Normal Kids Research Articles

Pediatric Diarrhea and Dehydration

Acute pediatric diarrhea in your average American emergency department with a normal kid is diagnosed much the same way you recognize your grandmother. While a description may not always be very helpful, we know it when we see it. In a room full of lawyers, we would never dare call this “viral gastroenteritis,” but rather opt for the non-diagnosis of “diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.”

Two Roads: From Cricket Fighting to the Cultural Revolution

You have this feeling of not fitting in. Some would say that's a normal feeling, everyone goes through that during some parts of their life, maybe even more than once. For others, it's all their life. But for me, I'd like to think that I was a relatively normal kid growing up in China and only started getting this marginal feeling when I came to America.

Perinatal adrenocortical function in relation to the growth rate and immunoglobulin acquisition of goat kids

Serum cortisol concentration at birth can reflect the prenatal adrenocortical function of young animals. Its relation with the growth rate and serum γ-globulin levels during the first 5 days of post-natal life was studied in full-term and eutocial goat kids. Two groups of kids born with high ( n = 14, 10.59 ± 0.43 μg/dl) or low ( n = 15, 5.09 ± 0.28 μg/dl) serum cortisol levels had similar ( p> 0.05) mean birth weight, serum glucose and γ-globulin concentrations at birth. Post-natal profiles of serum cortisol for kids of both groups declined to a similar ( p > 0.05) level by 2 days of age. The ACTH responsiveness of serum cortisol at 5 days of age was not different ( p > 0.05) between groups. The kids with higher serum cortisol levels at birth gained about 33% more weight ( p < 0.05) during the 5-day period than those with lower serum cortisol levels. Serum glucose levels after birth remained normal at all time intervals measured and were higher ( p < 0.05) for kids born with high serum cortisol levels. The peak serum γ-globulin level reached at about 18 h after the first colostrum feeding was greater in kids of `high' cortisol group, and a consistently greater level of serum γ-globulin was maintained throughout the study compared to the kids of the `low' cortisol group. The results suggest that there does not appear to be a relationship between serum cortisol levels at birth and birth weight or post-natal adrenocortical function of normal kids. High serum cortisol levels at birth are desirable for growth and immunoglobulin acquisition of neonatal kids. The possible mechanisms were discussed.

Effect of fungal alkaloids on the development of pregnancy and endocrine foetal–placental function in the goat

The response to Claviceps purpurea sclerotia administration in pregnant goats was examined in terms of changes in the levels of plasma hormones, the development of pregnancy and kid production. Six treated goats were each given 15 mg milled sclerotia (i.e. 0.105 mg ergotamine) per kilogram live weight twice daily via a stomach tube from days 98 +/- 2 to 107 +/- 2 of gestation. Seven control goats were given water twice daily via a stomach tube during the same period of gestation. The goats were observed for clinical signs of disease, rectal temperatures and live weights were recorded and the condition of the foetuses was monitored by real-time ultrasonography. All control goats delivered live kids. In the treated group two goats aborted 33 and 47 days, respectively, after the start of the administration period, two goats each delivered one normal and one weak kid, and the two remaining goats delivered apparently normal kids. All six treated goats became depressed and had poor appetite during the period of sclerotia administration. Rectal temperatures were significantly increased and live weight changes significantly decreased in the animals in the treated group compared to the control group during the period of C. purpurea administration. Ultrasound examination revealed that foetal deaths occurred between 1 and 42 days before abortion or birth. The appearance of the aborted foetuses varied from fresh to mummified, depending on the number of days between foetal death and expulsion. Microbiological and serological investigations revealed no infectious causes of reproductive failure. The level of 15-ketodihydro-PGF2 alpha was high in goats that aborted following administration of C. purpurea compared with the level in control goats. The oestrone sulphate level did not increase before abortion in the treated goats as in the controls before parturition. There were also changes in these hormones in the four treated goats that delivered live kids, but the changes were considerably smaller. These findings indicate that the endocrine foetal-placental function was disturbed, probably due to injury caused by the C. purpurea toxin ergotamine in the placenta and foetus.

Radiotelemetrically recorded blood pressure and heart rate changes in relation to plasma catecholamine levels during parturition in the conscious, unrestrained goat.

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of sympathetic nervous system activation during parturition in four unrestrained goats. Chronically implanted radiotelemetry devices registered heart rate and arterial blood pressure around the clock and blood was sampled for determination of plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline concentrations before, during and after labour. Two goats delivered two kids after moderately intensive abdominal contractions. A third goat had dystocia, and was treated with prostaglandin F2 alpha. One normal kid and one mummified foetus were delivered manually. After milking, a third kid was born spontaneously. The fourth goat experienced severe abdominal contractions and delivered one kid. Mean blood pressure was 69 +/- 2 mmHg the day before parturition, increased gradually during the labour pains, and reached a maximal value of 120 +/- 7 mmHg when the head of the first kid was visible (P < or = 0.05). Heart rate was 134 +/- 4 beats min-1 the day before parturition and peaked when the first kid was born (159 +/- 6 beats min-1, P < or = 0.05), as did plasma adrenaline concentration (from 0.4 +/- 0.2 nmol L-1 to 2.7 +/- 1.2 nmol L-1, P < or = 0.05). The concentration of noradrenaline increased from 4.8 +/- 2.3 nmol L-1 to 12.2 +/- 8.4 nmol L-1 (P < or = 0.05), when the head of the first kid was visible. Expulsion of the second and third kids caused relatively smaller increases in blood pressure, heart rate and catecholamines than those seen with the first born kid. It is concluded that changes in pressure, heart rate and catecholamines during parturition are related to the different phases of labour and not to its duration or severity.

Postpartum mummification of a co-twin fetus in a Cameroon dwarf goat doe

An 18-month-old Cameroon dwarf goat doe had chronic, bilateral hindlimb paresis and difficulty in rising two months after the birth of a normal kid. The doe was weak, pyrexic and...

Storing bovine ovaries for 24 hours between 15 and 21 °C does not influence in vitro production of blastocysts

Efforts to improve proportions of caprine immature oocytes developing into viable uterine-stage embryos in vitro involved study of 1924 oocytes in experiments designed to examine influences of fertilization media, sperm incubation temperatures, sperm treatment procedures, different protein supplementations, and different insemination intervals. Oocytecumulus complexes (OCCs) were matured during 27 h in TCM-199 supplemented with 20% FBS, 100 μg LH ml−1, 0.5 μg FSH ml−1, and 1 μg Estradiol-17-β ml−1at 38.5 °C in a humidified 5% CO2, 5% O2, and 90% N2 atmosphere. Freshly collected sperm were washed and incubated at either 22 °C or 38.5 °C for 5 h and then treated with either 0.1 μM calcium ionophore A23187 for 1 min, or with 7.35 mM calcium lactate in the presence of oocytes during the insemination interval, or with 100 μg heparin +2 mM caffeine ml−1 for 15 min. The interval for insemination was experimentally varied i.e. 14 or 24 h. Results showed that: (a) when used as a fertilization medium mDM supported more blastocyst development than TALP (10.5% vs. 0%, P < 0.05); (b) incubation temperatures of 22 °C or 38.5 °C prepared goat spermatozoa equally for capacitation in mDM containing 20% FBS; (c) when oocytes were inseminated with sperm incubated in mDM with 20% FBS and capacitated with calcium lactate more embryos reached the blastocyst stage (P < 0.05) than after incubation in the same conditions but after sperm capacitation with heparin, and A23187 (31.8% vs. 24.2% and 10.2%, respectively; (d) a 24 h insemination interval was not superior to 14 h when sperm were incubated with either 20% FBS or 6 mg BSA ml−1 and capacitated with calcium lactate (P > 0.05). Three morulae resulting from the best conditions in this work (FBS, calcium lactate, 14 h insemination) were transferred into the uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum of a recipient and two normal female kids were born after normal gestation. This is the first report in which it has been possible to consistently take caprine development to the blastocyst stage in vitro, and to obtain offspring following uterine transfer. Methodology reported here should facilitate implementation of new reproductive and genetic strategies in goat breeding.

Effect of experimental infection with Listeria monocytogenes on the development of pregnancy and on concentrations of progesterone, oestrone sulphate and 15-ketodihydro-PGF2 alpha in the goat.

The effect of Listeria monocytogenes infection on hormone levels in pregnant goats was studied. Four goats (Group I) received an intravenous inoculation of a bacterial culture (Type 1) on Days 69-77 and another four goats (Group II) received a similar inoculation on Days 105-106 of gestation. Five non-inoculated goats were used as controls. Plasma was analysed for progesterone, oestrone sulphate and 15-ketodihydro-PGF2 alpha. The status of the foetus was followed using real-time ultrasonography. Three of the four goats in Group I aborted 8-10 days after inoculation. The fourth goat gave birth to a normal live kid at term. The three goats which aborted showed clinical signs of disease in connection with abortion. In Group II, all goats aborted after 9-11 days. All the goats showed clinical symptoms of disease from a few days after inoculation and the symptoms continued until abortion. The clinical symptoms of disease were more pronounced in Group II than in Group I. L. monocytogenes was isolated from all aborted foetuses. None of the control goats aborted. Ultrasound examination revealed foetal death either immediately before or up to 2 days before abortion. Mummification had begun in the foetus that had been dead for 2 days before expulsion. In comparison with pre-inoculation plasma levels in Group I, a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in progesterone levels and an increase in 15-ketodihydro-PGF2 alpha levels were observed from Days 4 and 6 after inoculation, respectively. In Group II, a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in progesterone levels and an increase in 15-ketodihydro-PGF2 alpha levels in plasma were observed from Days 8 and 6, respectively. The oestrone sulphate levels decreased slightly in the inoculated goats a few days before abortion. The pattern of changes in levels around abortion was similar to the pattern present in the control animals around parturition. However, oestrone sulphate levels did not increase in the inoculated groups before abortion in contrast to goats which delivered healthy kids. The changes in levels of 15-ketodihydro-PGF2 alpha in goats that aborted indicated that the endocrine foetal-placental function was disturbed, which was most likely due to the establishment and development of L. monocytogenes in the placenta and foetus.

Procedural improvements for in vitro production of viable uterine stage caprine embryos

Efforts to improve proportions of caprine immature oocytes developing into viable uterine-stage embryos in vitro involved study of 1924 oocytes in experiments designed to examine influences of fertilization media, sperm incubation temperatures, sperm treatment procedures, different protein supplementations, and different insemination intervals. Oocytecumulus complexes (OCCs) were matured during 27 h in TCM-199 supplemented with 20% FBS, 100 μg LH ml −1, 0.5 μg FSH ml −1, and 1 μg Estradiol-17-β ml −1at 38.5 °C in a humidified 5% CO 2, 5% O 2, and 90% N 2 atmosphere. Freshly collected sperm were washed and incubated at either 22 °C or 38.5 °C for 5 h and then treated with either 0.1 μM calcium ionophore A23187 for 1 min, or with 7.35 mM calcium lactate in the presence of oocytes during the insemination interval, or with 100 μg heparin +2 mM caffeine ml −1 for 15 min. The interval for insemination was experimentally varied i.e. 14 or 24 h. Results showed that: (a) when used as a fertilization medium mDM supported more blastocyst development than TALP (10.5% vs. 0%, P < 0.05); (b) incubation temperatures of 22 °C or 38.5 °C prepared goat spermatozoa equally for capacitation in mDM containing 20% FBS; (c) when oocytes were inseminated with sperm incubated in mDM with 20% FBS and capacitated with calcium lactate more embryos reached the blastocyst stage ( P < 0.05) than after incubation in the same conditions but after sperm capacitation with heparin, and A23187 (31.8% vs. 24.2% and 10.2%, respectively; (d) a 24 h insemination interval was not superior to 14 h when sperm were incubated with either 20% FBS or 6 mg BSA ml −1 and capacitated with calcium lactate ( P > 0.05). Three morulae resulting from the best conditions in this work (FBS, calcium lactate, 14 h insemination) were transferred into the uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum of a recipient and two normal female kids were born after normal gestation. This is the first report in which it has been possible to consistently take caprine development to the blastocyst stage in vitro, and to obtain offspring following uterine transfer. Methodology reported here should facilitate implementation of new reproductive and genetic strategies in goat breeding.

Chromosomal constitution in rob ( [formula omitted]) goat progeny

A total of 116 goats originating from three heterozygous bucks for rob ( 5 15 ) were cytogenetically studied at Botucatu, Brazil. In the mating 59,XY,t( 5 15 ) × 60,XX, the offspring karyotype proportion did not differ significantly from the expected ratio of 1 normal:1 heteroxygous. In the mating 59,XY,t( 5 15 ) × 59,XX,t( 5 15 ) the observed proportion was 1 normal:2 heterozygous: 1 homozygous, and in the mating 59,XY,t( 5 15 ) × 58,XX,tt( 5 15 ) the observed proportion was 1 heterozygous:1 homozygous. No animals had unbalanced karyotypes and no differences in the weight at birth of normal, heterozygous and homozygous kids were observed ( P>0.10).

PROLONGED APNEA AND THE SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME: CLINICAL AND LABORATORY OBSERVATIONS

A 25-Year Trail to Murder Charges—... The first suspicions were raised in 1985 by Dr. Linda Norton, a former medical examiner for Dallas County, Texas, and an expert on pediatric pathology, who had been a consultant in the VanDerSluys case. "You may have a serial killer in Syracuse," she told the prosecutor in giving him a copy of an October 1972 article in Pediatrics (1972;50(4)) called "Prolonged Apnea and the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Clinical and Laboratory Observations." In the report Dr. Steinschneider described his work with the syndrome and how two children in a family plagued with the affliction had died within hours of their release from his Syracuse research project. In his paper, Dr. Steinschneider concluded that the family, which he still identifies only as "H," showed that victims suffered from real if almost undetectable physical abnormalities. In a proposal that was radical then but is now accepted, he suggested that the syndrome had a genetic component and was therefore inherited. He suggested that scientists could identify the abnormalities and thereby devise a warning system. "But the paper indicated a more sinister possibility to Dr. John F. Hick of Minnesota. In a letter to the journal, he wrote that the case offered "circumstantial evidence suggesting a critical role for the mother in the death of her children." (See below.) But his warning was dismissed, until Mr. Fitzpatrick read the paper 15 years later. "The medical records described two happy, healthy, perfectly normal kids," he said. "It convinced me that these children were murdered."

A survey of the prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in goats in New Zealand and a comparison of the latex agglutination and indirect fluorescence tests

Anti- Toxoplasma antibody titres in 185 sera from clinically normal goats from 14 farms were assayed by both the latex agglutination and the indirect fluorescent antibody tests. The animals were of various breeds including Angora, New Zealand feral, Angora×feral, Saanen and Toggenburg. A high level of agreement between the two tests was obtained with 83.8% of titres corresponding to within one dilution and 96.8% to within two dilutions. In both tests, titres of 1:64 and above were considered positive. A total of 298 goat sera from clinically normal kids ( n = 88), yearlings ( n = 65) and adults ( n = 145) from 17 farms were examined by the latex agglutination test. The prevalence of positive sera was 7% in kids, 23% in yearlings and 37% in adults. There was a significantly higher prevalence of positive sera in dairy than in fibre breeds.

Concentrations of estrone sulfate in peripheral serum of pregnant goats: Relationships with gestation length, fetal number and the occurrence of fetal death in utero

Blood sampling was initiated shortly after breeding and continued weekly through 60 to 72 days post breeding in 20 pregnant and 5 nonpregnant dairy goat does. In does not showing a return to estrus by 72 days, collection of blood was continued at 10- to 14-day intervals until 135 days post breeding. At parturition, the numbers of does delivering one, two, three, four or five kids was four, ten, three, two and one, respectively. Immunoreactive estrone sulfate (ES) was measured in serum by radioimmunoassay (RIA). In nonpregnant does, the mean ± SD concentration of ES was 0.1 ± 0.1 nmol/l (n = 36 samples). At 40 to 50 days post breeding, ES concentrations increased dramatically in pregnant does. Statistically, does were classified as pregnant when serum ES increased and remained above 1.1 nmol/l (P < 0.05). Serum ES in pregnant does peaked at 65 to 75 days of gestation, remained at a relative plateau through 120 days and then gradually increased for the remainder of the sampling schedule. There were positive correlations between serum ES and the number of kids born in sampling periods of 50 to 55 days and after 90 days of gestation (P < 0.05). Fetal loss was documented in two does that were not included in the survey data. One doe delivered two normal kids and two mummified fetuses. Time-trend changes in ES were typical of a normal pregnancy. Another doe had a marked decrease in ES (below 0.8 nmol/l) in samples drawn on Days 94 and 108 of gestation while luteal concentrations of progesterone were maintained. This doe delivered one weak, depressed kid, one stillborn kid and a decomposed fetus at the expected time for parturition.

Problems of the Psychological Investigation of Informal Youth Associations

Like any complex phenomenon, informal youth associations must be examined in an interdisciplinary manner: by sociologists, educators, philosophers, legal experts, economists, cultural anthropologists, and other specialists in the humanities. But on what should psychology focus? The obvious approach, namely, to examine the personality characteristics of adolescents and youths in informal youth associations (IYA) using psychological tests, is clearly not very fruitful. The first acquaintance with members of an IYA reveals no distinct identifying personality traits (at least none that any existing tests could distinguish). What we are confronted with is what are called normal kids, whether we are dealing with metalists [metallisty] or fanatics [fanaty], social action groups, or hippies [khippi], etc. The only thing we do know is that on the whole they are somewhat more neurotic than ordinary adolescents, but even if it were possible to distinguish some specific personality traits of member...

Experimental infection of pregnant goats with swine fever virus

Thirteen pregnant goats were inoculated intravenously with the ALD strain of virulent swine fever (SF) virus on Day 64–84 of gestation. Dams showed transient and mild viremia, and produced high serum neutralizing (SN) antibody after inoculation. Six inoculated dams were reared until parturition occurred and bore six apparently normal, one apparently normal but dead, one mummified and three edematous kids. Neutralizing antibody was demonstrated in the pre-colostral sera obtained from all normal kids, but no SF virus was isolated from any of them. The other seven dams were killed on post-inoculation days (PID) 5–61, and fetuses, placenta and amnion were tested for the virus and SN antibody. All fetuses of five dams examined within PID 40 were positive for SF virus, but negative for SN antibody. SF virus was also isolated from one of three fetuses examined on PID 61. Conversely, the other two fetuses examined on PID 61 were negative for SF virus, but positive for SN antibody. Furthermore, SF virus was isolated from the placenta and amnion of all the dams.

Protective immunity to Sarcocystis capracanis-induced abortion in dairy goats.

Eleven female goats (Nos. 1 to 11) were each inoculated orally with 10(4) sporocysts of Sarcocystis capracanis, and four female goats (Nos. 12 to 15) were not inoculated. Between 31 and 69 days after inoculation (DAI) goats were mated with a single buck; one goat (No. 5) did not breed. Eight inoculated goats were challenged with 10(5) or 10(6) sporocysts, 135 DAI. Two of four goats challenged with 10(6) sporocysts and one of three goats challenged with 10(5) sporocysts aborted one month before the expected time of parturition. The three inoculated goats that were not challenged delivered healthy kids. All inoculated goats including the nonpregnant one (No. 5) were only mildly ill from the primary or challenge inoculations. Two of the four control goats challenged with 5 X 10(4) or 10(5) sporocysts aborted 21 days later, and both died of sarcocystosis 25 and 88 DAI. The two remaining control goats delivered normal kids. The results indicate that immunization prior to pregnancy protects some but not all goats from Sarcocystis-induced abortion.

Caprine β-Mannosidosis

Beta-mannosidosis, an inherited defect of glycoprotein catabolism associated with deficiency of tissue beta-mannosidase and accumulation of Man(beta 1-4)GlcNAc and Man(beta 1-4)GlcNAc(beta 1-4)GlcNAc, appeared in four of 13 offspring of a single pair of clinically normal, related Nubian goats. Neurological examinations revealed that all four affected goats were unable to rise or walk. All had facial dysmorphism, dome-shaped skulls, small palpebral fissures, carpal contractures, hyperextension of the pastern joints, proximal muscle atrophy, intermittent ocular oscillations resembling pendular nystagmus, marked intention tremor, and deafness. With intensive care, three affected kids were hand-reared and then killed at 1, 7, and 21 days of age. Macroscopically, there were paucity of myelin in the cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres and ventricular dilatation. Microscopically, the extent and distribution of cytoplasmic vacuolation, myelin paucity, axonal spheroids, and filamentous expansions were evaluated in the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves of the four affected kids and two age-matched, clinically normal kids. Widespread cytoplasmic vacuolation correlated with the previously reported accumulation of oligosaccharides in the brain and kidney and the deficiency of tissue beta-mannosidase. beta-Mannosidosis, not yet identified in man or other species, is characterized by distinctive neonatal clinical, pathological and biochemical features which differentiate it from the alpha-mannosidosis and other inherited diseases of glycoprotein catabolism.

Effect of fetal hypophysectomy on the initiation of parturition in the goat.

Fetal hypophysectomy performed between 97 and 130 days of gestation caused a significant (P is less than 0.005) prolongation of pregnancy in 5 goats in which every fetus was treated. Three of these goats gave birth spontaneously. Sham surgery or hypophysectomy of one fetus of twins had no effect on gestation length. Hypophysectomized kids, delivered after prolonged pregnancy, were significantly heavier than normal term kids (P is less than 0.005) and had lighter adrenals (P is less than 0.025). Measurements of maternal peripheral plasma concentrations of progesterone and total unconjugated oestrogens showed that the changes in goats carrying hypophysectomized fetuses were similar to those of normal pregnancy except that the prepartum oestrogen peak was absent, whether or not parturition occurred spontaneously.

Freedom beyond Dignity

She was a bit apprehensive as she walked toward the desk. The receptionist smiled automatically and asked Mrs. Redgate how long she had been pregnant. under eleven weeks, think. Good. You just made our deadline. The government said within three months after the last menstrual flow. Is it painful? No more than any other needle prick. You've given blood before? Just a needle prick through the belly. Mrs. Redgate had wondered what meant. The letters glared through the clinic window. She had also seen them on the letter from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Amniocentesis for Better Children. Oh. The letter said that didn't have to come, but it would be to my benefit? Yes. You see, should your fetus be deformed, or have any genetic defect, we will recommend that you abort If you refuse, the Court has ruled that no agency can help what if want to have the baby anyway? just couldn't help you. You couldn't get insurance or social aid. If you can afford the costs, that's up to you. read where some people had a baby that cost them $20,000 a year. Most people can't afford that, of course. That's why President Armstrong suggested that social agencies refuse to support babies found to be defective before birth. Then when the major group insurance companies backed him up, most states heeded his advice. Then the Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for people to be forced to pay for the support of someone else's baby. know it's scary, but in a democracy people should be free to choose. And if they choose not to support the defectives of other parents, it's their right not to do so. what about my rights? Don't have a right to have a baby if want it? Of course you do. But your rights mustn't interfere with the rights of others. If you don't have the amniocentesis done and you should have a deviate, then you must support it yourself. Deviate? Someone who's off the normalcy curve. what's normal? Right now, it's nearly perfect health. What about school? Will the schools take him? Not the public schools. It's unconstitutional to force normal kids to slow down. what about special schools? Again, it's not fair for the parents of normal children to be forced to pay for schools for the abnormal. Mrs. Redgate, you're missing the point. You see, medicine has moved forward. We all want people to be healthy, and we can almost guarantee that you will have only normal babies. Some things can go wrong, but if you submit to A.B.C. and we notarize the fetus as normal, you are cleared. If it is born with a defect that went unnoticed, the state will take care of your expenses. But only if it's been cleared under our quality control program. I thought that abortion was allowed so that people would have as much choice as they wanted. Didn't the Court rule that abortion was a person's choice, and that was the whole idea behind the movement in the 1970's? Yes, as recall. But think read somewhere that some guys in Public Health began to carry out costbenefit studies on the expenses related to some defects, and found that they'd save a lot of money if they could use abortion and amniocentesis together to eliminate all the deviates. At first, most people went along. But then some people began to object, and that's when Armstrong made his plea. Well anyway, don't have much choice have I? I'm afraid not. Now, your husband's name? He's deceased. Two years ago. They froze his sperm when he had his vasectomy. And about six months ago, got kinda lonely, and wanted a child. His child. It took three months. Three tries. Artificial insemination? Yes. But then the Court made that decision. If I'd known, guess wouldn't have gone through with it. Listen. The government has always tried to do what's best for society as a whole. And if sometimes that seems to interfere with a person's freedom, we've got to remember that stop signs, food laws, quar-