The PMMA epidemic in Norway: comparison of fatal and non-fatal intoxications

During a 6 month period (July 2010-January 2011) we observed 12 fatal intoxications and 22 non-fatal cases related to the drug paramethoxymethamphetamine (PMMA) in Norway (4.8 mill inhabitants). This toxic designer drug, also known as "Death", is occasionally found in street drugs offered as "ecstasy" or "amphetamine". The present study aimed to evaluate the cause of death, and to compare the PMMA blood concentrations in fatal and non-fatal cases. Methods for identification and quantification of PMMA are presented. The median age of fatalities was 30 years (range 15-50) with 67% males; in non-fatal cases 27 years (20-47) with 86% males. In the 12 fatalities, the median PMMA blood concentration was 1.92 mg/L (range 0.17-3.30), which is in the reported lethal range of 0.6-3.1 mg/L in peripheral blood and 1.2-15.8 mg/L in heart blood. In the 22 non-fatal cases, the median PMMA concentration was 0.07 mg/L (range 0.01-0.65). Poly-drug use was frequent both in fatal and non-fatal cases. The PMA concentrations ranging from 0.00 to 0.26 mg/L in both groups likely represented a PMMA metabolite. Three fatalities were attributed to PMMA only, six to PMMA and other psychostimulant drugs, and three to PMMA and CNS depressant drugs, with median PMMA concentrations of 3.05 mg/L (range 1.58-3.30), 2.56 (1.52-3.23) and 0.52 mg/L (0.17-1.24), respectively. Eight victims were found dead, while death was witnessed in four cases, with symptoms of acute respiratory distress, hyperthermia, cardiac arrest, convulsions, sudden collapse and/or multiple organ failure. In summary, all fatalities attributed to PMMA had high PMMA blood concentrations compared to non-fatal cases. Our sample size was too small to evaluate a possible impact of poly-drug use. A public warning is warranted against use and overdose with illegal "ecstasy" or "speed" drugs.     

Survived crossbow injuries

The Hamburg University Institute of Legal Medicine presents 2 cases of injuries of crossbow arrows where the patients survived. Crossbows are used nowadays as sports and hunting weapons. They are freely obtainable, and since people without practice can shoot them, there are constant injuries and fatal cases. Crossbow arrows have a high penetration force and can even pierce bone. Depending on the tip of the arrow used, they bore or cut through tissue, here damage to the tissue being restricted to the direct surroundings. Due to the elasticity of the tissue, the arrow shaft in the wound track may have the effect of an incomplete tamponade so that major hemorrhaging is prevented. In this condition, the injured person may be conscious and capacitated. From the medical viewpoint, crossbow arrows should therefore be invariably left in the wound, secured against displacement during transport, and only removed in the hospital.     

A. Reviews: general

THE HISTORY OF AL‐TABARI (TA'RIKH AL‐RUSUL WA ‘L‐MULUK) [An annotated translation] (Bibliotheca Persica) (SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies):

VOLUME VI: MUHAMMAD AT MECCA. Translated and annotated by W. MONTGOMERY WATT and M.V. McDONALD. Albany, State University of New York Press, 1988. xlvi, 178pp.

VOLUME VII: THE FOUNDATION OF THE COMMUNITY [MUHAMMAD AT ALMADINA A.D. 622–626/HIJRAH‐4 A.H.]. Translated and annotated by W. MONTGOMERY WATT and M.V. McDONALD. Albany, State University of New York Press, 1987. xxxviii, 182pp.

AL‐TABARI: THE EARLY ‘ABBASI EMPIRE. Translated [and annotated] by JOHN ALDEN WILLIAMS:

VOLUME 1: THE REIGN OF ABU JA'FAR AL‐MAN?UR A.D. 754–775. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1988. xx, 263pp. £30.00 (US $49.50).

VOLUME 2: THE SON AND GRANDSONS OF AL‐MAN?UR. THE REIGNS OF AL‐MAHDI, AL‐HADI AND HARUN AL‐RASHID A.D. 775–808. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1989. xviii, 342pp. £35.00 (US $54.50).

AL‐FUSTAT: ITS FOUNDATION AND EARLY URBAN DEVELOPMENT. By WLADYSLAW D. KUBIAK. Cairo, The American University in Cairo Press, 1987. 186pp.

THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN THE MIDDLE EAST 1945–1951: ARAB NATIONALISM, THE UNITED STATES AND POSTWAR IMPERIALISM. By W. ROGER LOUIS. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1984. xix, 803pp. £45.00.

ISLAM IN A WORLD OF NATION‐STATES. By J. PISCATORI. Cambridge, Cambridge U.P., in association with RIIA, 1986. 193pp. H/B: £25.00. P/B: £10.95.

GADDAFI'S WORLD DESIGN: LIBYAN FOREIGN POLICY, 1969–1987. By R.B. ST JOHN. London, Saqi Books, 1987. 184pp. £14.95.

ÄGYPTEN UNTER MUBARAK; IDENTITÄT UND NATIONALES INTERESSE. By GUDRUN KRÄMER. Baden‐Baden, Nomos Verlaggesellschaft, 1986. 230pp. £29.95.

MERCHANTS OF ESSAOUIRA: URBAN SOCIETY AND IMPERIALISM IN SOUTHWESTERN MOROCCO, 1844–1886. By D.J. SCHROETER. (Cambridge Middle East Library.) Cambridge University Press, 1988. 343pp., 9 photographs, 17 figures, 7 maps, 20 tables. £30.00.

THE MIDDLE EASTERN VILLAGE: CHANGING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RELATIONS. Edited by RICHARD LAWLESS. London‐New York‐Sydney, Croom Helm, 1987. 304pp. 29 tables, 30 figures, 20 plates. £27.50.

CHANGE ON THE EUPHRATES: VILLAGERS, TOWNSMEN AND EMPLOYEES IN NORTHEAST SYRIA. By ANNIKA RABO. Stockholm, Department of Social Anthropology, University of Stockholm, 1986. viii, 222pp.

EDUCATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN EGYPT AND TURKEY: A STUDY IN HISTORICAL SOCIOLOGY. By BILL WILLIAMSON. London, Macmillan Press, 1987. vii, 242pp. £35.00.

AL SABAH: HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF KUWAIT'S RULING FAMILY 1752–1987. By ALAN RUSH. London, Ithaca Press, 1987. [x], 304pp. Illustrations, genealogical tables. £29.50.

OPEC: TWENTY‐FIVE YEARS OF PRICES AND POLITICS (Cambridge Energy Studies). By IAN SKEET. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1988. 263pp. Maps, tables. £25.00.

THE NEGLECTED GARDEN: THE POLITICS AND ECOLOGY OF AGRICULTURE IN IRAN. By KEITH McLACHLAN. London, I.B. Tauris, 1988. xxi, 266pp. 28 maps and figures. £24.50.

CHALLENGE OF ISLAMIC ECONOMICS. By MUHAMMAD AKRAM KHAN. Lahore, All‐Pakistan Islamic Education Congress, 1985. 93pp. $3.00.

THEORETICAL STUDIES IN ISLAMIC BANKING AND FINANCE. Edited by MOHSIN S. KHAN and ABBAS MIRAKHOR. Houston, Institute for Research and Islamic Studies, 1987. xvi, 245pp. $14.95.

RELIGION UND POLITIK BEI DEN SCHI'ITISCHEN HAZ#afARA IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAN UND PAKISTAN. ETHNIZITÄT UND GESELLSCHAFT: PROBLEME ETHNISCHER GRENZZIEHUNG IN GESELLSCHAFTEN DES VORDEREN UND MITTLEREN ORIENTS. By ROLF BINDEMANN. (Freie Universität Berlin Forschungsgebiets‐schwerpunkt, Occasional Papers No.7.) Berlin, Verlag Das Arabische Buch, 1987. 104pp.

ISLAM AND RESISTANCE IN AFGHANISTAN. By OLIVIER ROY. (Cambridge Middle East Library.) Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1986. 253pp. £30.00 (hardback), £10.95 (paperback).

THE CONTEMPORARY TURKISH ECONOMY. By Z.Y. HERSHLAG. London, Routledge, 1988. xi, 178pp. £30.00.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS: TURKEY UNDER DEVELOPMENTALISM. By RUSEN KELES and HIROMASA KANO. Tokyo, Institute of Developing Economies Middle East Series No.17, 1986. iv, 201pp.     

Naturschutz bei der Ausbringung von gentechnisch veränderten Organismen – Teil 2

Im ersten Teil des Aufsatzes ging es um die Beachtung des Naturschutzes bei der Freisetzungsgenehmigung, der IVB-Genehmigung, den nachmarktlichen Ma?nahmen und den sog. vereinfachten/differenzierten Verfahren. über diese klassisch umweltrechtliche Anforderung hinaus ist denkbar, dass manche Fl?chen von GVO ganz freigehalten werden, damit neben der Gentechnik einsetzenden Landnutzung naturn?here ?kosysteme erhalten bleiben. Dieser Frage widmet sich der zweite Teil. Er schlie?t mit einer Zusammenfassung des ganzen Beitrags ab.     

The Effects of détente on the two German states

In non-presidential systems the head of state is either a monarch or a president elected directly by the voters or by an assembly. The political powers of heads of state in non-presidential systems vary from being powerful to being just a symbolic figure of representation and integration. In response to the disastrous experience of the Weimar Republic, in the Federal Republic the choice fell on the latter with the result that the political powers of the President were significantly reduced. Hence, his role is usually described as largely ceremonial and representative and he is expected to be a figure of integration rather than divisiveness. However, the role of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany seems to have changed significantly under the Presidency of Horst Köhler who appears to have made considerable use of his powers and decisively exercised his role as one of the veto players of the German political system. This article examines to what extent the German Presidency has indeed undergone an increased politicisation under Horst Köhler since 2004.     

Book reviews: The Islamic World

The Palestine Problem in International Law and World Order. W Thomas Mallison and Sally V Mallison London: Longman. 1986. 564pp. £36.00hb

Prisoners of God: The Modern‐Day Conflict of Arab and Jew. David Smith. London: Quartet. 1987. 243pp. £12.95hb

Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land. David K Shipler. London: Bloomsbury. 1987. 562pp. £17.95hb

Tunisia: Crossroads of the Islamic and European Worlds. Kenneth J Perkins. Boulder, Colorado: Westview/London: Croom Helm. 1986. 192pp. n/p.

Habib Bourguiba, Islam and the Creation of Tunisia. Norma Salem. London: Croom Helm. 1986. 270pp. £19.95hb

Iraqi Politics 1921–41: The Interaction between Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy. Ahmad Abdul Razzaq Shikara London: LAAM. 1987. 227pp. £11.95pb

Iraq since 1958: From Revolution to Dictatorship. Marion Farouk‐Sluglett and Peter Sluglett. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. 1987. 332pp. £29.95hb

Iraq, the Gulf States and the War: A Changing Relationship 1980–1986 and Beyond. Gerd Nonneman. London: Ithaca Press. 1986. 224pp. £17.00hb/£9.00pb

Western Strategic Interests in Saudi Arabia. Anthony H Cordesman. London: Croom Helm. 1987. 308pp. n/p

Saudi Arabia, the West and the Security of the Gulf. Mazher A Hameed. London: Croom Helm. 1986. 189pp. £19.95hb

The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran. Roy Mottahedeh. London: Chatto and Windus. 1986. 416pp. £12.95hb

Egypt: The Stalled Society. Hamied Ansari. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. 1986. 308pp. S44.50hb/$16.95pb

Islam and the Third Universal Theory. Mahmoud Mustafa Ayoub. London: Kegan Paul International. 1987. 175pp. n/p

Qaddafi's World Design: Libyan Foreign Policy, 1969–1987. Ronald Bruce St John. London: Al Saqi. 1987. 184pp. £14.95hb

Class and Client in Beirut: The Sunni Muslim Community and the Lebanese State 1840–1985. Michael Johnson. London: Ithaca Press. 1986. 243pp. £18.00hb

Israel into Palestine. Gwyn Rowley. London: Mansell. 1983. 208pp. £18.50hb

Classand Power in the Sudan: The Dynamics of Sudanese Politics, 1898–1985. Tim Niblock. London: Macmillan. 1987. 370pp. £35.00hb

Sudan: State, Capital and Transformation. Edited by Tony Barnett and Abbas Abdelkarim London: Croom Helm. 1987. 224pp. £25.00hb

The Sudan: Unity and Diversity in a Multicultural State John Obert Voll and Sarah Potts Voll London: Croom Helm. 1985. 178pp. £18.95hb

The Sudan: Ethnicity and National Cohesion. Mohamed Omer Beshir, Mohamed A R Mohammed‐Salih and Musa Adam Abdul‐Jalil Bayreuth, West Germany: Bayreuth University (African Studies Season). 1984. 85pp. n/p

The Return to Democracy in Sudan. Adib Halasa, John D Cooke and Ustinia Dolgopol. Geneva: International Commission of Jurists. 1986. 103pp. n/p

Sudan Since Independence. Edited by Muddathir Abd al‐Rahim, Raphael Badal, Adlan Hardallo and Peter. Woodward. Aldershot, England: Gower. 1987. 181pp. £19.50hb

Fueling the Fire: US Policy and The Western Sahara. Leo Kamil. Trenton, New Jersey: Red Sea Press. 1987. 104pp. $12.95hb/$4.95pb

The Arab Radicals. Edited by Adeed Dawisha. New York: Council on Foreign Relations. 1986. 171pp. $17.50hb/$8.95pb

Social Legislation in the Contemporary Middle East. Edited by Jeswald W Salacuse and Laurence O Michalak. Berkeley, California: Institute of International Studies, University of California. 1986. 376pp. $14.95hb

The Dilemma of Development in the Arabian Peninsula. Abdul Rahman Osama. London: Croom Helm. 1987. 203pp. £25.00hb

The Economic Development of the Yemen Arab Republic. Ragaei el Mallakh. London: Croom Helm. 1986. 196pp. £22.50hb

Arabia and the Gulf: From Traditional Society to Modern States. Edited by Ian Richard Netton. London: Croom Helm. 1986. 259pp. £29.95hb

Islamic Technology: An Illustrated History.. Ahmad Y al‐Hassan and Donald R Hill. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press/Paris: Unesco. 1986. 304pp. £25.00hb