In "The Monkey's Paw" what is the name of the company that Herbert worked for?

Herbert worked for Maw and Meggins.

When the Whites wish on the mysterious monkey’s paw, they have no idea what it would lead to.  Morris tells them not to.  Mr. White’s son Herbert encourages his father to wish for money, as a joke.  He wishes for 200 pounds, but he never would have if he had known how they would get it.

The next day, a stranger comes to the door who seems “ill at ease.”

"I--was asked to call," he said at last, and stooped and picked a piece of cotton from his trousers. "I come from Maw and Meggins."

The old lady started. "Is anything the matter?" she asked breathlessly. "Has anything happened to Herbert? What is it? What is it?

The man says that Herbert was “badly hurt” but isn’t in pain.  His parents are relieved at first, until the man continues and tells them the truth.  Herbert is dead.

"He was caught in the machinery," said the visitor at length, in a low voice.

"Caught in the machinery," repeated Mr. White, in a dazed fashion, "yes."

The man seems embarrassed to give the Whites the money, knowing it can’t replace their son.  He tells them he is only following orders.  He also tells them the company cannot be held responsible.  They are shocked to find that it is the 200 pounds they wished for.  How terrible the monkey’s paw turns out to be!  Morris was right when he said they should leave it in the fire.

The Whites are in mourning, of course.  Mrs. White even uses the paw to wish her son back to life a week later.  This horrifies her husband, though, and when they hear knocking on the door he uses the paw again to reverse the wish.  Who knows what kind of monster would appear at the door, since Herbert was mangled and buried?

What is the relationship between age and addiction?

A Hidden Problem

A nationwide survey in the United States revealed that between 2000 and 2008, admissions for addiction treatments for people age fifty years and older increased by 70 percent, while overall this age group grew by only 21 percent. About 60 percent of these addiction-treatment admissions included persons seeking treatment for alcohol abuse, about 16 percent were for heroin addiction, and about 11 percent were for cocaine addiction.

A study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US Department of Health and Human Services) in 2010 showed that the aging of the baby-boom generation (made up of persons born from 1946 through 1964) has led to a sharp increase in the abuse of illicit drugs by adults older than age fifty years. Researchers concluded that the need for addiction-treatment services for Americans age fifty years and older would double by 2020.

The scope of the problem of addiction among older adults is unknown, largely because many cases go unreported. In addition, the elderly and their families often deny the problem. For example, family members might excuse an older relative’s gambling addiction as a harmless hobby, or they might argue that heavy alcohol use is an entitlement for a relative after a long, hard life. Also, many older people rarely admit they have a problem. They rationalize that they are experienced and wise and able to handle any situation. This way of rationalizing is especially true for people addicted to prescription medications.The symptoms of addiction are often less evident in older people than they are in younger people. For example, many older adults addicted to alcohol or drugs indulge at home, so they are less likely to drive a vehicle and to risk arrest while intoxicated. Also, many elderly persons live alone, making it difficult for others to notice problems with drinking or with drug abuse. Furthermore, many elderly persons are retired, so common determiners of addiction, such as work absenteeism or poor job performance, are poor determiners of addiction in the elderly.

Addiction in older adults often goes unrecognized, even by health professionals. Symptoms of addictions are mistaken for diseases common to old age, such as high blood pressure, dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and sleep disorders. Moreover, most of the medical and psychological screening tests for addiction are designed for younger people, making the tests inadequate for older adults.

Substances and Behaviors

Using a working definition of addiction as “a physiological or psychological dependence on a substance or behavior to the extent that its withdrawal causes extreme distress to the user,” addictions in older adults are the same as those in younger people. However, two substances, alcohol and prescription medications, and two behaviors, gambling and watching television, appear to be particularly troublesome for older adults.

Alcohol is the drug most often abused by older adults. In a survey of adults between ages sixty years and ninety-four years, some 62 percent reported drinking alcohol regularly and 13 percent admitted to heavy use of alcohol. In many cases, alcohol addiction leads to other problems for the elderly. Older adults addicted to alcohol are three times more likely to already have or to develop another mental disorder.

Prescription medications rank as the second most commonly abused substance among older adults and include sedatives, antidepressants, sleeping pills, and pain relievers, especially the narcotic analgesics. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported that people age sixty-five years and older received about 33 percent of all medications prescribed by doctors in the United States, yet this group makes up only 13 percent of the US population. According to NIDA, some 18 percent of adults age sixty years and older abuse prescription drugs. Older adults take prescription medications three times more frequently than the general population and are more likely to disregard dosing directions, often choosing to self-medicate instead. To compound the problem, NIDA reported that, in general (for some drugs), older adults receive prescriptions with higher doses and with longer dosage times than younger adults receive.

Gambling has become a popular pastime of older adults. In one survey, 73 percent of study participants said they had engaged in some form of gambling in the previous year. Studies have revealed that throughout North America, about 4 percent of all adult gamblers are addicted to gambling, about the same percentage as older gamblers. However, considering that the older adult segment is the fastest growing segment of gamblers, the actual number of addicted gamblers (known as pathological gamblers) is greater than ever. Researchers in New Jersey found that 4 percent of gamblers age fifty-five years and older are problem gamblers and that 2 percent are pathological gamblers. Nearly 11 percent of persons age sixty-five and older in primary care facilities in Pennsylvania are at-risk gamblers. In Missouri, 4 percent of participants in that state’s compulsive gamblers program are older than age sixty-five years.

Television watching, too, can become an addiction, according to many mental health professionals. About 97 percent of older adults watch television regularly, more so than any other age group. For many older adults, especially those living alone or with limited mobility, television is a companion and watching television is an activity that helps them cope with their problems. Watching television is considered an addiction when a viewer cannot stop watching at a chosen time, when he or she wants to but cannot watch less, when he or she complains that watching replaces other activities and takes up too much time, and when he or she is uneasy and experiences withdrawal symptoms when not watching for a time.

Age-Related Factors

Some adults carry an addiction into their later years. Most baby boomers with an addiction to illicit drugs, for example, continue a pattern of abuse that began for them in the 1960s and 1970s. However, not many drug addicts, or alcoholics, live to old age because of the devastating physical effects of lifelong addiction.

Other adults switch addictions when they get older. Studies of the chemistry of addiction are helping to explain why some people and not others become addicted. A seminal study prepared for the National Academy of Sciences in 1983 identified certain personality traits that can contribute to the onset of addiction. A person with an addictive personality, for example, might have been addicted to heroin when young but may have switched to prescription drugs later in life.

Other adults become addicted only in their later years. Many elderly persons turn to substances and behaviors that become addictions as a way to cope with growing older. The factors that contribute to addiction, at any age, are complex, but certain circumstances and elements are unique to older people.

In general, as people reach their sixties they are more vulnerable to compulsive behaviors such as gambling. Older people experience many more types of loss than do younger people—loss of physical and mental capabilities; loss of older family members, of spouses, and of friends in the same age group; loss of earning power; and loss of status in society, especially following retirement and particularity in a society that reveres youth. Older adults deal with more serious medical conditions, such as heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, hearing loss, and dementia. Following retirement, many people are unsure how to spend their time and are unaware of social opportunities and community resources. Boredom and loneliness plague many older people.

The consequences of addiction are, in many cases, more serious for older people than for younger people. The aging body processes substances differently than the young body. The level of alcohol or drug use, for example, considered light or moderate in the younger body, is often dangerous to the organs and systems of the older body. Recovery from substance abuse takes longer in the older body. Older people, on average, are more likely to be taking more medications than younger people and, thus, risk serious problems when combining medications with alcohol or illicit drugs. Finally, financial losses are more difficult to recoup for persons, such as the elderly, who often live on fixed incomes.

Addiction affects a person’s self-esteem, coping skills, and relationships, which, when combined with the other losses common in later life, can lead to other serious mental illnesses. Clinical depression, although not specifically a disease of age, afflicts many older people. The link between clinical depression and addiction is well established.

Treatment for addictions in older people is similar to treatment for younger people, with the exception that most older addicts receive treatment for co-occurring disorders (two or more diseases present at the same time). On the positive side, health professionals report that once older adults enter treatment, they achieve greater success than any other age group.

Bibliography

Bamberger, Peter A., and Samuel B. Bacharach. Retirement and the Hidden Epidemic: The Complex Link between Aging, Work Disengagement, and Substance Misuse and What to Do About It. New York: Oxford UP, 2014. Print.

Colleran, Carol, and Debra Jay. Aging and Addiction: Helping Older Adults Overcome Alcohol or Medication Dependence. Center City: Hazelden, 2002. Print.

Elinson, Zusha. "Aging Baby Boomers Bring Drug Habits into Middle Age." Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones, 16 Mar. 2015. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

Gurnack, Anne, Roland Atkinson, and Nancy Osgood. Treating Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Elderly. New York: Springer, 2002. Print.

Nakken, Craig. The Addictive Personality: Understanding the Addictive Process and Compulsive Behavior. Center City: Hazelden, 1996. Print.

Ruiz, Pedro, and Eric C. Strain. The Substance Abuse Handbook. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters, 2014. Print.

What are body lice?

Definition

Body lice (Pediculus humanus corporis) are tiny parasites, up to one-eighth inch in length, that feed on human blood. They live and lay eggs (nits) in clothing folds and seams, then move to the skin to feed. An infestation or large number of body lice on one person is known as pediculosis, which is more of an embarrassment than a serious disorder.

Once off their host, lice usually die within five to seven days at room temperature, although the lice have been known to live up to thirty days. Body lice are larger and less common than their relatives, the pin-sized head or pubic lice.

Causes

Body lice infestations most often occur in overcrowded areas with poor hygiene. The parasites spread by direct contact. Lice do not jump or fly. Instead, they readily move from infested to noninfested persons, clothing, and linens.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for acquiring body lice include direct contact with infected people, clothing, or linens; not bathing regularly; wearing infected clothing; and using infected linens. Other risk factors include sleeping on reused mattresses and linens and on communal beds. Infestations are common among transients and have been known to occur during natural disasters or war.

Symptoms

Body lice cause severe itching, especially at night, and red skin bumps. The lice most often accumulate under waist bands or in armpits. If present for any significant time, the infestation may cause skin sores around the waist and groin.

Long-term infestations can lead to a general tiredness and an increased chance
of other diseases, such as relapsing or trench fever and louse-borne epidemic typhus. Louse-borne typhus is caused by a bacteria (Rickettsia
prowazekii) that is found in louse droppings. Symptoms include a high
fever, body ache, chills, cough, and a severe headache.

Screening and Diagnosis

Diagnosis is readily made by observation of the skin and clothing. It is not
uncommon to self-diagnose a case of body lice. Adult body lice are light-colored
(whitish-grey) and have six legs. Persons with body lice may also have
head and pubic lice.

Treatment and Therapy

Treatment usually involves bathing and disposing of infected clothing and
linens (such as towels and sheets). The clothes and linens can also be washed in
very hot water (130° Fahrenheit) and machine dried on high heat for a minimum of
twenty minutes. If lice or skin irritation continue, a physician may advise an
over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription treatment. Calamine
lotion, OTC steroids, or antihistamines may reduce the
itching.

With careful treatment, regular bathing, and the use of clean clothing and linens (linens changed once or more per week), it is possible to completely eradicate all body lice.

Prevention and Outcomes

To prevent lice from spreading, it is important to maintain careful hygiene and
avoid contact with infected people, clothing, or linens. During a major lice
outbreak, an insecticide may be used to prevent the spread of typhus.

Bibliography

Ashford, R. W., and W. Crewe. The Parasites of “Homo sapiens”: An Annotated Checklist of the Protozoa, Helminths, and Arthropods for Which We Are Home. 2d ed. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2003.

Despommier, Dickson D., et al. Parasitic Diseases. 5th ed. New York: Apple Tree, 2006.

Diaz, J. H. “Lice (Pediculosis).” In Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, edited by Gerald L. Mandell, John E. Bennett, and Raphael Dolin. 7th ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2010.

“Ectoparasites.” In Textbook of Family Medicine, edited by R. E. Rakel et al. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier, 2007.

Why does Mr. Shiftlet want to fix Mrs. Crater's automobile?

One of the first things Mr. Shiftlet sees when he comes on Mrs. Crater's property is the "1928 or '29 Ford" automobile in a shed. Later, he tells Mrs. Crater he can fix the car and asks her for money for a new fan belt. Soon enough, he shows up with the belt and some gasoline and has the car running the same afternoon. As his name suggests, Mr. Shiftlet is a drifter. He tells Mrs. Crater that he has traveled extensively, and "visited every foreign land." He shifts from place to place and he most certainly sees the car as a chance to continue his drifting. When Mrs. Crater suggests that a man has everything he would need on her property, including her daughter, Lucynell, Mr. Shiftlet identifies one of his philosophies of life:

"Lady, a man is divided into two parts, body and spirit."—

"A body and a spirit," he repeated. "The body, lady, is like a house: it don't go anywhere; but the spirit, lady, is like a automobile: always on the move, always..."

He agrees to marry Lucynell and, once he has a chance to take the car off the property, dumps the girl at a roadside diner and steals the car along with the money Mrs. Crater had given him. Fixing the car provided Mr. Shiftlet the opportunity to continue his drifting lifestyle. In the last line he is reported to be on his way to Mobile, Alabama.

What role do women play in The Odyssey and how do they represent the women of Ancient Greece?

Women's role in The Odyssey is interesting. On the one hand, the female characters in this quintessential epic poem display more depth than other female characters in epic poetry. Calypso, for instance, is a powerful woman able to hold sway over an epic hero like Odysseus. Along the same lines, Athena holds a prominent place on Mt. Olympus and appears to be able to get her way in most scenarios by swaying the opinions of Zeus. In this respect, then, it seems like women in The Odyssey have considerable power, and this fact could have reflected growing independence for women in Ancient Greece. 

However, while women in The Odyssey might be more powerful than their literary predecessors, they are still largely subordinated to their male counterparts. Penelope's role, for instance, is to wait at home while Odysseus goes wandering, and Athena, as powerful as she is, seems to exists largely to help Odysseus escape trouble. As such, women in Homer's poetic world might not be as independent as they seem, and this fact certainly reflects the state of women in Ancient Greece, as Greek women were largely forced to depend on men and had little autonomy outside of the home. In that case, if women's independence was growing during the composition of The Odyssey, they still most likely did not have much power in Ancient Greek society.

What is bariatric surgery?

Indications and Procedures

Candidates for bariatric surgery are the severely obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 to 39 with serious medical conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, heart
disease, hypertension, and sleep
apnea. Typically, to qualify for surgery patients must first have tried other methods of weight loss (dietary modification, exercise, and/or drug therapy) and must be seriously impaired in their ability to perform routine activities. In addition, patients should undergo extensive psychiatric evaluation to ensure that they understand the risks of the procedure and are motivated enough to cope with its dramatic effects and permanent lifestyle changes.

There are two types of procedures. Restrictive surgery—including vertical banded gastroplasty,
gastric banding, or laparoscopic gastric banding (lap band)—uses bands or staples near the top of the stomach to create a small pouch that restricts food intake to no more than one-half to one cup. The stoma, a tiny gap in the pouch that opens into the lower stomach, slows the emptying of the pouch to prolong fullness, thus reducing hunger.

Malabsorptive surgery involves surgical rearrangement of the digestive system to bypass parts of the stomach and small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
is the most commonly performed operation, derived from a procedure developed in 1966 by Edward E. Mason and named after the Y-shaped connection it creates. Roux-en-Y combines restriction with malabsorption, bypassing the lower stomach and the duodenum to connect the stomach pouch directly to the jejunum, or (less frequently) the iliem. In biliopancreatic diversion, sometimes performed on patients with a BMI of 50 or more, a portion of the stomach is actually removed, with the remaining section attached directly to the ileum, thus shortening the small intestine drastically to produce greater weight loss.

Uses and Complications

To lose weight and keep it off, surgery alone is not enough; strict diet and exercise regimens must be maintained. On average, bypass patients lose 66 percent of their excess weight after two years but gain some back as a result of stretching of the pouch over time. At five years, the loss of excess weight typically stabilizes at 33 to 50 percent. Restrictive procedures tend to result in comparatively less weight loss because there is no malabsorption. Diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol may improve significantly after surgery, often before marked weight loss occurs. Arthritis, sleep apnea, and other obesity-related conditions may gradually improve as weight is lost. In addition, patients often experience improved mobility and stamina and may report enhanced self-esteem and social acceptance.

Patients with very severe obesity, heart disease, diabetes, or sleep apnea and those who have inexperienced surgeons are at greater risk of developing complications. Gastric bypass patients face a 0.5 to 1.0 percent fatality rate; restrictive surgery patients fare better at 0.1 percent. Follow-up operations are required in 10 to 20 percent of patients. Most lap band patients experience at least one side effect, including abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and band slippage to the extent that up to 25 percent may have the bands removed. If staples are used, then the risk of developing a leak or rupture is around 1.5 percent, leading to serious infection and often requiring further surgeries; laparoscopic patients appear to be at higher risk. Because 30 percent of patients develop gallstones after surgery as a result of rapid weight loss, the gallbladder is often removed as well. In 2 percent of cases, the spleen may be injured, necessitating its removal.

Other complications include blood clots, gaseous distention, infection, bowel or esophageal perforation, bowel strangulation, hernias, strictures, ulcers, late staple breakdown, menstrual irregularities, and hair loss. Patients undergoing malabsorptive procedures by definition will suffer from nutritional deficiencies, including anemia and metabolic bone disease resulting in osteoporosis, unless supplements are taken daily; regular vitamin B12 shots are necessary for some patients. Many patients will require further cosmetic surgery to remove large, sagging folds of skin.

All patients may experience vomiting from eating too much or too quickly. Pain behind the breastbone can result from insufficient chewing, causing large food particles to lodge in the stoma. Between 70 and 80 percent of gastric bypass patients will develop dumping syndrome, a condition caused by eating too much fat or sugar, which can result in severe dizziness or weakness, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Biliopancreatic bypass is further associated with chronic diarrhea and other long-term complications such as liver disease.

Perspective and Prospects

Surgical treatment for obesity began in the early 1950s with dangerous intestinal bypass procedures. As techniques have improved, the number of surgeries performed has mushroomed. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery reports that its member surgeons performed 28,800 operations in 1999, 63,100 in 2002, and 80,000 in 2007; by 2010, the number had plateaued at 113,000. During the same period, however, many more of the lucrative surgeries were performed by nonmembers. Evolving surgical practices and long-term outcomes remain difficult to evaluate as clinical trial data are lacking, and proof of overall improvements in health and longevity is scanty. According to the American Medical Association, the long-term consequences of weight-loss surgery remain uncertain. To establish the overall safety and efficacy of such surgery, more research and stringent clinical trials are needed.

Bibliography

American Society for Bariatric Surgery. http://www .asbs.org.

Davis, Garth, and Laura Tucker. The Expert's Guide to Weight-Loss Surgery. New York: Hudson Street Press, 2009.

Flancbaum, Louis, Erica Manfred, and Deborah Flancbaum. The Doctor’s Guide to Weight Loss Surgery: How to Make the Decision That Could Save Your Life. New York: Bantam Books, 2004.

Hart, Dani. I Want to Live: Gastric Bypass Reversal. Fort Collins, Colo.: Mountain Stars, 2002.

Inabnet, William B., Eric J. DeMaria, and Sayeed Ikramuddin, eds. Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005.

Kothari, Shanu N. Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2011.

Mitchell, James E., and Martina de Zwaan, eds. Bariatric Surgery: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals. New York: Routledge, 2005.

Nussbaum, Michael S. Gastric Surgery. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2013.

Rogers, Jennifer T. Gastric Bypass: Surgical Procedures, Health Effects, and Common Complications. New York: Nova Science, 2010.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. National Institutes of Health. Office of Medical Applications of Research. Gastrointestinal Surgery for Severe Obesity: A Consensus Development Conference. Bethesda, Md.: Author, 1991.

According to the old swamper, why does Curley wear a work glove on his left hand?

In Chapter Two of John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men George and Lennie come to the ranch where they intend to work and initially meet Candy, the old swamper. Candy describes some of the characters on the ranch, including the boss, Crooks, Slim, Curley's wife and Curley. Curley is the boss's son and Candy claims that Curley is a fighter who competed in the Golden Gloves' boxing competition. He also suggests that Curley likes to pick on guys who are bigger than he is to prove his manhood. Moreover, Candy tells George that Curley wears a glove full of vaseline, apparently to keep that hand soft for his young wife (George refers to her as jailbait). This is a somewhat sexual image which leads George to tell Candy, "That's a dirty thing to tell around." It is the same hand, a symbol of Curley's masculinity, which is later crushed in the bunkhouse fight with Lennie.