1996_02 The Daily Collegian February 1996

              THE DAILY
COLLEGIAN
2     Wednesday, frebruary 14,1996
Opinion
Managing Editor: Robert Bilvado
• Telephone: (209) 278-5732
Leeches worm
their way back
into medicine
Commentary
By Jevon C. Swanson
Editor in Chief
After almost 100 years, medici¬
nal leeches are making a comeback.
Mark Leibovich of the San Jose
Mercury-News reports that 65,000
Hirudo Medicanalis (medical
leeches) were purchased by hospi¬
tals and pharmacies last year.
The article said the leeches are
being used in surgical procedures
and reattachment operations in
which severed body parts are reat¬
tached to the body.
Apparently, in such operations,
veins tend to heal faster than arter¬
ies, which leads to excess pools of
blood at the surgical area.
That's when the leeches are taken
off the bench and put into the game.
The leeches are attached to the
"blood pool" areas and are sucked
dry in some cases after a couple
days when all the reattached tissue
have healed sufficiently.
The Mercury-News article re¬
ports that the average leech usually
drinks itself full in about twenty
minutes, and then falls off the pa¬
tient. (Much like a self-adhesive
bandage).
After the leech falls off it is dis¬
posed of as biomedical waste be¬
cause of the large amount of blood
in the bloated little creature.
Fresh leeches are then applied to
the area.
Apparently, the leech attach¬
ments don't hurt the patient, due to
a anesthetic contained in the crea¬
tures saliva.
I guess the most endearing part
of this story is the fact that doctors
are personally taking responsibility
for changing their reputation.
The whole health-care-crisis-
HMO-PPO-socialized medicine
thing really left doctors pinned with
the reputation as being spineless
bloodsuckers. /
However, instead of just lying
around complaining about that
stigma (as lawyers do about the
whole rat-shark-snake thing) cer¬
tain members of the profession are
standing up and saying "We're not
bloodsuckers, but who know how
to use them!"
W2QflA) >l#AnjJ/\uy#
*£yr^£^f jj^gi- ag
No excuse for Valentine duds
Commentary
Correction
In the Feb. 12 issue the story "CSUF students
praise Karekin I," contained a misspelled name.
Raffy Kahorozian was not correct. The
correct spelling is Raffy Khorozian
Letters to the Editor
The Daily Collegian
California State University, Fresno
Keats Campus Building Mail Stop #42
Fresno, CA 93740-0042
Email: collegian@Iennon.pub.csufresno.edu
By Melinda Warner
Staff Writer
"I was going to give you flow¬
ers, but then I broke the vase. I was
going to send you candy, but I
stuffed them in my face."
Just one of many cards at the
Kennel Bookstore which gives lazy,
broke or maybe unsentimental
sweethearts some lame excuse for
not purchasing a Valentine's Day
gift. The Kennel sells Valentine's
Day cards and a variety of inexpen¬
sive presents such as candles,
boxes, mugs and small stuffed ani¬
mals.
According to Lisa, a student who
declined to give her last name, there
is no excuse for neglecting
Valentine's Day. Lisa is giving her
boyfriend of eight months a stuffed
monkey and a Nike Air wind-
breaker outfit.
Lisa thinks it's sexy when a man
cooks dinner and envisions candles
and roses on the table and an en¬
gagement ring in her wine glass.
Sometimes a simple gesture has the
most meaning.
"The best Valentine's Day
present I ever got was in eighth
grade," Lisa said. "My boyfriend
gave me a gold heart-shaped ring."
George Rojas agrees that simpler
is better and says he would rather
receive one rose than a dozen.
A modest floral gesture is less
stress on the wallet since the cost
of a dozen roses ranges from $30
to $70. A single, wrapped rose costs
between $3.50 and $10. It does pay
to shop around. Prices vary accord¬
ing to rose color, quality, freshness
and arrangement.
"We keep our costs down by
buying whatever's available. Red is
limited this year," said a sales¬
woman at D & L Floral, the new
flower stand at Cedar and Sbaw.
Jesus Reynoso says it's abso¬
lutely mandatory for a man to re¬
member his sweetheart on
Valentine's Day, but it's entirely
optional for women to give presents
to men.
"Kisses and hugs are all I really
want from my girlfriend on
Valentine's Day," he said, but likes
the idea of getting boxers with
hearts on them. i
Angie, another student, fanta¬
sizes about receiving a unique and
creative present. While she cur¬
rently has no boyfriend to indulge
her whims, she would like to be led
on a treasure hunt whose prize is
an engagement or promise ring.
Candy, night wear, flowers,
cards, jewelry, dinners and geta¬
ways are all traditional Valentine's
Day gifts appreciated by sweet¬
hearts of either gender.
Sierra Nut House and Flowers &
Sweets are a couple of stores which
sell gift baskets.
"Customers can purchase a bas¬
ket that's already been made or they
can buy a basket to customize with
the items they want," said Bonita,
a sales clerk for Sierra Nut House.
"For an extra charge, we'U wrap it
up."
& The store sells specialty baskets,
gourmet candy and candied nuts
and fruits.
Unusual gifts are touted by mer¬
chants wishing to capitalize on this
day of love. Popolo's Pizza will
deliver a medium-sized, heart-
shaped pizza along with a wrapped
flower, a card and three cookies all
for $14.'Last year, 200 pizza pack¬
ages were delivered.
This year, Popolo's will also be
giving away 25 Valentine packages
through four local radio stations in¬
cluding KNAX and Froggy Coun¬
try.
Daily Collegian
—< California State University, Fresno	
News Editor
Heather Hartman
Sports Editor
Brian R. Fisher
Opinions Editor
Leah Perich
Editor in Chief
Jevon C. Swanson
Managing Editor
Robert Bilvado
Photo Editor
Steve R. Fujimoto
Web production
Jason Maggini
Copy Editor
Kari L. Scott
Ad Manager
Paul McCauley
Business Manager
David Stanley
Senior StafT Writers:
Matthew Hart and Jim Ward
Staff Writers:
Brisa Curiel, Michael Harding,
Shanna Holman, Michelle Lomax,
Alma Lopez, Anthony Lopez,
Anthony Marino, Ana Roc ha,
Deborah Sanchez, Dernice Trimble
Sports Writers:
Casey Angle, Matt Croce, Page
Devers, Patrick Houlinhan, Dave
Johnson, Jabari Lawrence, Matt
Personale, Troy Wagner
Staff Photographers:
Mohamed El Sharif, Paul Martinez,
Ryan McKee, Tommy Monreal,
Moysis Nicolaou, Angelica
Velazquez, Stephanie Wallace
Advertising reps:
Richard Nixon, Lupe Fuentes,
Kismet Ragab
Circulation:
Hadi YazdanPanah
Telephone Directory:
Editor: (209)278-5732
News: (209)278-2486
Sports: (209)278-5733
Advertising: (209)278-5731
FAX: (209)278-2679
The Daily Collegian is
published five times a week for
and by the students of Califor¬
nia State University, Fresno.
Opinions expressed in the
Collegian are not necessarily
those of the entire Daily
Collegian staff. The editors
reserve the right to edit letters
for length and clarity. To be
considered for publication,
letters must be typed and should
not exceed 250 words.
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