ALL THE REST —  May 24
  

Amphibians and FROGS

Frogs and People 2

As mentioned before the frog is quite beneficial to humans in the control of insect pests. It is also valuable in the food chain and as a food for humans itself. In the 1940's it was discovered that African clawed frogs were reliable indicators of human pregnancy when injected with the urine of pregnant women. Later the American leopard frog replaced it. Eventually it was shown that any male frog was suitable.

Frogs have long been a source of medicine in many cultures. Today we know that many of their medicinal uses were quite reliable. In China, the adrenaline in dried toad skins has been used for centuries to increase the blood pressure of those patients who suffer from low blood pressure. European violinists have rubbed the skin of toads to prevent their fingers from perspiring. In Germany, European tree frogs have been kept in glass jars with tiny ladders as indoor weather forecasters. On days of bad weather the frog remains in the water, while on days of clearing weather he climbs the ladder.

Today the frog is seen as having great potential for the development of new drugs. The Indonesian White's tree frog is a tame and trusting frog that often enters homes in the search of food. It has been discovered that the smooth skin of this frog secretes chemicals that kill bacteria and viruses and may lower blood pressure. Peptides secreted by Australian tree frogs kill bacteria and provide a defense against viral cold sores. Secretions from the serotonin rich secretions of the cane toad have been found to cause blood vessels to contract. The same secretions may be useful for fighting mental illness, some cancers and allergies.

The poison dart frogs of Central and South America have long fascinated scientists. The secretions of these frogs are able to keep bacteria and fungi from colonizing on the always moist skin of the frog. Alkaloids preset in these skin secretions are the subject of extensive investigation by the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism, and Digestive Diseases. Certain types of alkaloids found in the skin secretions are called batrachotoxins. These substances may prove to be significant in the production of drugs useful as anesthetics, muscle relaxants, and heart stimulants.

The African clawed frog has been found to produce a secretion named "magainin." This substance may be useful in fighting diabetic ulcers and impetigo. It may also be useful in fighting eye infections and possibly in fighting cystic fibrosis and cancer. Other secretions from frogs hold promise as insect repellants, plaque fighting toothpaste additives, and nontoxic glues.

Sources for the Amphibian - Frog series include:

Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians - Editors: Dr. Harold G. Cogger, Dr. Richard G,.Zweifel, Academid Press
Frogs - Text: David Badger, Photography: JohnNetherton; Voyageur Press
Groliers Encyclopedia
Microsoft(R) Encarta(R)
Encyclopedia Britanica

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable."

Joseph Addison

 

Penny was a hard working, conscientious girl, who lived on her own. Her dream in life was to go on an ocean cruise around the world. So she scrimped, and she saved, and she saved, and she scrimped until finally, one day, she had enough money to go on her ocean cruise. She booked passage on a cruise liner - first class all the way... The cruise started off in a grandiose scale, dancing and parties every night. But Penny was a cautious girl, so she never drank, but just danced the night away.

One night, after they had been at sea for a week, Penny was walking back to her cabin, when the heel on her left shoe broke throwing her off balance. If that wasn't enough, the ship chose that moment to tilt to the left. As a result, Penny was thrown overboard. A hue and a cry were immediately raised, and after about five minutes they found Penny. Hauling her aboard, the ship's crew realized that it was too late, poor Penny was dead.

Normally, they would have done a burial at sea, but as I said before, Penny was a very conscientious girl, and had written a will. In it, she specified that she wished for her body to be cremated, and kept in a jar on her parent's fireplace mantel. Her wishes were fulfilled, which just goes to show you that a Penny saved is a Penny urned.

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Q: What did the Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?

A: Make me one with everything.

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There was a tribe in Africa which was very fierce and warring...they would battle all the tribes in the area, and they always won. As a victory trophy, they would take the throne of the chief of the defeated tribe and carry it home, chanting victory chants and singing the whole way. When they got home, they would put the throne in the attic of the grass hut. This went on for quite some time, and soon the throne collection grew, adding to the prestige of the tribe.

One day, they battled a tribe of fairly large people, some might call them giants. They won, and they struggled to get the throne home...but the chanting and joyousness prevailed as usual. When they got home, they had the ritual of putting the throne in the attic of the grass hut, but the weight was too much. The ceiling collapsed, killing everyone on the tribe.

The moral: People who live in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones.

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Overheard during a particular long sermon, "If we give him the money now, Mommy, will he let us go?

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The new pastor was nervous about his giving his first sermon and talked in a soft voice.

A parishioner yelled from the back of the church, "We can't hear you from here. Can you speak up?" The pastor tried but still talked in a soft voice.

The parishioner yelled again, "We still can't hear you."

The pastor tried again but couldn't muster a voice loud enough for the back to hear. So the parishioner yelled again.

Finally a parishioner up front turned around and said, "What are you yelling about? You ought to just sit down and be thankful. Otherwise I will change places with you."

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Said the judge, "I have decided to give you a suspended sentence."

The defendant cried, "Thank you, Your Honor."

"Don't thank me. I'm sentencing you to be hanged."

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TRUE FACT ...

Humans begin laughing at two to three months of age. Six year olds laugh about 300 times per day, while adults laugh from 15 to 100 times per day.

SOURCE: NYT, Dr. William F. Fry, Stanford University

Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?

T
H
I
N
K

A
B
O
U
T

I
T

A Prayer Answered

  It was far back in the country. In a certain home typhoid fever was raging. One daughter had died. One son was very low. The doctor came and said, "If we had ice we might save him but he will be gone before it can be obtained for it will require hours to get it." This was before the day of automobiles. The mother, who loved him devotedly and believed in God and prayer, felt that God could and would, in some way, send ice. She immediately found a secluded place and began to plead the promises. She prayed something like this, "Lord, Thou hast promised to supply our need. My son, unless ice is obtained immediately, will be gone." Then she reminded the Lord that she believed Him and would trust Him to send it in some way. They said, while no clouds were visible, at the time of the conversation, as she held on they heard a strange noise. They listened and it was thunder. In a very few minutes the heavens were black and the rain began to pour. Soon they heard something like hail on the roof. They looked again and the hail was falling. In a very few minutes it was piled up against the fences and thick over the ground. The old mother came out with a dishpan, scooped up a pan full and said, "Doctor here is ice. Here it is." She would shout, run out and fill her pan and say, "Doctor, here it is! God has sent it." The glory was filling the place. The doctor looked on in wonder, and said, "I never saw it like this before."

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Have A Great Day !

Phillip Bower