Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users
to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response
is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual
response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the
browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published
online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed.
Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles.
The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being
wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our
attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not
including references and author details. We will no longer post responses
that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
I personally do not think the rsearchers Wesseley and
company reviewed the literature. We published in August
1997, in Vet & Human Toxicology, a paper that clearly showed
synergism of the "Nerve Gas Pill" (pyridostigmine bromide,
PB, NAPS) by beta adrenergic stimulation in mice. To
dwell so much on stress as the authors did, and not address
how a component of stress (adrenaline) changes one of
the primary suspects in Gulf Illnesses, strikes me as
sloppy at best. The lack of popular press coverage of our
rsearch is no excuse in this case. The bottom line is
that two primary risk factors potentiate each other, and this deserves the
attention of anyone who pretends to do comprehensive discussions of Gulf
Veterans' illnesses (BMJ included).
Gulf War Risks
I personally do not think the rsearchers Wesseley and
company reviewed the literature. We published in August
1997, in Vet & Human Toxicology, a paper that clearly showed
synergism of the "Nerve Gas Pill" (pyridostigmine bromide,
PB, NAPS) by beta adrenergic stimulation in mice. To
dwell so much on stress as the authors did, and not address
how a component of stress (adrenaline) changes one of
the primary suspects in Gulf Illnesses, strikes me as
sloppy at best. The lack of popular press coverage of our
rsearch is no excuse in this case. The bottom line is
that two primary risk factors potentiate each other, and this deserves the
attention of anyone who pretends to do comprehensive discussions of Gulf
Veterans' illnesses (BMJ included).
James I. Moss
(352) 375-3102
(352) 392-0704
Competing interests: No competing interests