dominant fingers, or the sharp edge of the opened base injures the palmar aspect of the non-dominant fingers if the base is held too close to the unprotected edge. Thus the dorsal aspects of the dominant fingers and the palmar aspects of the non-dominant fingers will be selectively at risk when opening a corned beef can, while injuries from other types ofcan are random. Corned beefis almost uniformly sold in tapered, key opened cans, the design of which is over 100 years old. These cans were originally chosen for their robustness and easy opening. Although the inevitable expense of redesigning corned beef cans may result in higher prices and initial consumer resistance, the design of the can should be reviewed. The cost of the resulting morbidity from these injuries is difficult to quantify, but added to costs of treatment must be those of enforced absences from employment. This study shows that corned beef cans cause a disproportionate number of injuries to the hands of their users and that such injuries are common.

A single carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) estimation of late evening blood sample among non-smokers, cigarette smokers, and sheesha smokers was evaluated among Saudis. The COHb level in smokers of 15 to 40 cigarettes a day ranged between 0.7 and 10.3 with a mean value of 6.1 ± 2.58 COHb. Values among sheesha smokers ranged between 6.5 and 13.9 with a mean value of 8.8 ± 1.83, significantly higher than those of cigarette smokers (P < 0.001) for a given degree of exposure to tobacco smoke. (Am J Public Health 1982; 72:722-724.)