Sunday, September 9, 2001

|allan duffus| bit of wisdom|chronicle of the kings of alba|common ancestors of all humans|daughters of eve|daryn paige duffus|david duffus|duffus in the news|email|family trees merged|gaelic scotland|gene studies show ties long-veiled in europe|henritta duffus|history of the scottish nation|john g. duffus|kevin duffus|lorna mceachern (nee duffus)|lyall duffus|nicholas g. "capes" duffus|past issues|rev. john duffus|rica duffus cuff|robert duffus|senchus fer n'alban|timothy duffus mcfarland|trial of george duffus|umari duffus|y-line dna of john david duffus, jr.|

A bit of wisdom from John Gerard Duffus of Edinburgh:

Hae freens and hae life!

(Good friends result in a full life!)

A HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH NATION
  BY A. WYLIE 1886 Vol. 3 

The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba

The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba, or the Older Scottish Chronicle as it is sometimes known, is the only surviving narrative account to derive from the nascent kingdom of Scotland. It recounts the careers of the kings from Cináed mac Ailpín (d.858) to the middle of the reign of Cináed mac Maíl Choluim (971-95), and is mostly an account of internecine strife, raids on Northumbria and campaigns against the Vikings. Whilst it is not a work of any great literary merit it is the only native source to the history of this period which has otherwise to be reconstructed from later fanciful poetry and chronicles or the occasional notice of 'Albanian' affairs by Irish and English chroniclers. It is thus a unique source into how the kings of Alba and their associates saw the birth of the kingdom. 

Click here for the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba

DNA ARTICLES

Daughters of Eve

Gene Study Shows Ties Long Veiled in Europe

Y-Line DNA of John David Duffus, Jr.

The Senchus Fer n'Alban

The Trial of George Duffus

Homosexuality in Eighteenth-Century England

Gaelic Scotland - Language

DUFFUS IN THE NEWS

THEODOSIA'S FATE STILL SUBJECT OF DEBATE

Source: 

The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA

Date: 

08/10/2001

   


Vice President Aaron Burr had only one legitimate child, his precocious daughter, Theodosia. As a teen-ager, she won renown for her beauty and brilliance, married future South Carolina Gov. Joseph Alston and bore him a son. At 30, sickly and distraught over her son's death, she vanished while sailing to meet her father, who had just returned from exile.

After 188 years of bad poetry, drama, fiction, journalism and broadcasting, she remains an absorbing character, unique despite facile comparisons with Chelsea Clinton and Amelia Earhart. Her almost-mysterious fate enhances her appeal.

A movie was inevitable, so videographer Kevin Duffus created only mild astonishment when he mentioned Paige Rowland's screen adaptation of the dreary 1945 novel "My Theodosia" by Anya Seton. Singer-actor Meat Loaf has signed on. Shooting is scheduled for October.

While the corn pops, let's review the few known facts in this case. On Dec. 30, 1812, Theo left Georgetown, S.C., for New York on the schooner Patriot. A storm hit. She never arrived. That might've been the end of the story had newspaper editors not immediately blamed pirates. Burr and Gov. Alston discounted such speculation, and no evidence supported it. But like Theo's memory, it's immortal.

In the 1830s, Alabama papers busied themselves with a nameless merchant who had heard from an anonymous physician about an unknown Mobile man who had forced Theo to walk the plank "till it tilted over with her."

Although third-hand deathbed confessions are powerful stuff, walking the plank was rare. As Joseph Schwarzer of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras points out, "In all of recorded piracy, there's maybe one instance."

Moreover, this kind of plank-walking is especially inefficient. Dispatching a large number of captives on an unsecured plank would use up a lot of wood.

Beginning in 1875, Gulf Coast papers printed the plank-free recollections of Louisiana nonagenarian Jean Baptiste Callistre, who said that one of Jean Lafitte's associates, Octave Chauvet, burned the Patriot and held Theo prisoner until she died.

The plank story kept bobbing to the surface, however. The plank appears again, this time secured to prevent tilting, in an 1872 novel wherein another Lafitte crony, Dominique You, admits to making Theo take the plunge. Before long, magazines and papers carried reports of similar stories from a Texan and two men later hanged in Norfolk, Va., all anonymous. In 1879, Theo's fourth cousin Stella Drake notified the Washington Post of a Michigander's plank-walking confession, which her grandmother had gotten from a minister's wife 29 years earlier.

Against iron-clad testimony, nothing except physical evidence can prevail. Dr. W.G. Pool of Elizabeth City may have found it in 1869, when a Nags Header gave him a portrait that she said had come from a wreck. Theo's relatives saw a resemblance. But in the 25 years that his discovery took to reach the national press, Pool died and pirates barged in once more.

In 1895, Century Magazine published an illustrated poem in which John Palmer connected all the dots - painting, pirates, plank and a newish etymology of Nags Head. Theo, he theorized, went diving after Outer Bankers had lured the Patriot aground with a lighted horse. (Kids, don't try it.) He described the Banks as rocky, and he apparently didn't consider that someone who plank-walked off a grounded vessel into chest-deep water could escape.

Nearly everything published since is mere embellishment. Pirates hold the plank, or they pull it from under Theo's feet, as in an animated cartoon. Local or not, pirates are almost always present. They do add color. But using them to explain Theo's no-show requires eliminating more obvious hazards:

Her health. Theo was depressed and ailing. If she died en route, the crew might've abandoned the Patriot in preference to facing Aaron Burr, a notorious hothead.

The storm. It's well documented, but Seton is the only author of any gravity to give it a second thought.

The coast. In fair weather and foul, strong currents, moving shoals and illusory inlets have brought hundreds of ships to grief all along Theo's proposed route.

Audiovisual aids. The best charts were sketchy or obsolete. Scattered beacons, buoys, and bells did little good. In 1851 an astute naval officer deemed the first Cape Hatteras Lighthouse "the worst light in the world." In Theo's time, the beam was weaker, the tower was 60 feet shorter and no other artificial landmark between Cape Fear and Cape Henry was nearly as useful to coastwise traffic.

The Royal Navy. The War of 1812 had raged for six months. British forces roamed the shipping lanes with impunity. Before hostilities ended, they occupied Ocracoke, blockaded Chesapeake Bay and burned Washington. Suggestions that Gov. Alston had arranged safe passage for the Patriot are unverified.

The Patriot. The little schooner was probably no match for a warship during its recent service as a privateer, and conversion to civilian use may have cost some firepower. Weather permitting, a British captain who recognized the Patriot might've sunk it before getting a chance to read any letter from Gov. Alston.

The governor. He was rich. We may never know whether the captain of the Patriot later changed his name and bought a mansion in Barbados with gubernatorial gold.

Daddy. Aaron Burr had many enemies, some of whom were gunning for him. He had won acquittal of murdering Alexander Hamilton in the famous duel and of trying to establish a new country beyond the Appalachians. But after Benedict Arnold, he was probably the man that Americans hated most.

Pirates make lively copy. But you can account for Theo's disappearance without buckling a single swash.  

Title: 

DUFFUS, NICHOLAS G. "CAPES"

 

Summary: 

  DUFFUS, Nicholas G. "Capes" Nicholas G. "Capes" Duffus, 26, of Hartford, formerly of Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, died Saturday (May 19, 2001). Born in Kingston, Jamaica, on August 27, 1974, he was the son of Winston Duffus and Sherlette Knight, both residing in Kingston, Jamaica. Nicholas was a graduate of Weaver High School, class of 1994. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Duffus; mother-in-law, Maxine Griffiths; sister-in-law, Tricia Segree; brother-in-law, Ramsay Schloss; aunt Joy; and cousin Raquel, all residing in the U.S.; four sisters and four brothers; grandmother, Daisy Duffus; two aunts, Joan and Silvia Dufus, all of Jamaica. In addition, Nicholas is survived by a multitude of friends and loved ones including, but not limited to, Winston Morgan, Glendon Morgan, Litesha Bryant, Arlene Morris, Carlyle Barnett, Raymond Griffiths, Devon Greene, Ertha Brathwaite, Mark Allison, and many more. The calling hours will be Tuesday, May 29, 5-7 p.m. at the FUQUA Funeral Service Chapel, 94 Granby St., Bloomfield, followed by a repass at 8 p.m. at the West Indian Social Club, 3340 Main St., Hartford.

Source: 

The Hartford Courant

Date: 

05/27/2001

Price: 

$2.95

Loyola track and field

Hambleton had a hand in four victories in the Mission League finals at Cal State Northridge on Friday. The UCLA-bound sprinter won the 200 meters in 22.20 seconds and the 400 in 49.73. He also anchored the Cubs' 400 relay team (with Matt Ware, Quentin Daniels and Umari Duffus) to victory in 43.05 and ran the final leg of a 1,600 relay team (with Sean Blanche, Mario Nicholas and Graham Riske) that won in 3:22.30. Hambleton, who will compete in the Southern Section Division I preliminaries at Trabuco Hills High on Saturday, helped Loyola capture its 13th consecutive league championship and extend its dual-meet winning streak to 92, third best in state history.

Source: 

Los Angeles Daily News

Date: 

05/08/2001

Exercise gets senior citizens going!

By KARI NEERI

The Journal News (Original publication: July 24, 2001)

Dressed in white stockings and a bright green fluorescent hat,  Henrietta Duffus hardly fits the part of a person about to partake in an exercise class. Regardless, the Mount Vernon resident feels comfortable. She takes a seat in a metal chair and places her cane and yellow and blue day bag underneath. It's nearly 11 a.m., and for the next 45 minutes, Duffus and other senior citizens gathered at the Shelton E. Doles Community Center will stretch and strain muscles they never knew they had.   Not an easy feat for an 84-year-old, but Duffus doesn't seem to mind. "I enjoy exercise. I'm quite happy with it," she says.    Seniors gather at the center for exercise class every Tuesday and Thursday morning. On this particular day they meet in the    auditorium, and sit in folding chairs arranged in a full circle on the stage. The set-up and dim lighting resemble an opening scene of a play until Patricia Mallory-Smith, a Bronx resident and instructor of the class, pops some music into the tape player and begins her routine.  At first, light jazz music plays for a series of breathing and stretching exercises. Then it's on to upbeat, techno-style music and more strenuous activity, including leg lifts and arm curls. The seniors stay seated the entire time, but nonetheless get the workout they're looking for. "How do you feel?" Mallory-Smith periodically yells to the group. "Good!" and "Tired!" they say. Duffus livens things up by putting some rhythm into her moves. She loves dancing, so it seems natural. "I just go along with the music," she says. By the end of the class at 11:45 a.m., many of the exercisers fan themselves with their hands, a sure sign they've worked up a sweat. "I had this on and I pulled it off," Emma Arnold, 81, says of her multicolored jacket. "Whew, I was sweating."  Joe Otto likes to pace himself while exercising, and cheats a bit by taking small breaks. When finished he says he still feels he got as much out of the routine as his fellow seniors. "It was a good workout," Otto says. "I've been coming here for years and after exercising I feel stronger and different." Participants clapped for themselves and retreated to the senior citizens' room after class for socialization and refreshments. Around noon, Mattie Little comments on how many people with aches and pains haven't been bothered by them as much since they started exercising. Exercise is good for the mind and body, she says. "I feel better...much better," she says. "I think it is such a good program and gives us seniors something to look forward to."

give good presence.

Source: 

Black Enterprise

Date: 

09/01/2001

   


WHEN DANETTE JORDAN JOINED

New York-based Austin Nichols & Co. Inc., owner and manufacturer of Wild Turkey Bourbon, as well as other wines and spirits, as a marketing assistant, she wore suits--something most of the other administrative assistants didn't do. It paid off. "My first boss told me that she appreciated that I took the time to look professional," says Jordan.

Soon, her boss started asking Jordan to attend client meetings with her. Part of the reason, says Jordan, 36, was that her appearance was "professional enough to make my boss feel comfortable asking me to those meetings."

Jordan moved up and became a brand manager. Three years ago, Jordan's profesionalism was rewarded when the CEO tapped her to become a project manager in human resources. Jordan is now the director of organizational development.

While it's important to have the content down, says Jordan, "In the business world, your appearance is often what people see first."

In an age where branding yourself is important, standing out from the crowd and having a pulled-together, professional presence is critical. Here's some expert advice to help you polish your skill in four critical areas: appearance, verbal presentation, networking, and business etiquette.

Strutting your Professional Style

If your goal is to move into the upper echelons of the corporate world, image will play a major role. Michael L. Smith, assistant store manager for American TV and Appliances in Waukesha, Wisconsin, has found that a professional appearance helps him project authority, both in dealing with the salespeople he supervises and with customers.

"I think it's easier for customers to relate to someone who looks professional," says Smith, 31. When he began his career with the company as a salesperson, he stood out by occasionally wearing suits. He says his style changed after his move from sales manager to assistant store manager.

"I now wear suits more often and in darker colors, with maybe a yellow-accented tie," he says. Smith says that while he enjoys wearing accessories, he sticks to his wedding ring and a nice watch for work.

For women and men, the key to executive style is to "dress for the particular office in which you work and to use small status symbols that show you belong to your profession," note Marjabelle Young Stewart and Marian Faux in their book, Executive Etiquette in the New Workplace (St. Martin's Press, $14.95).

The office not withstanding, executives find themselves in many business settings that call for various modes of dress. The challenge? Maintaining a seamless, professional look in all of them. Whatever the situation, formal or informal, "You always want to [project] a professional image," says Rica Duffus Cuff, president and founder of Etiquette Works Inc. in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Cuff offers these expert tips:

* On the golf course or tennis court. For men, good quality, conservative golf and tennis attire is acceptable. Golf and tennis shoes should be well maintained. Cuff advises having a sports coat handy, in case the outing turns into a dinner affair.

For women, the same general rules apply. Collared shirts are acceptable for the golf course. Steer clear of tight slacks or shorts and blouses that are sheer or have a plunging neckline.

* For black-tie or formal events. It may be worth your while to buy a tuxedo if you attend enough formal affairs (five or more per year). If you prefer to rent, do so from a reputable establishment and heed the salesperson's advice, say Stewart and Faux.

For women, simple, elegant, and tasteful is what you want to look for, explains Ann Marie Sabath in her now out-of-print book, Beyond Business Casual: What to Wear to Work If You Want to Get Ahead. Watch your hemline, and remember a general rule of thumb: show form or flesh, not both.

"When attending formal affairs, look for outfits in silk, crepe, or satin [for those winter galas]," says Sabath. "While a velvet outfit limits your wear, since this fabric should be worn between November and March, clothes made of this material look regal."

Polished at the Podium

For even some of the most seasoned professionals, the fear of public speaking still ranks up there with the fear of bugs, snakes, and even death. "The big thing is most people are simply afraid of being laughed at or judged," says Bart Johnson, a speech coach and president and CEO of Executive Communication Consulting in New York.

Relate to the audience as if speaking to one person, suggests Johnson. People often become overwhelmed at the thought of speaking to 500 people.

Johnson's suggestions will help you face your fear and grace the stage:

* Control your nerves. Johnson says that people often get nervous because they make a bigger deal out of giving a speech than is necessary. To deal with butterflies and sweaty palms, Johnson advises breathing from the diaphragm--in and out instead of up and down--by extending the stomach out as you inhale and let it go in as you exhale.

* Use natural gestures and body movements. "Movement creates excitement and is a visual stimulant," says Johnson, but stay away from planned and artificial-looking gestures. Concentrate on your facial expressions and hand movements. We're often unaware of the gestures we use. Use a video camera to tape yourself, and correct any flaws.

* Speak up and speak clearly. You want the audience to hear and understand you, so volume and pacing are very important. Use inflection and tone to keep listeners interested in what you're saying. Use a tape recorder to hear what you sound like, and get friends or a coach to critique your performance.

* Use natural humor. "Many people are afraid to use humor because they fear it will make them appear unprofessional and not be taken seriously," says Johnson. You can use humor as it relates to something you're talking about, but be careful about telling a joke for the sake of telling a joke. That can easily backfire.

Networking Upward

To get to this point in your career, you've obviously done some serious external networking. Upward movement in the executive ranks, however, will also hinge heavily on your ability to rub shoulders with those in control within your own company.

After nine years as a financial analyst for Shell Exploration and Production Co., a Houston-based subsidiary of Shell Oil Co., Tahita Doyle began studying for her master's degree in human resources management to move into the human resources field. Although she didn't get the human resources position she applied for, the senior-level human resources manager doing the hiring was impressed with her credentials. He invited her to meet with him to discuss her career goals. She took him up on it, and they began having informal discussions about how she might get into the field.

Shortly before completing her degree, Doyle began applying for human resources positions and let the senior manager know she was nearly finished with her studies. During this time, she also met informally with another human resources executive, who helped her secure her first human resources position.

"It's important to build relationships with people not in your normal circle to expand your influence," says Doyle, now a human resources representative. When she met with the senior managers initially, it was just to build a relationship and exchange information. She did not have a hidden agenda, she says. "I have found that what strengthens relationships is being honest and sincere," says Doyle.

The key to effective networking internally rests with "being interested in other people," says Janice Smallwood-McKenzie, a Los Angeles-based networking coach and author of The 101 Commandments of Networking: Common Sense But Not Common Practice (1stBooks Library, $12.45). Incorporate Doyle's and Smallwood-McKenzie's advice into your own networking strategy.

* Always be yourself. "People often misrepresent who they are," says Smallwood-McKenzie. Tell the truth about yourself and what you represent. Just remember not to ramble on endlessly about yourself.

* Remember that networking is other-centered. When some accomplished people talk, they get into an "I-can-top-that-story" type of competition, she says, "Let others have their moment. Let them feel special." You'll be remembered positively for it.

* Follow-up. A little thanks will always go a long way. "Remember to send a thank-you note when someone sends you a gift, gives you a lead, or helps you in a special way," Smallwood-McKenzie reminds us.

Schooled in the Social Graces

As an executive, you'll find yourself in many business situations, both at home and abroad. Being able to communicate with anyone will give you an advantage, says Cuff.

John J. Harris, president of the pet care division of Friskies, has done business in nearly every country. Patience and courtesy are critical to doing business successfully overseas, he says. It's important to know a country's customs and how it does business before you arrive. Eating, in particular, can take on significance, he says.

"The eating experience is longer. It's not unusual for a meal to take three to four hours to complete," Harris says. Professionals from other countries view meals as an opportunity to get to know you and assess how sensitive you are to local customs, he explains.

You'll come across as respectful and professional if you take the time to do your homework and prepare. Harris prepared for his first business trip to Japan by reading a short book on Japanese history and business etiquette, signing up for a study tour, and visiting the country's factories. "I met with expatriates who had worked in Japan, and learned the do's and don'ts from them," he adds.

For short-term business dealings, learning a few key phrases in the language of the country you'll be visiting, as well as familiarizing yourself with its courtesies, will go a long way toward demonstrating respect.

Knowing how to behave in various business settings is also critical to your advancement. "It's usually better to err on the side of overpreparedness," says James D. Carter, president of Ophelia DeVore Associates Inc. in New York, a consultant on self-development. This is no time to be cavalier, he says. In business situations, be it a meal or an outing, "seldom if ever is our manager our friend, our customer our friend, or our direct report our friend. These are business relationships."

Cuff and Carter share these essentials of executive etiquette:

* Dining with a client. As the host, it's your responsibility to make the client feel as comfortable as possible. When dining out, ask your client if they have any dietary restrictions or preferences; think about the purpose of the meeting; and make sure that you pick an environment conducive to conversation, if that's important, says Carter.

Cuff adds that as the host, you, of course, should allow your guest to order first and you take care of the bill. Follow up the next day with a phone call expressing how much you enjoyed the meeting. "It gives closure to the outing," says Cuff.

* Doing business overseas. To prepare you for a stint overseas, your organization may send you to courses and activities. But if it doesn't, be proactive and go to the library or bookstore and check out a book on the business etiquette of a particular country, advises Cuff. You want to behave as if you respect their culture, she says. You may be able to conduct business without prior preparation, but you'll be more successful if you embrace and respect their way of doing things.

 

First actions against Bayer on Baycol

Title:  

First actions against Bayer on Baycol

 

Summary:  

  Lawsuits filed in the US against Bayer AG in Baycol/Lipobay recall


Source: 

Marketletter

Date: 

08/20/2001

 


The first legal actions have been filed in the US courts against Bayer AG following the worldwide recall of its cholesterol-lowering drug Baycol/Lipobay. Two Oklahoma lawyers, Don Strong and Stephen Martin, specializing in medical law, have launched actions, alleging that the drug was "unusually dangerous" both at the time of its manufacture and its sale.

Mr Strong also said that Bayer had failed to inform doctors and patients adequately over the risks associated with the drug, and told a German newspaper that he expects there to be a large number of people involved in the claims for damages who will want to be part of the group actions.

Another specialist lawyer, David Duffus in North Carolina, is reported by the Trierische Volksfreund as saying that he has a list of 500 patients waiting to file claims, and Mr Duffus is expected to join forces with Munich, Germany-based, lawyer Michael Witti in legal action.

Bayer maintains that the claims for damages against the company are unfounded. However, the German TV channel ZDF has underlined in a recent report that the US Food and Drug Administration challenged Bayer over its Baycol advertising as long ago as October 1999.  

Drug's Problems Raise Questions on Warnings

Source: 

New York Times

Date: 

08/21/2001

 


When Baycol, a cholesterol-lowering drug, was approved in 1997, it appeared to be a potentially lifesaving drug with few side effects. It had been tested on more than 3,000 patients, and no serious problems had turned up.

Baycol was a statin, one of a class of powerful anti-cholesterol drugs that save thousands of lives by preventing heart attacks and strokes. Six statins are now on the market in the United States, and about 12 million people take them. Statins have proved so effective that in May, a national panel said 36 million Americans should be taking them. Sales of Baycol alone were expected to reach $800 million this year.

But on Aug. 8, Baycol, also known by the generic name cerivastatin, was taken off the market. Its manufacturer, the German company Bayer A.G., took that step after 31 patients on the drug had died and the cases cast suspicion on Baycol.

The deaths were caused by a disorder called rhabdomyolysis, in which muscle cells break down, flooding the kidneys with masses of cellular waste. Death occurs if the kidneys are overwhelmed and shut down.

Experts say the story of Baycol shows the kind of communication failure that has occurred before and may well occur again with other drugs. When muscle problems and deaths linked to Baycol were reported, Bayer and the Food and Drug Administration warned doctors to be cautious in prescribing it, but the warnings failed to stem the problem, and Baycol finally had to be taken off the market. A more effective warning system is needed to alert doctors to drug side effects and problems, many in the medical profession say.

''If there is a dangerous cliff and people keeping falling off it,'' said Dr. Alistair J. J. Wood, a professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, ''you have to stop relying on the sign that says, 'Dangerous Cliff Ahead.' Something additional is needed.'' Dr. Wood is a practitioner in the new field of pharmaco-epidemiology, the study of the use of drugs in society.

Problems with Baycol had become apparent by December 1999, more than two years after it went on the market, because several reports of deaths from rhabdomyolysis had come in. The F.D.A. and the drug's maker, Bayer, cooperated in warning patients and doctors how to avoid the trouble.

Doctors were advised not to start patients on the highest dose available and not to give patients both cerivastatin and Lopid, or gemfibrozil, a nonstatin drug that lowers blood triglyceride levels and cholesterol. Patients taking both seemed more likely to develop muscle problems, doctors were told. A little over a year later, a second warning was sent to doctors.

But reports of deaths linked to Baycol continued to come in, so it was taken off the market. The availability of other cholesterol-reducing drugs was a factor.

The problems with Baycol caught many patients by surprise. One patient who suspects her muscle problems were caused by Baycol, Charlotte Collins of Havelock, N.C., said: ''I was standing up and just raising my foot to put on my pants, and my back gave out on me. The muscles stopped working.''

Ms. Collins heard news reports about symptoms similar to hers, then responded to an advertisement placed by David Duffus, a lawyer in Greenville, N.C., to find Baycol patients having problems. She said she had not yet decided whether to sue.

Ripples from the Baycol case are still being felt.

The other anticholesterol drugs can also lead to the muscle disorder, but Baycol has been linked to the potentially fatal disorder at a rate that may be 10 times as high as the other drugs, for reasons yet unknown.

In the United States, Public Citizen's Health Research Group, a medical watchdog organization in Washington, petitioned the F.D.A. yesterday to put clearly visible warnings on the remaining anticholesterol drugs to try to prevent more injuries or deaths. The group wants the warnings presented to both doctors and patients. The European Medicines Evaluation Agency has said it will review its warnings for those drugs.

In a new report, the Health Research Group said it had found 81 reports of deaths from rhabdomyolysis linked to statin drugs other than cerivastatin since the late 1980's. Those drugs are used by more than 12 million patients. Baycol, in comparison, was associated with 31 deaths in less than four years in a patient population of 700,000 -- a much higher rate of reported problems.

''These estimates are very conservative -- we didn't count many possible cases,'' said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the Health Research Group. ''The other statin drugs apparently don't cause problems at the same rate cerivastatin did, but the problems for them are still very serious, more serious than people have suspected.''

Because doctors and hospitals are not required to report adverse reactions, academic, industry and government statisticians have calculated that there were probably about 10 cases of side effects for each case reported to the F.D.A.

Any drugs that are beneficial, like the statins, can also cause unwanted side effects. But there are few tools available to make sure that doctors know about and heed warnings and safety instructions on drug labels.

Such warnings often fail to work, said Dr. Wood of Vanderbilt.

Last week in The Journal of the American Medical Association, F.D.A. doctors published a study based on such a case, that of a diabetes drug called Rezulin, or troglitzone. As a few reports associating Rezulin with liver failure came in, the federal drug agency and the drug's maker sent four separate warning letters to doctors, asking them to watch out for the problem and to order liver tests for patients taking the drug.

The F.D.A. study showed that most doctors did not get or did not heed the message. Even after four entreaties from the company and the drug agency, only 44.6 percent of the patients taking the drug got the recommended liver tests. Even though liver monitoring was supposed to continue monthly for such patients, only 5 percent of doctors were regularly testing the liver function of patients on the drug five months after the warnings.

Rezulin was pulled from the market in March 2000 after reports of more than 60 deaths caused by liver failure among patients taking the drug. Rezulin proved effective for many diabetics who could not otherwise keep their blood sugar levels under tight control, and the drug agency waited until two similar, but presumably safer, drugs became available before taking that step.

The F.D.A. report concluded that in the Rezulin case, the warnings had not worked. Dr. David J. Graham, who is an associate director at the Office of Postmarketing Drug Risk Assessment at the agency and is the lead author of the paper, wrote: ''This study suggests that labeling changes, including 'black box warnings' and instructions to monitor patients closely, as well as repeated 'Dear Health Care Professional' letters to physicians, cannot be assumed to be effective means of risk management. More effective strategies are needed.''

Dr. Jerry Avorn, chief of the pharmaco-epidemiology division at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, said problems with warnings that go unheeded would continue and might multiply in the future.

''This will keep happening as medicine gets more sophisticated and drugs that are fantastically helpful, but have unexpected problems, come along,'' Dr. Avorn said. ''The problem may get more acute. The new treatments that will come from the genome work, or from stem cell research, will not be risk-free.''

Other factors that make it harder for doctors to keep abreast of the latest information about new drugs is that such drugs are being approved faster than ever and that very large numbers of patients are now being given these drugs soon after they reach the market, even when equivalent and better-known drugs are available.

Pharmacologists say it is not fair to blame doctors alone in instances when warnings are not heeded. Studies show that doctors get most of their information on prescribing drugs from the drug sales agents who visit doctors' offices, advertising and the Physicians Desk Reference, which contains material from the drug industry. The P.D.R. is often out of date because it is published annually and often uses data gathered before a drug was marketed rather than updated information.

Experts say doctors need a way to get independent, reliable information rapidly. That would require an up-to-the minute database of drug information that would compare treatments and be independent of drug companies.

A service like that may be housed in a federal center for drug studies or in coordinated university centers. It has been advocated, in one form or another, for a couple of years by researchers like Dr. Avorn at Harvard and Dr. Ray Woosley and Dr. David Flockhart at Georgetown.

Dr. Avorn said that kind of database would be inexpensive. ''The computer data is already out there and is used right now, at warp speed, to collect marketing information on drugs,'' Dr. Avorn said. ''If you want to know what neighborhood doc in Brooklyn is prescribing anticholesterol drugs and what brand, you can get it instantly. For relatively little money, it would be possible to use similar databases to get information on problems with drugs.''

The F.D.A. requires drug manufacturers to pass on to the agency any reports they get of adverse reactions, and the agency can require special monitoring after a drug is on the market. But requiring companies to carry out expensive studies for all drugs after they have been tested and put on the market would be a major change in drug regulation law. And the agency does not have the money to carry out such continuing studies itself.

''Unfortunately, once these incidents are over, they go away,'' Dr. Wood said. ''Historically, changes seem to come only after a big catastrophe. I hope that's not the case on these issues.''

Bayer Falls as Lawsuit Spooks Investors


Story Filed: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 8:45 AM EST

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Shares in Bayer AG fell four percent on Wednesday as investors feared Germany's largest pharma firm could face further costly U.S. lawsuits over deaths linked to its withdrawn Baycol anitcholesterol drug.

Bayer shares dropped to a 22-month low after lawyers said on Tuesday they had lodged the first U.S. suit involving Baycol, which Bayer withdrew last week over concerns about potentially deadly side effects caused by muscle weakness.

The company's debt protection costs also rose, dealers said.

The stock has now shed 23 percent since the recall of the drug which Bayer, one of the last chemicals/pharmaceuticals hybrids and the inventor of aspirin a century ago, said was linked to 52 deaths worldwide.

The debacle has also forced the Leverkusen-based group to consider taking its undersized pharma unit into a joint venture without management control, or even selling it off entirely.

Bayer said this week that two top pharmaceuticals groups were interested in the drugs unit, and U.S.-based Bristol-Myers

and Eli Lilly, Franco-German Aventis SA and Switzerland's Roche

and Novartis have all been named as possible partners.

But the stock's drop on Wednesday was its deepest in a week after investors learned that the family of an Oklahoma man who died of kidney failure had sued Bayer, alleging the product was defective and led to injury.

In addition, German magazine Focus Money reported that North Carolina Lawyer David Duffus was also considering suing Bayer, saying that as many as 200 people may have died from Baycol's side effects. He also said Bayer's assets in the United States could be confiscated, according to the report.

The stock was down 4.0 percent at 34.80 euros around midday.  

EMAIL

Subject:  Re: robert duffus
Date:  Sun, 01 Jul 2001 15:25:54 -0400
From:  davidduffus <[email protected]>
To:  Robert Duffus <[email protected]>


Robert Duffus wrote: 

Hi how are you doing my name is Robert Duffus. I would like to know more about my family the Duffuses. All I know is that my great great great grandfather came from Scotland, but I have no idea what is name is, I live in the east end section of Jamaica a little town called St. Thomas. If you have any infromation please let me know...thank you Robert.

P.S my email address is [email protected]

Subject:  email Dated: Sat, 4 Nov 2000 21:46:10 +1100 From: Vera Feketey
Date:  Sun, 08 Jul 2001 23:31:09 -0700
From:  John G Duffus <[email protected]>
To:  John David Duffus <[email protected]>

Dear David,

In"The Duffus Sunday Evening News" dated 14 January 2001 I read the email  that Vera Feketey sent you regarding my mistake about her wedding date.

I would like to put the record straight on this matter. It was in fact  Vera (my first cousin once removed) who wrote the wrong date in her letter  to me.

I have since written to Vera (also sending her a copy of her original  letter) regarding this mistake.

She wrote back to me acknowledging her mistake.

I felt it necessary to point this out (hopefully without causing a family  feud).

It is a while since I corresponded with you (hope you are all keeping well)  as I haven't done much research recently.

John G. Duffus 


Subject:  Allan Duffus
Date:  Thu, 16 Aug 2001 07:55:39 -0600
From:  "Charlene Dalen" <[email protected]>
To:  [email protected]

Hi David, I am looking to find Allan Duffus. The Allan Duffus I am searching for lived in Victoria, B.C. in 1952 and would be around 75 years old now. If you could please check with your contacts I would really appreciated it. My Name is Charlene Dalen and I live at 85 Ashwood Drive, in Saskatoon, Sk. My phone number is 306 373 8200. Thank you.


Su bject:  Email change for Lorna McEachern
Date:  Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:20:14 -0700
From:  "Rochelle Hatfield" <[email protected]>
To:  <[email protected]>

Hi David

Just catching up after the wonderful reuion my Mum and I enjoyed with the whole Duffus 'clan' just over 12 months ago now.

Mum and I have both gone on to do some more travelling, and it seems as if most of my friends (from Australia through to Penticton) have beat a path to my door as well!

Anyway, we both wanted you to know how much we appreciated all the tremendous work you and your team put into the Duffus Reunion. The pictures we can all now see on the web are a very special reminder!

I have a new email if you would like to keep in touch... 

[email protected]

My next trip is to New York during the first week of October. I will be at the Mayflower Hotel and trying to see as many sites as possible, but would love to catch up with you to say hi if at all possible. Please let me know the best way to contact you when I am in the State.

All the best for now,
Lorna McEachern (nee Duffus)

PS...... Gracie is still wonderful... having just celebrated her 78th birthday and looking forward to touring around Disneyland next month!


Subject:  family tree
Date:  Sat, 08 Sep 2001 10:28:59 +1000
From:  "Margaret DUFFUS" <[email protected]>
To:  <[email protected]>

I have confirmed that the family tree of James Duffus of Glasgow (J5) links into the family tree of Alexander Duffus of Elgin. Morayshire (A1)

From Generation 4 of the "Alexander Duffus of Elgin tree", our family tree branches off to Alexander ( born 1815). He married Margaret Williamson & had 4 children - Jane, Alexander ( b 1850), John & James

Alexander (b 1850) married Hamilton Smith on 13.3.1871. They had at least 3 children - Janet, William & James(b 26.6.1877/d10.12.1961)

James married Jeannie Davidson Stouppe 28.10.1898 & had 7 children - Sarah, Netta, Ina, Betty, Samuel (b 20.7.1911/d 5.3.1991), James, Millie He remarried after Jeannie died. Married Margaret Dunlop Blackie on 12.11.1929 & had one further child - Robert(Bobbie) Frederick Blackie Duffus (b 17.11.1930). We met up with Bobbie in Glasgow in 2000 after the Duffus reunion. He has 4 grown children.

Samuel emigrated to Australia - this is already on the James Duffus of Glasgow (J5) family tree.

I have been in contact with Gordon Duffus already & we are all very excited that we've established this family tree link

Subject:  Ferret Races at Duffus..... Northern Times article, etc.
Date:  Sat, 08 Sep 2001 03:26:04 -0400
From:  "Gordon D. Duffus" <[email protected]>
To:  David Duffus <[email protected]>

David,

Don't know if I sent you this info before or not (I drink... I forget). Also been hectic around here as Cindy's dad died & we've been dealing with the particulars & the emotions. Anyway, there were some 'charitable' Ferret Races held in Duffus Village with the proceeds going to the upkeep of the Duffus Village Hall. I thought that you might mention this fact in the next newsletter & anyone who felt like it might throw a few dollars to the group responsible. It is, after all, OUR village hall:

Treasurer: Kath Fraser
21 Hopeman Road
Duffus
Hopeman, Moray, Scotland
IV30 5 RR
(that's the 'exact' address as I got it from the editor of The Northern Times)

Hope that everything turns out ok for you...... don't work too hard. Few of us are remembered for our 'work'...... just the good things which we might manage to stumble into doing. Seems right, somehow. Thanks for the family 'hook' with Margaret........ I love this stuff but wish that I'd known about it when we were all getting blitzed at the Duffus Inn during the Gathering. Not that the conversation could have been any better but the knowledge would have provided us with another
topic........ as if we needed one :-) I really wish that I was back there right now..... if only to see if the Police Patches (Prince
William County & Petersburg) I gave Alistair got hung up behind the bar as promised. Have you thought of sending him (Alistair) one of the family group photos to hang on the wall of the Duffus Inn? Would be cool to go back & have our respective faces there. I'm sure he'd do it if we promised to 'swamp' his place again for a few days every so often. There
used to be some paintings of Duffus Castle (by Charlie Walker, Duffus Village resident) on the walls before Alistair took over the place. They looked great....... I want one! Speaking of Charlie; he's a retired RAF type who paints military miniatures. He also does a real neat, unique, thing: if you send him a photograph of someone, he will paint the face onto a portrait of a Highland warrior, dancer, soldier, piper, drummer, etc. all with the 'correct' tartan. I'd love to see your face on a Highland Dancer :-) He did a Sutherland Highlander for me & it's great.

His address is:
The Highland Line
16 St. Peter's Road, Duffus
Elgin 1V30-2QL
Scotland

I, being a Scot, don't know what he charges as I got mine for free :-) This 'being a new grandfather' thing is alright. I'm really enjoying it. I can't wait until I can load up Daryn with sugar & then send her home. Payback really is a bitch :-)
We went sailing last weekend with some friends (their boat) on the Chesapeake Bay. Great time..... good friends. Needed to get Cindy away from the house, her daddy's papers, & her mother on the phone for a few days. We have a need to live next to the ocean. Maybe in 5 years when she retires. Would love a place on the beach or even the ICW. I know that you're a Mountain Man but we love the East Coast. Sand in your shoes.... sand in your shorts.... sand everywhere else. I'd like to recommend a few books to you:

"In The Footsteps of Robert Bruce"
Alan Young & Michael J. Stead
1999, Sutton Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 0-7509-1910-8 $34.95
The sections on Bruce's Northern Campaign have alot of Duffus Castle
references.

Also:

"Robert the Bruce's Rivals: The Comyns, 1212-1314"
Alan Young
1998, Tuckwell Press, Ltd.
ISBN: 1-86232-017-9
This one shows why our family was aligned, initially, against The Bruce & with the Comyns. Really interesting. A lot of Cheyne Lords of Duffus stuff.

Both good reads if you can find the time.

That's it from me for now. Again, good luck with your meds...... we wish you only the best. Say hello for us.

Gordon


Pam & Bobby produced our first grandchild, Daryn Paige Duffus on 14 Aug. She's lovely & doesn't cry when the grandparents are around. Now we're ancestors!

Gordon


Subject: Rev. John Duffus (19th century New Zealand missionary)
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 14:31:48
From: "Timothy McFarland" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]

Dear David Duffus,

My sister passed your general e-mail circular on to me. My middle name is Duffus, derived from a 19th century great-great grandfather Rev. John Duffus who had an Oxford MA, emigrated to New Zealand and whose father was in the West Indies (Jamaica, I think) in the 1830s. I would like to know more about this stage of the family's history so I  thought I would try you. You might like to put me on your e-mail list.

With best wishes,

Timothy McFarland

Subject: family stuff
Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2001 04:45:51 +0100
From: "jkduffus" <[email protected]>
To: "Family stuff" <[email protected]>

Dear David,

'Twas good to get your e- mail come in. I rather thought you were either pretty busy on something or maybe that you'd just got choked with the whole thing to do with the web page. Frankly, this would not have surprised me but for reasons other than here I thought it was likely the first. Anyroadup, (which I think comes from the North of England) there is a bit letter on the stocks & I have a book which I will send on presently. The Scots Dialect Dictionary as it turns out- however as they say- dinna haud yir breath. I have now been out of work for several weeks & because I am not yet completely strapped I'm not doing over much. Enough of that. In a way this is a sort of reminder to me to get this done. Enough the now- maybe in the next couple of weeks or so.

All the best,

J. Duffus.

Subject: advice
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 10:04:28 -0400
From: Megan Garnett <[email protected]>
To: "'David Duffus'" <[email protected]>

Hello--

I am formerly the Megan Duffus that was working on my Master's Degree at Ohio University. After getting married last year, I am now Megan Garnett, and have completed my degree from OU. I am back in the Washington, DC area and now work as an Associate Video Producer for the Freedom Forum/Newseum in Arlington, Virginia. I don't know if you've ever heard of the Newseum, but
it's a museum of news. If you are ever in DC and want a VIP tour of the Newseum, look me up. 

I'm writing for advice about traveling to Duffus in Scotland. I'm curious if you have any recommendations about what time of year is best to go, how exactly to get there (I'm assuming people fly into a larger city and drive North), and places where we might want to stay. I have seen many good ideas of places to go and see around Duffus, but would appreciate any advice on
that topic too. 

My family was disappointed that we could not make it to the Duffus 2000 reunion last year. It took place the week after my wedding, and two months after my brother was married, so needless to say it was a busy time for all of us. My mom and dad (my father is James Duffus III) will probably make
the trip with us if we do it next year. I want to help him look through some of his old family trees too so we can see if and how we fit in with the other family trees people have submitted.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers, 
Megan

Megan S. Garnett
Associate Producer, Broadcasting
The Freedom Forum
1101 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22209
703.253.7153 (phone)
703.253.7274 (fax)
[email protected]

Subject: Re: family tree
Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2001 17:08:05 +1200
From: "Lyall Duffus" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>

Hi David,

Thanks for the latest email. I had a real chuckle over the footnote, which read as if it was a continuation of the genealogical commentary: "...not necessarily endorsed by the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services." So does that prove or disprove our ancestors had criminal connections? :-)

Regard, 
Lyall

----- Original Message ----- 
From: davidduffus 
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: family tree

Thanks Margaret! 

Give my best to Neil, Barry and Arlene! 

My Duffus research and newspaper has gone lacking due to being burnout on putting together a 25 page cyber newspaper each month, preparation over July and August for trial of a medical malpractice case in September (now settled) and now pursuing 100's if not thousands of
Baycol cases (Baycol and Lipobay, statins - cholesterol lowering drugs, which have thrown people into rhabdomyolysis, i.e. muscle wasting, kidney failure and death). 

I have also been neglectful in answering Duffus emails which I have received over the last two months. However, I have some open time this weekend and plan to upload the September issue of the Duffus Sunday Evening News. I'll make sure your message appears. 

Best wishes to the Australian branch of the Duffus family! 

David 

Margaret DUFFUS wrote: 

I have confirmed that the family tree of James Duffus of Glasgow (J5) links into the family tree of Alexander Duffus of Elgin. Morayshire (A1) From Generation 4 of the "Alexander Duffus of Elgin tree", our family tree branches off to Alexander ( born 1815). He married Margaret Williamson & had 4 children - Jane, Alexander ( b 1850), John & James Alexander (b 1850) married Hamilton Smith on 13.3.1871. They had at least 3 children - Janet, William & James(b 26.6.1877/d10.12.1961) James married Jeannie Davidson Stouppe 28.10.1898 & had 7
children - Sarah, Netta, Ina, Betty, Samuel(b 20.7.1911/d 5.3.1991), James, MillieHe remarried after Jeannie died. Married Margaret Dunlop Blackie on 12.11.1929 & had one further child - Robert(Bobbie) Frederick Blackie Duffus(b 17.11.1930). We met up with Bobbie in
Glasgow in 2000 after the Duffus reunion. He has 4 grown children. Samuel emigrated to Australia - this is already on the James Duffus of Glasgow (J5) family tree. I have been in contact with Gordon Duffus already & we are all very excited that we've established this family tree link This transmission is for the intended addressee only. 

If you have received this transmission in error, please delete it and notify the sender. The contents of this E-Mail are the opinion of the author only and are not necessarily endorsed by the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services.

Past Issues

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COPYRICHT -2001

Aa richts is pitten by. Nae pairt o this darg shuid be doobelt, hained in onie kin o
seestem, or furthset in onie kythin or bi onie gate whitsomeiver, athoot haein leave
frae the writer afore-haund. 

All rights reserved - David Duffus

Copyright applies except to web sites extracted for historical, genealogical or study purposes.


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