On Sat, 16 Mar 2002, Tom Bridgeland wrote: 
...
>Subject: Re: Flu and Paleo
...
>I have a theory that a lot of the things we think of as "unhealthy"
>such as tobacco, alcohol, coffee etc actually have some beneficial
>aspect in third world conditions, that is why they spread so quickly

Reading the above reminded me of a couple of "diseases" with the
characteristic of a two-edged sword:
1) In the plant world, roses up north - such as in New York - are almost
doomed to death if they pick up black spot. Here in Texas - where roses do
not usually shed their leaves in the winter - I have noticed that black
spot affects the old rose leaves - very rarely the young ones. This is a
way for the plant to drop the leaves no  longer needed for continuation of
the life of the plant.
2) Sickle cell anemia in blacks here in the United States is very bad for
those who have it. In parts of Africa where the tsetse fly is prevalent,
those with sickle cell anemia have a better chance of surviving tsetse fly
bites - what have you - than those who don´t have this "disease".

Mary Anne Unger