Articles written by Alison Bowler

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About me - Alison Bowler

I am a qualified medical microbiologist and have worked in various hospitals mainly in the UK. I have published research articles on viral hepatitis, immunology and bacterial adherance. I have also written training manuals in medical microbiology for the Royal

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Health & Fitness > Cold & Flu Causes of the 1918 flu epidemic: 1 of 26
The pandemic of Influenza known as the "Spanish flu" which infected the world in 1918 was devastating. It came on top of four years of war that had drawn in most of the worlds' population. Some sources state that the flu killed 20 to 40 million people, others put the total death toll as greater than 60 million people worldwid... More..
Arts & Humanities > European History The Penlee lifeboat disaster: 1 of 12
On December 19 1981, as people were preparing for Christmas, a severe storm battered the coast around Cornwall in the South West of England. It was this storm, which would lead to the loss of eight volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) aboard the Solomon Browne, a lifeboat from the Mounts Bay area of Co... More..
Health & Fitness > Kidney & Urologic Diseases Most common types and symptoms of prostatitis: 1 of 12
Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland a walnut sized gland situated at the base of the bladder. There are four forms of prostatitis, acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, nonbacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia (also known as asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis). Prostatitis symptoms ... More..
Arts & Humanities > European History England's witch hunt (1645-1647): 1 of 11
The events of the witch-hunt that took place in the East Anglia region of England during the years 1645-1647 were dramatized in the 1968 film Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price. The film's title derives from the self-awarded name used by Matthew Hopkins. Hopkins was a failed lawyer from the town of Manningtree in the ... More..
Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Skamper-Ramp: Pool safety for pets and wild animals: 1 of 10
Why should you get a Skamper-Ramp? Well with the home swimming pool becoming more and more a feature of everyday life unfortunately so is the chance of finding a small furry body in the pool. This is a distressing but avoidable by product of pool ownership. The use of pet ramps allowing animals to find their way out of a pool... More..
Arts & Humanities > History Mysteries Who was Jack the Ripper?: 2 of 19
In the latter part of the nineteenth century, there were a series of unsolved murders of women in the area of Whitechapel to the east of the City of London. These murders became known as the Whitechapel murders. According to the Metropolitan police, there are eleven of these murders taking place between April 1888 and Februa... More..
Health & Fitness > Cold & Flu Can animals catch the flu?: 2 of 18
Some viruses, such as smallpox, can infect only humans. While others, such as rabies, are primarily animal pathogens but can infect other animals or humans. Other viruses, such as myxomatosis in rabbits, will only infect specific animals. When a pathogen that normally infects one animal infects another it is said to have "jum... More..
Health & Fitness > Cold & Flu Why influenza changes every year: 1 of 9
The Influenza viruses are known for their ability to change their antigenic structure. It is changes in this structure that causes new strains of influenza to appear every year. The antigenic structure of the Influenza virus is defined by two different proteins on the protein coat. These proteins are hemagglutinin (H) and neu... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Infertility Female genital mutilation and its possible effect on infertility: 1 of 8
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision, is the surgical removal or remodelling of the external female genitalia. It is practiced worldwide but is particularly prevalent in Northern Africa, parts of Arabia and South East Asia. Immigration into many other countries means it also takes place in the Un... More..
Health & Fitness > Alternative Exercise Exercise in a pill?: 1 of 8
A pill that takes the place of all those hours in the gym to maintain a trim figure! Is it possible one asks? Scientists are currently working on a pill that will help burn up all those excess calories and so lessen body fat without the benefit of exercise. For many a couch potato exercise in a pill must seem like a dream com... More..