Herbal Health

Despite what some patients may think of us, and despite what some of us think about ourselves, doctors are not above the law.

The law is set down for all citizens to obey and we as a learned profession do ourselves and the law a disservice if we attempt to bring it into disrepute.

Being called as a witness to court is a time-consuming business and if one is a witness to an accident, it may be a full day lost from work.

However, for most individuals this may happen only once or twice in a lifetime.

For those doctors involved in treating workers compensation or road accident cases, a court appearance may occur almost every week.

But doctors are involved with the law in many other ways.

Speed limits on the road are absolute, but if a doctor is travelling to an emergency and he exceeds the speed limit, he still breaks the law.

Should he be apprehended by a policeman, a simple and polite explanation will usually result in the policeman waving the doctor on his way or asking him if he requires a police escort.

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The seventh cranial or facial nerve passes through a hole in the bony skull just below the ear, to run forward under the parotid salivary gland to supply the muscles of the face.

This nerve can be injured by tumors of the parotid gland or by operations in this area. As this is a motor nerve supplying stimulation to the facial muscles, interference with its function may lead to weakness or paralysis.

The most common cause of facial palsy is inflammation of the nerve.

The swelling causes it to be compressed in the bony canal it passes through to enter the face. Compression leads to loss of function.

In most cases the cause of the inflammation is unknown, although it is thought that some cases may be due to exposure to cold or a draught.

The condition, usually called Bell’s palsy after Sir Thomas Bell, who was professor of surgery in Edinburgh in the 1830s, usually comes on suddenly and may be partial or complete. The person often notices it on awakening.

The paralysed face is flat and without expression, the eyelid cannot be completely closed and food and drink may dribble from the side of the mouth.

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