do you want to learn a for
eign language? I f you do, be
ready to e m b a rk on a m o st
challengingyet richly reward
ingendeavor.
*Awake! is now available in 83 languages,
and its companion, The Watchtower, is print
ed in 132 languages. Many have found the
clear writing in these journals to be helpful
when learning a new language.
IS CO FFEE RAISING
YO U R CH O LESTERO L LEVEL?
BY AWAKE!CORRESPONDENT IN BRAZIL

R E S E A R C H E R S a t th e W ageningen A g ric u ltu r

al University, in th e N e th e rla n d s, say th a t d rin k in g
unfiltered coffee w ill raise your cholesterol level.
The c ru c ia l w ord is u n filte re d . W hy? Research
Reports, a n e w sle tte r fro m th e N e th e rla n d s O rgani
zation fo r S cie n tific Research, says th a t coffee beans
contain a cholesterol-raising s u b s ta n c e calle d cafes-
tol. W hen hot w ater is poured d ire ctly on th e ground
co ffe e , th e c a fe s to l is e x tra c te d . T he s a m e is tru e
w hen fin e ly ground c offee is boiled in w a te r several
tim es, as it is in Turkish coffee, or w hen a m etal filte r
is used instead o f a paper filter, such as in a French
press. W ith o u t a paper filter, th e cafestol ends up in
th e brew.
O ne u n filte re d c u p o f c o ffe e , w h ic h m a y
c o n ta in up to fo u r m illig ra m s o f c a fe s to l,
can cause th e cholesterol level to rise
a b o u t 1 p e rc e n t. E s p re s s o
also c o n ta in s cafestol, since
it is m ade w ith o u t a paper fil
ter. However, its cholesterol-
ra is in g e ffe c t is le s s if
you use a d e m ita sse . Less
espresso, less ca fe s to lper
h a p s as little as o n e o r tw o
m illig ra m s p e r c u p . Research
Reports c a u tio n s , th o u g h , th a t
five s m a ll c u p s o f e s p re s s o a
day can raise th e b o d y s c h o
lesterol level by 2 percent.
The b o tto m lin e is th a t c o f
fe e m ade w ith a p a p e r filte r is
cafestol free. M
 fi
f c if
r : , .
THE A M A Z I N G W O R L D

OFInsects
BY A W A K E ! C O R R E S P O N D E N T IN S P A I N

O YOU think that insects are nothing more

D than a nuisance? Would you like the world to

be free of these annoying pests? Do you spray
them, swat them, or step on them at every opportunity?
Before declaring war on every bug that crosses your path,
why not try to learn something about their world? After
all, with a population that outnum bers humans by about
200,000,000 to 1, you can be sure that insects are here to
stay!
A brief look at ju st a few of these amazing creatures
might well convince you that insects deserve your respect.
Masters of Flight, Marvels of Sight
M any insects are masters of flight. Consider some exam
ples. M osquitoes can fly upside down. Some can even fly
through the rain w ithout getting wetyes, actually dodging
the raindrops! Some tropical wasps and bees buzz around

at speeds of up to 45 miles per

hour. One monarch butterfly of N orth
America logged 1,870 miles on its migration flight.
Hover flies can beat their wings more than a thousand times
per secondm uch faster than hummingbirds. Dragonflies
can fly backward, a fact that has stim ulated the curiosity
and close studyof researchers.

Awake! January 8, 2000

 If you have ever tried to swat a fly, you
know that these insects have exceptionally
keen eyesight, which is coupled with a reflex
that is ten times quicker than ours. Interest
ingly, the fly has a com pound eye, containing
thousands of six-sided lenses, each of which
works independently. Likely, then, the flys
view is broken up into tiny bits.
Some insects can perceive ultraviolet light,
METAMORPHOSIS
A New Look, a New Life-Style
S om e in se cts to ta lly revam p th e ir a p p e a ra n ce
th ro u g h a process ca lle d m e ta m o rp h o sis lite ra l
ly, change in fo rm . The changes can be quite dra
m atic. M aggots change into flies, ca te rp illa rs into
b utte rflie s, and a q u a tic larvae into airb o rn e drag
onflies. H undreds o f th o u sa n d s o f insects undergo
m etam orphosis.
To produce such a tra n s fo rm a tio n com parable
to co n ve rtin g a tra in into an a irp la n e huge m odi
fica tio n s m u st ta ke place inside th e in se cts body.
C onsider th e butterfly, fo r exam ple. W hile th e cater
which is invisible to hum ans. Thus, w hat
looks to us like a dull white butterfly is any
thing but dull to the male butterfly. Indeed,
when seen in ultraviolet light, the female has
attractive patterns that are ideal for grabbing
the attention of courting males.
The eyes of many insects serve as a com
pass. Bees and wasps, for instance, can de
tect the plane o f polarized light, enabling
pillar is d o rm a n t in th e chrysalis, m ost o f its previ
ous tis s u e s and body o rg a n s b re a k d ow n an d a
w h o le s e t o f new a d u lt o rg a n s s u c h as w in g s ,
eyes, and antennasdevelop.
O fte n , th e tra n s fo rm a tio n in v o lv e s ta k in g on
a new life -s ty le . For exa m p le , w h ile in th e la rv a l
s ta g e , th e d ra g o n fly c a p tu re s s m a ll fis h o r ta d
poles; b u t w hen it b ecom es a fre e -fly in g a d u lt, it
changes its d ie t to insects. This is th e e quivalent o f
a man spending his firs t 2 0 years sw im m in g in th e
sea and th e rest o f his life flying around like a bird.
them to locate the suns position in the sky
even when it is hidden by clouds. Thanks to
this ability, these insects can forage far from
their nests and still find their way home un
erringly.
Love Is in the Air
In the insect world, sounds and aromas are
often used to find a m ateno small achieve
m ent if your life span is ju st a m atter of
weeks and prospective m ates are few and far
between.
Female em peror m oths find a suitor by
emitting a scent that is so potent that a male
can home in on its source from nearly seven
miles away. His sensitive antennas can detect
a single molecule o f the scent.
Crickets, grasshoppers, and cicadas prefer
to make themselves heard. Even we humans

N ew ly e m e rg e d from Its
p u p a, th e s w a llo w ta il
s tre tc h e s Its w ings
Could evolution o rchestrate th e se incredi
b le tra n s fo rm a tio n s ? How c o u ld a c a te rp il
lar sim ply a p p e a r on th e scene, program m ed to
tra n s fo rm its e lf in to a b u tte rfly ? For th a t m a tte r,
w hich ca m e firs tth e c a te rp illa r o r th e b u tte rfly?
One cannot exist w ith o u t th e other, fo r only th e but
terfly breeds and lays eggs.
Surely, th e process o f m etam orph osis gives con
v in c in g e v id e n c e o f a M a s te r D e sig n e r, th e o n e
w hom th e Bible ide n tifie s as th e C re a to ro f all things,
Alm ighty G o d Psalm 1 0 4 :2 4 ; Revelation 4 :1 1 . 17
Above: P o lle n -e atin g b e e tle
Above right: A dew -covered
le a f b e e tle w arm in g up
F a r rig h t: R hinoceros b e e tle
can hear the amorous cicada, as it converts
its whole body into a sounding board. Why, a
large group of courting cicadas can create a
din that is louder than a pneumatic drill! In
contrast, some females make no sound at all.
Waking Up and Warming Up
For hum ans who live in a cool climate,
keeping warm is im portant. The same is true
for cold-blooded insects that wake up each
m orning virtually frozen stiff. The sun is
their <Hly, and they make the most of it.
A frican
grasshopper
H orsefly
Flies and beetles are attracted to flowers
or leaves th at bathe in the w arm th of the
sun during the early morning hours. Some
beetles frequent Australian water lilies that
act like botanical stoves, heating up their
blossoms as m uch as 36 degrees Fahrenheit
higher than the surrounding tem perature.
In contrast, butterflies have a built-in heating
system. W hen they need to warm up, they
open their wings, which serve as efficient so
lar panels, and incline them toward the sun.
You Name It, Insects Do It!
In the insect world, nearly every species
has a different role, some of which are quite
bizarre. Some moths, for example, seek life-
giving salt and m oisture by sucking the tears
of buffalo. Other insects, equipped with a po
tent antifreeze, inhabit freezing m ountain-
tops and spend their lives scavenging bugs
that have succumbed to the cold.
As wise King Solomon observed thousands
of years ago, the ant is particularly industri
ous. Solomon wrote: G o to the ant, you lazy
one; see its ways and become wise. Although
it has no commander, officer or ruler, it pre
pares its food even in the summer; it has gath
ered its food supplies even in the harvest.
(Proverbs 6:6-8) The absence of a ruler is all
the more remarkable considering that some
colonies o f ants may nu m b er upw ards o f
20 million! Yet, this insect metropolis func
tions perfectly, with each ant performing its
specific task, so that the entire colony is sup
plied with food, protection, and housing.
Perhaps the m ost impressive example of
insect housing is the term ite mound. Some
of them stand 25 feet tall.* These marvels
of construction come with sophisticated air-
conditioning and underground fungus gar
dens. Even more amazing, the termites that
build these towering pyramids are blind!
Why We Need Insects
Insects play a vital role in our daily life. In
deed, about 30 percent of the foods we eat de
pend on pollination by bees, most of which
are wild bees. But pollination is only one of
the useful labors perform ed by insects. In
sects keep the earth clean by means of an
efficient recycling system, as they reprocess
dead plants and animals. Thus, the soil is en
riched, and nutrients that are liberated can
make things grow. W ithout insects, writes
entom ologist C h risto p h e r O Toole in his
book Alien Empire, we would be inundated
with dead plant and animal m aterial.
Insects are sorely missed when their work
is not done. Consider what happened in Aus
* For humans, the equivalent would be a skyscraper that
stands six miles high.
Awake! January 8, 2000
tralia, which has become home to millions of
cattle. Herds inevitably scatter dung every
where. Besides being unsightly, the m anure
provided a breeding site for the bush flya
plague to both hum ans and cattle. So dung
beetles were im ported from Europe and Af
rica. The problem was solved!
Friends or Foes?
A dm ittedly, some insects eat crops and
carry disease. But only about 1 percent of
the worlds insects are considered pests, and
many of these do m ore damage because of
the way man him self has altered the environ
ment. The malaria-carrying mosquito, for ex
ample, rarely bothers the native people who
live in the equatorial forest. It does wreak
havoc, though, on towns bordering the for
est, where stagnant w ater abounds.
Often, m an can naturally control insect
pests th at attack crops, either by rotating
crops or by introducing or conserving natu
ral predators. Lowly ladybugs and lacewings
effectively control plagues of aphids. And in
Southeast Asia, public-health workers dis
covered th at a couple o f dragonfly larvae
could keep a water-storage container free o f
mosquito larvae.
Even with their drawbacks, then, insects
are an integral part of the natural world on
which we depend. As C hristopher OToole
points out, while insects can survive without
us, we cannot survive w ithout them .
IN OUR NEXT ISSUE
Life A P roduct of Design
How Can I Avoid Dangers
on the Internet?
M apping the Heavens
Then and Now
19
 YNTHIA,* a woman living in

C
the West Indies, had a choice
b etw een breast-feeding or
bottle-feeding her newborn.
The decision might seem sim
ple. After all, for decades health experts have
been promoting m others milk as the ulti
mate health food for babies. Besides, bottle-
fed babies in poor com m unities are about
15 times more likely to die from diarrheic
disease th an those who are breast-fed. In
fact, the U nited N ations C hildrens Fund
(U NICEF) reports that some 4,000 children
die every day as a result of hazards associated
with breast-milk substitutes.
In Cynthias case, however, the decision re
garding breast-feeding involved another dan
ger altogether. Her husband had infected
her with the hum an immunodeficiency vi
rus (HIV), which causes AIDS. After giving
birth, Cynthia learned that a child of an HIV
positive m other stands a l-in-7 chance of be
coming infected through breast milk.* Thus,
she had to make an agonizing choice: expose
her baby to the risks of breast-feeding or sub
ject it to the hazards of bottle-feeding.
In parts of the world where the AIDS epi
dem ic has h it th e h a rd e st, 2 or 3 o u t of
M o th e rs W ith
every 10 p reg n an t w om en are H IV p o si
tive. In one country, more than half of all AIDS Face
p re g n a n t w om en te ste d w ere infected.
These alarming figures, reports U N Radio,
have had scientists racing to find a rem e
a D ilem m a
dy. To respond to this threat, six UN organi
W H O /E . H o o p e r
zations have pooled their experience, efforts,
and resources to form the Joint United N a that the solution to the AIDS dilemma is not
tions Programme on H IV /A ID S, known as so simple.
UNAIDS.A But what UNAIDS has found is
Complex Obstacles
* Not her real name. Blocking a Simple Solution
# According to UNICEF, about 500 to 700 infants per day According to Edith White, a specialist on
are infected by the breast milk of their HIV-positive mothers.
AThe six organizations are UNICEF, the United Nations breast-feeding and m other-to-child tra n s
Development Programme, the United Nations Population mission of HIV, health workers are advising
Fund, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and
the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Or HIV-positive women in industrialized coun
ganization. UNAIDS was established in 1995. tries not to breast-feed their babies, since this

20 Awake! January 8, 2000

nearly doubles the risk of the babys being in
fected. The use of infant form ula seems like
a logical alternative. But in the developing
worldwhere idealistic theories quickly give
way to harsh realitiesthis simple solution
is hard to carry out.
One o f the obstacles is a social one. In
countries where breast-feeding is the norm,
women who bottle-feed their babies may be
advertising the fact that they have been in
fected with HIV. A woman may fear that she
will be blamed, abandoned, or even beaten
when her condition becomes known. Some
women in this circum stance feel that they
have no choice but to breast-feed their baby
to keep their HIV-positive condition a secret.
There are other obstacles too. For exam
ple, consider 20-year-old M argaret. She, like
at least 95 percent of U gandas village wom
en, has never been tested for HIV. But M ar
garet has reason to be concerned. Her first
child died, and her second is frail and sick
ly. M argaret is breast-feeding her third child
ten times a day, despite the fact that she may
have HIV. I would never be able to feed
my baby with form ula, she says. Why not?
The cost of feeding one child infant formula,
M argaret says, is one and a half times the
sum that a family in her village earns in an
entire year. Even if form ula were available
free of charge, there would still be the prob
lem of finding clean water to make the form u
la into safe baby food*
Some of these obstacles can be reduced if
HIV-infected m others are provided proper
sanitation, adequate am ounts of breast-milk
substitutes, and access to safe water. Expen
sive? Perhaps. Yet, surprisingly, making such
provisions seems to be m ore a m atter of set
ting priorities than finding funds. Indeed, the
* A recent study suggests that mixing formula feeding with
breast-feeding may increase the risk of HIV infection and that
breast milk may contain antiviral agents that help neutralize
the virus. If this is true, exclusive breast-feedingeven with
its risksmay be a safer choice. However, the findings of this
study have yet to be confirmed.
Awake! January 8, 2000
U N reports th at some of the worlds poorest
developing countries spend about twice as
m uch on the m ilitary as they do on health
and education.
What About Anti-AIDS Drugs?
U N scientists have reported that a simple
and relatively inexpensive drug called AZT
can significantly reduce m other-to-infant
tra n sm issio n o f HIV. W ith th e help o f
UNAIDS, the cost of this treatm ent has been
lowered to $50. Moreover, AIDS research
ers announced in July of 1999 that treating
HIV-positive m others and their newborns
with only $3 worth of the drug nevirapine
appears to be even m ore effective than AZT
in preventing HIV transmission. Health ex
perts say that nevirapine could prevent up to
400,000 newborns per year from beginning
their life infected with HIV.
However, some criticize such drug treat
ments, claiming that since they are limited
to preventing HIV transmission from m oth
er to baby, the m other will eventually suc
cumb to AIDS and leave the child orphaned.
The U N counters that the grim alternative is
letting babies contract HIV, thus condem n
ing these innocent victims to a slow and sad
death. They also contend that HIV-infected
mothers may live on for years. Consider Cyn
thia, m entioned earlier. She learned that she
had HIV in 1985, when her baby was born,
but she did not become ill until eight years
later. And even though her baby had HIV at
birth, by age two the child was free of it.
The Bibles comforting assurance is that
a truly safe environm ent and the lasting so
lution to scourges like AIDS are in sight.
(Revelation 21:1-4) Jehovah G od promises a
new world in which no resident will say: I
am sick. (Isaiah 33:24) Jehovahs W itnesses
would like to tell you about this lasting solu
tion. For m ore inform ation, please contact
the publishers of this magazine or Jehovahs
Witnesses in your com m unity.
21
 The Finest
Magazines
Available
HE EDITORS o f Awake! recent

T ly received a letter from Lisel,

an 18-year-old high school stu
dent in the U nited States. She wrote:
I am enrolled in a college-level his
tory course. There is an extensive re
search paper required, and I have cho
sen to w rite m ine on the subject o f
Jehovahs W itnesses m oral resistance
to N azism in G erm any under the T hird
Reich. I would like to request the list
of references offered at the close o f the
Awake! article entitled Jehovahs W itness
esC ourageous in the Face o f N azi Peril,
which was in the issue o f July 8, 1998. The
article was thoroughly researched and was
w ritten with such logic th at if I w rite my pa
per with only half o f its passion and truth,
the final product will be a great witness to
the board th at will assess my work.
Thank you for continuing to produce
the finest m agazines available. In each is
sue, I receive writing lessons superior to
anything offered at my school, and this
keeps me aim ing higher with each paper I
write. Please know th at I appreciate your
effort.
C e n te r photo: P anstw ow e M u ze u m O s w i^ c im -B rze zin k a ,
co u rte s y o f th e U S H M M Photo A rch ives
 It is easier to heal broken bones than BY AW AKE!
CORRESPONDENT
TO HEAL A BROKEN SOllL.-flr. Cenefke. IN DENMARK

YOUNG man strolls down a peace sound in the air, I rem em ber the rod going up

A ful street in a E uropean city and

pauses to look at some merchandise
displayed in a shop window. Suddenly, his
hands tremble. His knees shake. He clutch
and downthe sound it made just before it
hit me.
Torture is not the sole dom ain of politi
cal extremists and terrorist groups. In a num
es his neck as if he were going to choke. In ber of countries, it is also employed by mili
the window, he has just seen the reflection of tary and police forces. Why? Torture can be
two uniformed policemen. The young man a quick and efficient way to obtain inform a
has broken no laws, and there is no reason for tion, to extract a confession, to obtain incrim
him to be afraid. Yet, the mere sight of men in inating testimony, or to take revenge. Accord
uniform takes him back to a place thousands ing to D enm arks Dr. Inge Genefke, a leading
of miles away and to a tim e years ago when he expert on to rtu re , in som e cas
was a victim of torture. es governm ents have com e
This could be the story of any one of mil to power and m aintain their
lions of men, women, and even children. It position through the prac
could be the story o f som eone you know. tice of torture. One vic
The victim o f cruel m istreatm ent may be tim put it this way: They
a refugee or an im m igrant who has moved wanted to break me so
into your neighborhood. His children may that others could see
attend school with your children. You may
know him as a quiet, calm , p o lite neigh
bor who generally keeps to himself. But out
ward appearances can be deceiving; they
may conceal the inner turm oil th at the victim
feels as he grapples with memories of past
physical and mental sulfering. Any sightor
soundmay cause him to relive past hor
rors. One such victim explains: W henever I
hear a baby cry, I think of people I heard cry
ing in the prison. W henever I hear a sweeping
 NO ONE SHALL BE SUBJECTED TO TOBTUBE OB TO CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING
TREATMENT OR P U N I S H M E N T . "-A rticle,5 Universal Declaration o f Human Rights
what happens to you when you criticise the gov
ernm ent.
To m any people the idea of inflicting to r
ture on fellow hum ans is strictly reminiscent
of the Dark Ages. After all, in 1948 the Unit
ed Nations adopted the Universal Declaration
of Hum an Rights, which states: N o one shall
be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatm ent or punishm ent. (Arti
cle 5) Some experts believe, however, that up to
35 percent of the worlds refugees have been
tortured. Why is torture so widespread? How
are victims affected, and what can be done to
help them?
The Aftermath
N ot surprisingly, many victims of torture flee
their homeland to start a new life elsewhere.
But while the locale may change, the suffering
both physical and psychologicalcontinues.
For example, the victim may experience feel
ings of guilt because of being unable to protect
friends or relatives from m istreatm ent. He may
also develop a profound m istrust of others, fear
ing that each person he meets could be an in
former. The torture victim is forever going to
be a stranger, says w riter Carsten Jensen. He
has forever lost his trust in the world.
The result is a mixture of physical and men
tal traum a th at can baffle the victim and any
one who sets out to help him. The physical
problems can sometimes be treated readily, but
not so the psychological. In the beginning we
thought, All right, well put their bones togeth
erthen they can walk home, admits Dr. Ge-
nefke. But we soon learned that it was the pain
in their hearts that was eating them up. Never
theless, Dr. Genefke notes: It has been a sur
prise to learn that it is possible to relieve and to
help victims, even if many years have passed.
In 1982, at Copenhagens National Hospital,
Dr. Genefke along with other D anish physi
cians set up a small unit for treating refugees
who were victims of torture. From these small
beginnings grew a global netw ork under the
name International Rehabilitation Council for
Torture Victims (IRCT). From its headquar
ters in Copenhagen, the council is directing re
lief work through more than 100 centers world
wide. Over the years, the council has learned
much about treating victims of torture.
How to Give Support
It is often helpful for victims to talk about
their experiences. Some 20 years ago, says a
presentation sheet from the IRCT, torture vic
tims were often victims in a double sense. First
by being exposed to the physical/psychological
act of torture, and then second by not being able
to talk about it.
Granted, it is not pleasant to talk about a top
ic as dismal as torture. But if a sufferer wishes to
confide in a friend and the friend refuses to lis
ten, the sufferer could sink deeper into despair.
Therefore, it is im portant for the victim to
be assured that someone cares. O f course,
no one should pry into the personal affairs
of another. Ultimately, it is up to the victim
to decide if, when, and in whom he or
she wants to confide.Proverbs 17:
17; 1 Thessalonians 5:14.
M ost experts recom mend consid
ering both the physical and the m en
tal aspects of torture. For some vie-
 IF YOU ARE ACQUAINTED WITH SOMEONE WHO IS RECOVERING FROM THE
H O W EFFECTS OF TORTURE, THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS MAY PROVE HELPFUL:
Show empathy. You m ight say: I know there is a lot of trouble in the country you
Y O U come from . How are you coping?M atthew 7:12; Romans 15:1.
Do not pry or be too insistent about providing help. Rather, be kind and consid
erate. Let the victim know that you are w illing to listen.James 1:19.
C A N Avoid being overly helpful. Do not deprive the sufferer of his self-respect or his
privacy. The idea is to share the burden with the sufferer, not to attem pt to carry
H K L P it completely.

tim s, reh ab ilitatio n req u ires professional
help. Approaches to treatm ent include exer
cises in breathing and in communication.*
Feelings of shame are usually among the first
to be addressed. One therapist told a woman
who had been repeatedly raped and beaten:
The shame you feel is normal and under
standable. But rem em ber that it is not yours.
The shame belongs to the people who did
this to you.
Concentration Camp Survivors
During World War II, millions of people
suffered horrible indignities in H itlers con
centration camps. Among these were thou
sands o f Jehovahs W itnesses who were per
secuted because they refused to renounce
their religious beliefs. T heir faith undeniably
helped them to endure such trialsome cir
cumstances. How?
Long before th e ir in ca rce ra tio n , these
C h ristian s h ad b een c a re fu l stu d e n ts o f
G ods Word. Thus, they were not puzzled
when trials arose, nor did they blame G od
when their suffering did not im m ediately
come to an end. T hrough a study of the Bi
ble, the W itnesses had learned why G od per
mits wickedness and how he will put an end
to it in his due time. Bible study had taught
them th at Jehovah is a lover o f ju stice
and that he is outraged when men m istreat
their fellow hum ans.Psalm 37:28; Zechari-
ah 2:8,9.
O f course, m any o f these concentration
*Awake! does not endorse any particular treatment. Chris
tians should be sure that any treatment they pursue does not
conflict with Bible principles.
cam p survivors have had to cope with the
traum atic aftereffects o f their ordeal. In do
ing so, they have been greatly strengthened
by following the counsel o f the apostle Paul.
While Paul languished in a Rom an prison, a
situation that m ust have brought him con
siderable anxiety, he wrote to fellow believ
ers: Do not be anxious over anything, but in
everything by prayer and supplication along
with thanksgiving let your petitions be made
known to God; and the peace of G od that
excels all thought will guard your hearts and
your m ental powers by means o f Christ Je
sus.Philippians 1:13; 4:6, 7.
Through Bible study, these integrity keep
ers have learned that G od has promised to
make the earth a paradise, where the pain
ful effects of indignities such as torture will
eventually be erased.
J e h o v a h s W itnesses are sh a rin g th is
B ible-based h o p e w ith th e ir n e ig h
bors in m ore th a n 230 lands. Turbu- A
lent world conditions bring them into
contact w ith m any w ho have su f
fered because o f m ans inhum an
ity to man. W hen they m eet vic
tim s o f to rtu re , th e W itnesses
endeavor to share with these in
dividuals the Bibles promise o f
a bright future. How happy
they are to spread the glad
tidings of a future time
when torture will be
a thing o f the past!
Isaiah 65:17; Rev
elation 21:4.
 TH E B I B L E S V I E WP O I N T

A Balanced View
of Popular Customs
T h e r e is n o p o s s ib l e l in e o f c o n d u c t w h ic h h a s n o t a t
SOME TIME AND PLACE BEEN CONDEMNED, AND WHICH AT SOME
OTHER TIME AND PLACE BEEN ENJOINED AS A DUTY.

ITH this observation, the Irish histori What Are Customs?

W an William Lecky sums up the fick
le n ature of people. His com m ents might
also apply to customs and traditions down
through the ages. Indeed, m any practices
that were once viewed as an essential part
of daily life have in later tim es been con
demned. This is not surprising, for as the
C h ristian ap o stle P aul noted, the scene
of this world is changing. 1 Corinthians
7:31.
Yes, hum an society is in a constant state
of flux. This is often reflected in wide shifts
in attitudes and social habits. Christians are
to be no part of the worldthat is, they
rem ain separate from hum an society that is
alienated from God. Still, the Bible acknowl
edges that Christians are in the world, and
it does not comm and them to be isolation
ists. Hence, a balanced view of customs is vi
tal.John 17:11,14-16; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17;
Ephesians 4:17-19; 2 Peter 2:20.
Customs are practices that apply to social
life and are comm on to a particular place or
class of people. Some customs, such as table
manners and etiquette, may have arisen out
of a need to regulate peoples behavior in
group activities, enabling them to interact in
a civil and m utually respectful m anner. In
such cases, social courtesies can be likened
to oil, in that they lubricate the wheels of hu
man relationships.
Customs have been profoundly influenced
by religion. Many, in fact, arose from old su
perstitions and non-Biblical religious ideas.
For instance, giving flowers to bereaved ones
may have had its origin in religious supersti
tion.* In addition, the color blueoften as
sociated w ith baby boyswas th o u g h t to
frighten away demons. M ascara served as a
protection against the evil eye, while lipstick
* According to some anthropologists, flower bouquets
were at times used as offerings to the dead to prevent them
from haunting the living.

Som e a n c ie n t custom s, such as covering the m outh w hile yaw ning and
giving flow ers to the bereaved , have lost th e ir o riginal significance
was used to discourage demons from enter of Bible principles, Jehovahs W itnesses do
ing a wom ans m outh and possessing her. not create a hard-and-fast rule. Instead, each
Even a custom as innocuous as covering the Christian m ust weigh the circum stances at
m outh while yawning may have arisen from hand and make a personal decision.
the idea that ones soul could escape through
Seek Others Advantage
a wide-open m outh. Over the years, however,
Does this mean that it is always proper to
the religious associations have faded, and to
participate in a certain custom as long as it
day these practices and customs have no reli
does not directly violate Bible teachings? No.
gious significance.
(Galatians 5:13) Paul indicated that a Chris
The Concern of Christians tian should seek not only his own advan
W hen a Christian m ust decide whether or tage but that of the many. He should do
not to follow a certain custom, his main con all things for G ods glory and not become
cern should be, W hat is G ods viewpoint as a cause for stumbling. (1 Corinthians 10:31-
expressed in the Bible? In the past G od con 33) So a person seeking G ods approval would
demned certain practices th at may have been want to ask himself: How do others view this
tolerated in som e com m unities. These in custom? Does the com m unity attach any ob
cluded child sacrifice, the misuse of blood, jectionable meaning to it? Would my partic
and various sexual practices. (Leviticus 17: ipation imply that I am in agreement with
13,14; 18:1-30; Deuteronom y 18:10) Likewise, practices or ideas that are displeasing to God?
certain customs that are comm on today are 1 Corinthians 9:19,23; 10:23,24.
clearly not in harm ony with Bible principles. Though generally innocuous, some cus
Among these are non-Biblical traditions con toms may be practiced locally in ways that are
nected with religious holidays such as C hrist contrary to Bible principles. For instance, on
mas and Easter or with superstitious prac specific occasions the giving of flowers may
tices related to spiritism. take on special meaning that conflicts with Bi
But w hat about custom s th at may once ble teachings. So, what should a Christian pri
have been linked to questionable practices marily be concerned about? Although there
but that today are prim arily viewed as so may be reason to examine the origin of a par
cial etiquette? For example, many popular ticular custom, in some cases it is more im por
wedding customsincluding the exchanging tant to consider whatthe custom means to p
of rings and the eating of cakemay have ple at the time and in the place where one now
pagan origins. Does this m ean that Chris lives. If a custom has unscriptural or otherwise
tians are forbidden to observe such customs? negative connotations during a particular pe
Are Christians required to scrutinize meticu riod of the year or under certain circumstanc
lously each custom of the com m unity to see es, Christians may wisely decide to avoid it at
whether somewhere or at some time it had that time.
negative connotations? Paul prayed that Christians continue let
Paul points out that where the spirit of ting their love abound with accurate knowl
Jehovah is, there is freedom . (2 C orinthi edge and full discernment. By keeping a bal
ans 3:17; James 1:25) G od wants us to use anced view of popular customs, Christians
this freedom, not as an inducem ent for self make sure of the more im portant things, so
ish cravings, but to train our perceptive pow that [they] may be flawless and not be stum
ers to distinguish right from wrong. (Gala bling others. (Philippians 1:9,10) At the same
tians 5:13; Hebrews 5:14; 1 Peter 2:16) Hence, time, they will let their reasonableness be
in a m atter where there is no clear violation come known to all men.Philippians 4:5.

Awake! January 8, 2000 27

 Dangers of Obesity
Dramatic increases in dia
betes, heart disease, and other
diseases are forecast as a re
sult of the epidemic of obesi
ty sweeping Europe, reports
The Independent of London.
Addressing a meeting of medi
cal experts from 26 countries
in Milan, Italy, the chairman
of the International Obesity
Task Force said: This is a glob
al crisis and urgent action is
required now to prevent this
silent epidemic of serious ill
ness and spiralling health costs.
We are facing a health disas
ter if we do not act. All Eu
ropean countries are involved,
and in some areas between 40
and 50 percent of the popula
tion is affected. Since 1980, obe
sity rates in England have risen
from 8 to 20 percent for wom
en and from 6 to 17 percent for
men. The reasons given include
sedentary life-styles and a rich
er dietboth linked to growing
prosperity. The greatest cause
for concern is the number of
overweight children. According
to Professor Jaap Seidell, presi
dent of the European Associa
tion for the Study of Obesity,
there are signs that a larger
proportion of the next genera
tion are becoming obese and
overweight at an earlier age.
The Downside of Globalization
Economic globalization is
creating a world marketplace
that provides greater oppor
tunities for many, but it is also
increasing risks, reports the
British newspaper The Guard
ian. The interdependence of na
tions in the emerging world
28
economy makes it possible for
an apparently isolated event
such as the devaluation of
the Thai baht in 1997to spark
financial panic worldwide.
Thirty years ago, notes The
Guardian, the gap between the
richest fifth of the worlds peo
ple and the poorest stood at 30
to 1. By 1990 it had widened to
60 to 1 and today it stands at 74
to 1__ Among the biggest ben
eficiaries of globalisation are
criminals, who can now exploit
worldwide markets for drugs,
arms and prostitutes.
Can You Avoid Colds?
You may not be able to avoid
colds entirely, but there are
precautions you can take, says
The New York Times. The fol
lowing are among the most im
portant: To the extent possible,
avoid crowds, and try not to
shake hands with people who
obviously have a cold. In addi
tion, refrain from rubbing your
eyes and nose, and wash your
hands frequently. Such precau
tions help because the hands
often carry cold viruses to deli
cate eye and nose membranes.
Cold viruses on a surface or on
the hands can remain active for
several hours, and a person who
has a cold can be contagious
for some time before and after
the signs of illness are obvious.
Awake! January 8, 2000
Other precautions include eat
ing a balanced diet and being
especially careful when around
children. Why? Because they
get between five and eight cold
infections a year!
Mental Health in Africa
An estimated 100 million
people, out of sub-Saharan
Africas 600 million popula
tion, suffer from mental dis
orders, reports the South
African newspaper The Star.
According to the World Health
Organization, war and poverty
are primarily to blame for this
high figure. A related factor
is the declining support of
the extended family. Accord
ing to Professor Michael Ola-
tawura, of Nigeria, this tra
ditional African safety net is
being eroded by Western val
ues, drug abuse, and civil vio
lence. In addition, family mem
bers are traveling farther afield
in search of employment. The
economic problems of African
governments have confounded
our ability to support health as
we should, says Professor Ola-
tawura.
War Rugs
The horrors of war are be
ing expressed in an unusual
art form in Afghanistan, re
ports The News of Mexico City.
For the past 20 years, Afghan
artisans have woven depic
tions of war implements into
their famous rugs. In among
the traditional figures of birds,
mosques, and flowers can be
found figures of machine guns,
hand grenades, and armored
tanks. Rug expert Barry OCon-
nell says that while the fig old, was crushed under the ty. Down to Earth magazine,
ures are not always immediate wheels of a tractor, and seven of New Delhi, reports that a
ly noticeable, many designs are other deaths were caused by scientist and his niece came
so accurate in their iconogra tractors overturning on slopes. up with an idea for generat
phy that it is often possible Farmers are being warned to ing power. Four bullocks turn
to distinguish between AK-47 think twice before undertaking a shaft connected to a gearbox
and AK-74 assault rifles. It is risky tasks and to check con that drives a small generator.
said that the majority of the ditions before driving a trac The generator is connected to
rug weavers are women who tor up a grade. David Mattey, batteries, which power a water
are victims of war. For them, chief agricultural inspector for pump and a grain grinder. The
weaving these unique rugs is a the Health and Safety Execu unit cost of this power is about
subtle way of expressing their tive, said: Most of these trag ten cents, compared with $1
feelings. per unit using windmills or $24
edies would have been avoid
per unit using solar panels, says
Tainted Rain ed if the person had stopped Down to Earth. However, since
for a few seconds, thought the the villagers need the bullocks
High levels of dissolved pes job through and completed the
ticides have made some rain task in a slightly different way. to work their fields for three
water in Europe unsuitable months of the year, the devel
to drink, reports New Scien opers are seeking an effective
Unusual Power Sources
means of storing power for use
tist magazine. Chemists in Swit
during the bullocks absence.
zerland have found that rain
samples taken during the first Sensible Eating
minutes of a storm frequent
ly contain higher levels of On the average, girls grow
pesticides than those consid 10 inches and gain 40 to 50
ered acceptable by either the pounds between the ages of
European Union or Switzer 10 and 14, while boys grow
land. Crop sprays are to blame, about 12 inches and gain 50
and the highest concentra to 60 pounds between 12 and
tion of such toxic chemicals The island of Ouvea, in 16. During this period of rap
shows up in the first down New Caledonia, has no petro id growth, it is not uncom
mon for teens to feel very un
pour after a long dry spell. leum, but it is using coconut
comfortable with their weight,
Meanwhile, Swedish research oil to generate electricity, re
and many become concerned
ers have linked the rapidly ris ports the French magazine about controlling their weight.
ing incidence of non-Hodgkins Sciences et avenir. French engi But dieting and restricting
lymphoma, a form of cancer, neer Alain Liennard spent 18 food intake are not healthy
to the widespread use of sever years developing an engine that solutions and are not recom
al crop sprays. Chemicals that runs on coconut oil. The en mended, writes dietitian Lynn
prevent the growth of vegeta gine drives a generator, which Roblin in The Toronto Star.
tion on roofing materials like in turn powers the desaliniza These measures can deprive
wise pollute the rainwater that tion plant that supplies the is the body of nutrients, notes
runs off buildings. lands 235 families with drink Roblin. Also, experimenting
ing water. Liennard says that with diets sets the stage for
Farming Deaths his 165-kilowatt system rivals poor eating habits and could
More than one person a diesel engines in power output lead to more serious eating dis
week is killed on B ritains and fuel consumption. orders. Teens, she notes, need
farms, making farming one of Meanwhile, in an experi to have a more realistic view of
the most dangerous jobs in ment conducted in Kalali vil their body image and achieve a
the country, reports The Times lage in Gujarat State, India, the healthy weight through sensi
of London. In 1998 the youn strength of bullocks has been ble eating, active living and feel
gest victim, only four years harnessed to generate electrici ing good about themselves.

Awake! January 8, 2000 29

 F R O M OUR R E A D E R S

Vasco da Gama I enjoyed tremendously Thank you for the informative article. I
the article The Remarkable Voyage of learned m ore a b o u t C om enius from four
Vasco da G am a. (M arch 22, 1999) It was pages of Awake! than I had from ten lectures
well illustrated and informative. You state during my course of study at the university.
that he had three little ships on his voyage, H. R, G erm any
but there were actually four. Also, you say
that D a G am a returned to Lisbon on Sep Native American Bible W hen I read the
tem ber 8, 1499. However, he arrived to article Native Am ericans and the Bible
ward the end of August. (May 8, 1999), my interest was especially
P N., Kenya stirred by your references to John E liots
Bible for the M assachusett Indians. My
It is true that Da Gamas journey began with husband and I saw a copy o f th at Bible on
four ships. However, the part o f the voyage de a visit to the H untington Library, in San
scribed in the introduction took place after M arino, California. It was opened to the
the fourth ship was destroyed. As to the date book of Psalms, and the name Jehovah
o f his arrival in Lisbon, most sources place it could be seen repeatedly. W hat a thrill it
in early September. Interestingly, Portugal and was for us to see G ods name in this 17th-
the Discoveriesstates: Vasco da Gama arrived century Bible!
on or near August 29th, being received by the B. J., U nited States
King with all due ceremony on September 8th.
This may reconcile the seeming discrepancy. Child Labor T hank you for the series
ED. Child LaborIts End in Sight! (May 22,
1999) W hen I first saw the cover, my hon
Crossword Puzzles I want to write you est opinion was that the articles had noth
about the crossword puzzles in Awake! I en ing to do with my country. But once I
joy them because they keep my brain occu started reading, I couldnt stop. To put it
pied, and at age 78, one needs to keep the more plainly, I was horrified. I recently
mind active. W hen we read the Bible, our bought a hand-sewn teddy bear for a frac
m inds do not usually store such detailed tion of what it would have cost if it had
inform ation as is presented in the puzzles. been made in Japan. It is heartrending to
So I take the time to look up all the cited think that behind its cheap price may be
scriptures. T hank you for this feature. the heartless treatm ent o f small children.
J. W., U nited States S. O., Japan
Comenius I am teaching a group of Weight I am ten years old. Thank you for
adults to read. Your excellent article Co the article Young People Ask . . . How Can
m eniusThe G randfather of M odern Ed I Conquer My Obsession W ith Weight?
ucation (May 8, 1999) helped me to un (May 22, 1999) I have always thought that
derstand why some have difficulty learning. I was too heavy. By reading this article, I
The inform ation in the accompanying box, came to understand that a persons figure is
Some Teaching Principles of John Come not the main thing. More im portant are a
nius, will be very useful. persons qualities.
N. A. F., Brazil M. S., Russia

30 Awake! January 8, 2000

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN FRANCE

A LM O ST 1 5 0 y e a rs a g o in th e s o u th
/% o f France, Eugene M azel, an im p o rte r
I j L o f Asian spices, s e t o u t to m ake w h a t
w ould becom e th e la rg e st b a m b o o n u rs e ry in
th e w o rld , c o n ta in in g n e a rly 2 0 0 v a rie tie s o f
th is fa st-g ro w in g , v e rs a tile grass. U ntil 1 8 5 5 ,
M a z e ls a m b itio n w as blo cke d by a m a jo r o b
sta cle : B am boo did not grow in Europe.
A tte m p ts to im p o r t th e g ra s s fro m A s ia
p ro v e d fu tile . W h ile b a m b o o is q u ite s tu rd y
in its ow n h a b ita t (c e rta in v a rie tie s can w ith
s ta n d te m p e r a tu r e s a s lo w a s -1 1 d e g re e s
F a h re n h e it and can grow a t an a ltitu d e o f up
to 1 6 ,0 0 0 feet), it w as im p o s s ib le to keep th e
roots alive d u rin g th e long jo u rn e y a cross con
tin e n ts . W ith th e a d v e n t o f fa s te r s h ip s , how
e ve r, b a m b o o s p e c im e n s w e re s u c c e s s fu l
ly im p o rte d to E ngland in 1 8 2 7 a n d , la te r, to
France. M a ze ls dream w as one ste p clo s e r to
reality!
M a z e ls n e x t c h a lle n g e w as fin d in g a s u it
a b le lo c a tio n fo r h is n u rs e ry . In 1 8 5 5 he
purch a se d an 8 4 -a cre e s ta te n e a r A nduze, in
th e s o u th o f France, w hich b e n e fite d fro m th e
M e d ite rra n e a n c lim a te and w as ble sse d w ith
s u ita b le soil. Extensive w ork w as n e ce ssa ry to
d ire c t w a te r fro m a n e a rb y river. B u t M a z e ls
p a in s ta k in g e ffo rts m e t w ith success.
S a d ly , by 1 8 9 0 , M a z e l w a s b a n k ru p t a n d
h a d to s e ll h is p re c io u s g a rd e n . H a p p ily ,
th o u g h , o th e rs c a rrie d on w h e re he le f t o ff,
so th a t now each year an e s tim a te d 3 5 0 ,0 0 0
p e ople v is it La B a m b o u s e ra ie M a z e ls d re a m
com e tru e .

All p ic tu re s : La B a m b o u s e ra ie de P ra fra n c e
 Cannot Keep
His Copy
A businessm an w rote to the Slovenia
branch office of Jehovahs Witnesses:
Thank you for regularly sending me the
Awake! and Watchtower magazines. I take them
with me when I travel, as I read them during
the trip and while waiting for business m eet
ings.
I would also like to request that you
send me the following publications
that have been mentioned in your
magazines: There a Creator Who
Cares About You?, What Is the Purpose
o f Life? How Can You Find It?, and Book
for All People.
I would like to have two copies of each
publication. This is because every time I read
one of your publications when I am traveling, someone is
very interested in what I am reading. Despite the fact that
I would like to keep it for my own library, I give the
my copy.