|
There is a common fish that routinely "cures" itself of coronary artery disease; a marine animal that has kidney stones and dissolves them; animals that clone themselves; and others that are severely anemic. Many marine animals share the same ailments as humans but have found ways to overcome them.
With this book, it is the intention to open the eyes of the curious, the medical scientist, biologist, or lay person. Look to the watery parts of our world and the untapped resources it holds for health and treatments.
The style of this book is geared toward allowing the reader to quickly and clearly see the medical information obtainable from marine animals.
It is my goal and hope that some of my insights will begin to open new frontiers for clinical applications. As the curious look to the sea for a deeper level of understanding about human disease, it will become evident that marine biology has an essential role to play in medicine.
~Dr. Albert C. Smith
Click to read preview |
Over the years, a number of articles have described the special attributes of marine animals and forecasted noteworthy benefits from their increased use in medical research. At the national level, it was recognized that there is a need for more scientists trained in the combination area of marine biology and health science.
Yet today, despite this generally stimulating literature, it is rare to find marine animals being used by the medical researcher, and the question is why. A probable cause is that most medical scientists have not had much opportunity to learn marine biology. Typically, most young people interested in disease are carried into a medical education or a graduate program (possibly in a medical school) emphasizing use of the traditional air-breathing laboratory animals. Compounding the underuse of marine animals in fundamental disease studies is the fact that most marine biologists do not have a pathology background, simply because they are usually not taught this subject in their training programs.
To facilitate the goal of encouraging a study of marine biology for clinical applications, my previous book, Treasures from the Sea for Medicine, was written in an easy-to-read fashion. The present book is a natural sequel in providing a more comprehensive text. I hope it will bring the two fields of marine biology and medicine closer to becoming one.
~Dr. Albert C. Smith
Click to read preview
|
