two headed cows - TMI - 20 yrs later

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca>]

IMHO there could very easily be "two headed cows," not unlike the
eight-legged "octopus colt" claimed near Chernobyl.
Recently I querried a local media (paper + TV) science writer, Dr. Joe
Schwarcz (usually quite excellent), about an article he wrote, in which he
included mutagenic/teratogenic radiation effects around Chernobyl :

>From: 	Franta, Jaroslav
> Sent: 	Monday, June 26, 2000 4:10 PM
> To: 	'Dr. Joe Schwarcz, McGill U Office of Chem & Soc'
> Subject: 	        Colts with eight legs etc.
> 
> Dear Dr. Schwarcz,
> Regarding your Ninja Turtles article in last Sunday's Montreal Gazette.
> I have read about that eight-legged ("octopus") colt before.
> However, it would not be at all surprising that SIAMESE TWINS would have
> eight legs ( one colt has four, therefore two colts.....).
> 
> As I'm sure you're well aware, the phenomenon of siamese twins has nothing
> to do with genetic mutation due to radiation or anything else (in fact the
> eight-legged colt's genes would be expected to be perfectly normal, and
> yield perfectly normal offspring, were the animal to live long enough to
> procreate..). It is a rare failure in the cell division process that
> causes siamese twins to be born.
> 
> Likewise, pigs without eyes may well be caused by a nutritional deficiency
> - perhaps lack of folic acid.
> 
> If you have any more information on any such reports, I would appreciate
> if you could please forward them.
>  I offer the following report (attached below) on genetic mutations in the
> wake of the Chernobyl disaster.
> 
> Thanks
> Jaro
<><><><><><>

....following which I received this very unsatisfactory reply, which
illustrates perfectly how stereotypes are perpetuated :

> ----------
>From: 	JOE SCHWARCZ[SMTP:schwarcz@chemistry.mcgill.ca]
> Reply To: 	schwarcz@chemistry.mcgill.ca
> Sent: 	Monday, June 26, 2000 4:30 PM
> To: 	Franta, Jaroslav
> Subject: 	Re: Colts with eight legs etc.
> 
> The point was that radiation is one way we can get harmful 
> mutations.  The details don't really matter in this context.
> Cheers
> 
> Dr. Joe Schwarcz
> Director
> McGill Office for Chemistry and Society
> 514-398-6238
> schwarcz@chemistry.McGill.ca
<><><><><><><><><><>

Comment : doesn't that just make you cringe (or something..) ??

Jaro
frantaj@aecl.ca

>From: 	mark sasser[SMTP:duke99301@yahoo.com]
> Reply To: 	radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Sent: 	Tuesday July 25, 2000 10:16 AM
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	Re: TMI, Hershey, and radioactive milk?
> 
> I do not belive it! there are no two headed cows. I live in the
> area...there is nothing in the news life
> is good there.
> And as for Handfords Down winders! Most of them are farmers who never
> donned ppe to put chemicals on their
> crops.no cancer there! I worked hanford 11 years and my father 44 years so
> did my Uncles no one in our
> faimly is sick and most of our friends from there never got sick. all the
> guys I know have passed on from
> old age. sorry I do not belive in the problems.
> 
> Tom Lashley
> LashleyT@DTEenergy.com
> 
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