November

The Methamphetamine Crisis: Strategies to save addicts, families, and communities. By H.C. Covey (ed). Westport: Praeger, 2006. ISBN 9780275993221. Hardcover, 276 pages. $70.01 (amazon.ca)–$101.95 (chapters.indigo.ca).

This is a multi-authored book from the US that attempts to chronicle the current status of what has been called a national methamphetamine epidemic by the majority of the officials working in US drug enforcement and treatment jurisdictions around that country.

A Doctor’s Calling: A matter of conscience by Hazel J Magnussen. Parksville: Wembley Publishing, 2006. ISBN 0-9739843-0-9. $26.95

The BC Innovation Council recently announced the winners of the 2007 BC Innovation Council Awards, and, as usual, physicians were well represented.

It was with great interest that I read your article on vitamins C, D, and E in the July/August BCMJ. I agree with your conclusions. However, the saga regarding D and E began over 60 years ago. I was a junior intern at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, in 1947 when the London Free Press came out with headlines proclaiming the benefit of E in coronary artery disease as espoused by Evan Shute and Art Vogelsang. Our Department of Medicine decided to look into this and began a clinical trial on two wards.

At the 2007 AGM I was impressed when Dr Robin Saunders concluded his report saying that what the members need “is a good darn listening to.”

Shortly after, a Board member spoke about the rules of conduct for directors and likened the situation to that of a government cabinet, suggesting if a director disagreed on matters he or she should resign. While this was not debated, I believe views such as this are at the crux of the Code of Conduct issue.