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In sickness and in health (Filed: 02/09/2001)

Dr James Le Fanu on why Viagra keeps flowers fresh for weeks

THAT wonder drug of our age, Viagra, has been found to have some unusual properties - quite independentof those for which it was originally introduced. It can, apparently, make greyhounds run faster by increasing their blood pressure and heart rate. The State Regulator of Greyhound Racing in Ireland, according to the Irish Independent, has banned its use from the racetrack after hearing that trainers were using it as a performance enhancer (their dogs' rather than their own).

It is also claimed that a few grains of Viagra added to a vase of water will stop cut flowers from drooping, keeping the stems upright and petals fresh for weeks at a time.

These interesting properties of Viagra are not quite as surprising as they might seem. It works through its effect on the chemical nitric oxide, which is present in heart muscle, the walls of arteries and the stems of flowers. Hence its ability to increase blood flow to the genital organs, accelerate the contractility of heart muscle and maintain the flow of moisture in plants.

It is thus disappointing to learn that Viagra is not, as was originally hoped, of much benefit to women whose low libido is attributed to Female Sexual Arousal Disorder, or FSAD. Dr Steven Kaplan from Columbia University reports "a significant response" in just a quarter of 30 women prescribed Viagra, only six of whom were sufficiently disposed to carry on taking it.

It would seem that for women with age-related sexual problems, hormones - rather than the regulation of blood flow - are much more relevant and, in particular, a decline in the "male" sexual hormone testosterone following the menopause. Susan Davies, a research scientist from Victoria, Australia, claims "unbelievable results" in virtually all women she has treated with testosterone implants over the past 15 years. The main drawback of this treatment is, allegedly, that it can cause virilisation, but Dr Davies claims that, at the correct dosage, "I have never seen it occur".

There have been four further testimonials to the efficacy of the gin-and-raisins remedy - originally recommended for the alleviation of arthritis - in the treatment of the skin condition psoriasis. Mrs C.I. Bickmore from Hertfordshire is "pleased to report" that after three months there has been "a substantial improvement". "I would not say it was a cure - you can still see the affected areas - but all the itching, flaking and irritable soreness has gone."

Secondly, Mrs Dorian Manville-Hayes who, over the past 40 years, has tried every remedy under the sun (Chinese herbs, reflexology, meditation, extraordinary diets ("including drinking my own urine twice a week having chilled it overnight like Chardonnay"), reports that within a fortnight of starting the gin and raisins, her large patches of psoriasis are "paler, less itchy, not weeping and feel and look better than they have for years".

It is, of course, only natural to speculate what could account for the efficacy of this remedy in two such diverse conditions. Mr J.W. Edwards from Truro believes it is the alcohol in the gin that improves arthritic symptoms. He recalls a similar remedy from 30 years ago, which required taking a couple of tots of De Kuypers Geneva Gin each day. The raisins, he suggests, act like "slow-release pills", discharging a small dose of alcohol over an hour or two. "The alcohol relaxes the muscles, easing the pressure on the joints and hence reducing the inflammation."

As for its value in psoriasis, Mr P.A. Moore from Suffolk points out that "dried fruit is preserved with sodium benzoate, which would be extracted by the addition of alcohol. Benzoates have several medicinal properties, including being effective against fungal infections".

Finally, those whose psoriasis does not respond to the gin-and-raisins remedy might be interested in a couple of further suggestions. Mrs A. Robinson from Berkshire writes to say that her father was much afflicted by patches on his head, knees and elbows, which were "a big problem, especially when he was under stress for any time". One weekend while staying in his cottage in Herefordshire he ate some plums that he had cooked up the week before. "They were slightly mouldy and tasted `winey'. And, yes, you've guessed it, his psoriasis promptly disappeared, never to return."

Next, the therapeutic value of saliva has featured in this column before, but Mr Hugh Saunders, also from Berkshire, has this interesting tale to tell of its near-miraculous effect on his psoriasis, which is particularly troublesome on his elbows. One day when delivering his son to his girlfriend's house, her dog came up and licked his elbows - and within a week the psoriasis had "completely cleared". He was more than happy to continue ferrying his son to his girlfriend until the relationship petered out.

Then, "last week while visiting my granddaughter I took an apple to show her how to feed horses without getting bitten. The horse took the apple and then began licking my elbow. Again my psoriasis completely cleared. No amount of medicine has ever achieved such a result." Fascinating.

-- Anonymous, September 03, 2001