raw vegetables that are low in vincial transport departments require all motorcyclists to wear these essentials. approved crash helmets.' In addCaroline Richmond ition, it feels that there is no 21 Stratford Grove medical reason that would justify London, England a certificate of exemption for helmet use by motorcyclists.' The CMA is also planning a major national campaign to promote the Why are there use of bicycle helmets by all chilso many injuries? Why dren. aren't we stopping them? Substance abuse and driving has been a major concern of the eaders may be interested CMA for many years. It has been R to know that a significant demonstrated repeatedly that the number of the suggestions relative risk of accident and death and recommendations made by increases with the blood alcohol Drs. Louis H. Francescutti, L. level of the driver. Since 1986 the Duncan Saunders and Stewart M. CMA has urged government to Hamilton (Can Med Assoc J 1991; amend existing legislation to en144: 57-58, 60-61) are accepted sure that the maximum legal blood alcohol concentration in policy of the CMA. Specifically, the CMA has drivers, as defined by the Crimirecognized since the 1960s that nal Code of Canada, be reduced effective restraint systems in pas- to 50 mg/dL.2 Recognizing the senger cars are essential to a re- vulnerability of youth in particuduction in the incidence of injury lar to the advertising of alcoholic and death.' Although all the products, the CMA in 1981 recprovinces (with the exception of ommended that the advertising of the Yukon) now have legislation alcoholic beverages in the elecspecifying compulsory adult and tronic media be abolished across child restraint systems, for such Canada.3 Finally, the authors note the systems to be effective their use must be enforced. The CMA has need for childproof medicine conurged the provincial departments tainers. The CMA has recomof the attorney-general to rigor- mended for several years that all ously implement mandatory seat- prescription and nonprescription belt legislation.' There is much drugs that are hazardous to chilroom for improvement, though: dren be sold in child-resistant provincial seatbelt laws have in- packages.4 Furthermore, it has creased the rate of use of restraint urged government authorities to develop regulations to standardize systems to only 50% to 60%.1 The CMA has also strongly the packaging of drugs and all supported the continued research other products that contain toxic by industry and government in substances, with the goal of makthe design of protective systems ing them child-resistant.4 for motor vehicle passengers.' The Department of Transport is study- Douglas A. Geekie, BPHE, CPH of communications ing the potential costs and bene- Director and government relations fits of passive restraint systems,' Canadian Medical Association and this, in addition to the United States experience in this area, is References being closely monitored. To help reduce the number of 1. CMA Policy Summary: Vehicle safety. Can Med Assoc J 1988; 138: 552Ainjuries and deaths resulting from 552B motorcycle accidents, the CMA has since 1965 requested that pro- 2. Department of Communications and 412

CAN MED ASSOC J 1991; 144 (4)

Government Relations: Substance Abuse and Driving, Can Med Assoc, Ottawa, 1989: 2 3. CMA Policy Summary: Drinking.and driving. Can Med Assoc J 1985; 133: 806A 4. CMA Policy Summary: Child-resistant packaging. Can Med Assoc J 1988; 138: 960A

History of medicine lectures at McGill r. Douglas Waugh's article "Dr. Maude Abbott deserves better" (Can Med Assoc J 1990; 143: 406) and the subsequent exchange of letters between Waugh and Dr. Miguel A. Chiong (ibid: 995) prompts me to offer some additional information. Chiong laments that "medical history is at the bottom of the medical curriculum" and that "the young grow woefully unaware of those on whose shoulders they now stand." He will therefore be heartened to know that Dr. Edward H. Bensley, emeritus professor of medicine and lecturer in the history of medicine in our department, has been giving a lecture on the history of the McGill medical faculty every year for over 20 years to our second-year medical students. Maude Abbott is, of course, included. Moreover, he has just published, as the first fruits of the Osler Library Studies in the History of MedcMine, his very fine McGill Medical Luminaries, which offiers brief biographies of Maude Abbott and 42 other major contributors to McGill's medical pSt, aloag with references. and a portrait for each person. Incidentally, Bensley's annual lecture is one of 22 hour-ong lectures in a required survey course in the history of medicine, taken by all (160) second-year medical students and given by

Professor George Weisz, PhD, and me. There are additional readings and a 1 1/2-hour written examination. Not exactly at the bottom of the curriculum!

Rapid evolution of microcomputer use in a faculty of health sciences [correctioni

Don G. Bates, MD, PhD Department of Humanities and Social Studies in Medicine McGill University Montreal, Que.

n page 26 of this article (Can Med Assoc J 1991; 144: 24-28), by Dr. R. Brian Haynes and associates, the

O

column headings in Tables I and 2 are incorrect. The data from the tables that are reported in the text are correct. Since it would have been too difficult to explain the error we decided to print the amended tables below. We apologize to the authors and readers for this error and any confusion it may have caused. -Ed.

Table 1: Microcomputer equipment used by full-time (FT) and part-time (PT) members of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont., in 1986 and 1989

No. (and %) of respondents*

FT Equipment Microcomputer Modem Ethernet link Local area network *NA

=

1986 (n = 429) 304 (71) 79 (18) NA 29 (7)

PT

1989 (n = 446) 386 (87) 199 (45) 65 (15) 32 (7)

p levelt 2.2 x 10-8 1.6 x 10-9 0.91 (NS)

1986 (n = 308) 149 (48) 28 (9) NA 11 (4)

1989 (n = 388) 268 (69) 107 (28) 16 (4) 20 (5)

p levelt 4.9 x 10-8 < 1.0 x 10-9 0.41 (NS)

not available.

tCritical level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.004 to allow for multiple comparisons; NS = not significant.

Table 2: Applications of microcomputers by FT and PT faculty members in 1986 and 1989 No. (and %) of respondents* PT

FT

Use Word processing Statistical analysis Data collection Nonstatistical analysis

Spreadsheet analysis Filing (e.g., reprints) On-linesearching Compact-disc searching Education Scheduling Graphics Electronic mail Clinical applications Access to hospital information system Financial applications (e.g., billing)

1986 163 (38) 163 (38) 115 (27) 97 (23) 91 (21) 44 (10) 32 (7) NA 27 (6) 7 (2) NA

1989 353 (79) 208 (47) 130 (29) 70 (16) 143 (32) 185 (41) 165(37) 121 (27) 94 (21) 31 (7) 186(42) 117 (26) 42 (9)

NA

31 (7)

-

NA

25 (6)

-

NA

21 (5)

-

NA

101 (26)

-

NA NA

p level

< 1.0 x 10-9

0.01 (NS) 0.49 (NS)

0.01 (NS) 3.9 x 10-4 < 1.0 x 10-9

1986 57 (19) 39 (13) 31 (10) 18 (6) 30 (10) 18 (6) 9 (3) NA 20 (6)

1989 238 (61) 65 (17) 80 (21) 14 (4) 103 (27) 150 (34)

-

4 (1) NA NA NA

69(18) 40(10) 68 (18) 51 (13) 85(22) 39 (10) 36 (9)

< 1.0 x 10 9

< 1.0 x 10-9 2.2 x 10-4

p level < 1.0 x 10-9

0.16 (NS) 2.4 x 10-4 0.22 (NS) 3.7 x 10-8 < 1.0 x 109 < 1.0x 10-9 2.3 x 10-5 2.1 x 10-8 -

*NA = not asked.

CAN MED ASSOC J 1991; 144 (4)

413