Surveys were carr~ed out to determine the prevalence of plgeonpea d~seases In the major plgeonpea growlng areas of Asla Afrlca and the Amerrcas between 1975 and In lnd~a suwcys In eleven states revealed that wllt storll~ty mosalc Phytophthora bl~ght Macrophomlna stem canker and yellow m0sa.c were econorn~cally lmportant dtseases Other dlseases were of rnlnor Importance Disease problems In Bangladesh Malays~a and Nepal were of less Importance In Afrlca wllt was a serlous d~sease tn Maiaw~ 136 3%). Tanzanla (20 4%1 and Kenya (15 9%) Leaf spot In Kenya and Malaw1 dnd powdery m~ldew In Kenya, Tanzan~a and Zamb~a were Important Other dlseases were not economically Important In the Amerlcas wltches broom Phoma stem canker and rust were the Important drseases Annual crop losses due lo the comblned effecl of w~lt and stertllty rnosalc d~seases In lnd~a were estlrnated to be worth dbout US$ 113 mlll~ons In Afrlca the estimated losses from wtlt disease alone were over US$ 5 rnlll~ons annually

It is apparent from review of published papers and books that misunderstanding and confusion exists in the minds of many authors describing the interaction of penetrating missiles with tissues. These misapprehensions may influence the management of wounds by suggesting didactic approaches based upon a preconceived notion of the nature and severity of the wound for different types of projectiles. This review considers the biophysics of penetrating missile wounds, highlights some of the more common misconceptions and seeks to reconcile the conflicting and confusing management doctrines that are promulgated in the literature-differences that arise not only from two scenarios, peace and war, but also from misapprehensions of the wounding process. Wounds of war and of peacetime differ both in the nature of the wound and in the propensity for wound infection. Additionally, the limitations imposed by war dictate the type of management that may be practised and result in procedures that would be considered inappropriate by some in civilian clinical practice. Many of the procedures described in civilian peacetime settings, such as reliance on antibiotics alone for the control of infection in penetrating wounds, or minimal excision and debridement, can yield good results but would herald disaster if transposed to a war setting.

Genetics is slowly explaining variations in drug response, but applying this knowledge depends on implementation of a host of policies that provide long-term support to the field, from translational research and regulation to professional education.

No abstract