Michelle Bauer (real name Michelle Medvitz) is an American actress and glamour model. She was born in 1958 at Montebello, California. She started as a nude model for Penthouse magazine and then worked in porn films under the name 'Pia Snow' before moving into mainstream cinema. Research Michelle Bauer
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane, known as the pia mater, which covers the outer surface of the brain and spinal cord. There are several distinct types of this disease, which is caused by the entrance of germs into the membrane. The commonest of these types are as follows: 1. Cerebrospinal Fever ('Spotted Fever') caused by the Meningococcus. 2. Septic meningitis, due to invasion by the Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. 3. Tuberculous meningitis, resulting from invasion by the Tubercle Bacillus. 4. Syphilitic meningitis, caused by the Spirochaete of Syphilis. In a rigid cavity like the skull there is very little room for the accommodation of the products of inflammation, which therefore give rise to pressure on the surface of the brain and to irritation of its surface. Meningitis is a very dangerous disease, and unless treated very early it is often fatal. Research Meningitis
Septic meningitis is usually due to extension of infection to the pia mater from adjacent structures. Thus, it arises commonly from chronic infection of the middle ear, infection of the scalp, fractured skull, and bullet wounds of the head, which are common in war-time. At the time of injury the patient may merely feel upset, but deeper trouble may be taking place inside the skull. For this reason all injuries to the head, even though they may appear to be trivial, should be carefully watched. Moreover, in all cases where meningitis is suspected the ear drum should be examined. As in all forms of acutemeningitis, there is headache, vomiting and drowsiness, accompanied by high fever with rigors (attacks of shivering as the temperature rises). Later there is restlessness with delirium, and a painful stiff neck so that the head is drawn backwards. Research Septic Meningitis
The spinal cord is one of the primary portions of the central nervous system, serving as a medium for signals to be sent from the brain to the structures of the body, and received from them in return. Extending from the medulla oblongata, through the foramen magnum in the base of the skull, to the base of the vertebral column, the spinal cord is about half of a centimeter in diameter, and is slightly flattened. The spinal cord itself passes through the vertebral canal created by the vertebral arches, and sends out roots and branches. These structures contain bundles of nerve fibres which extend all the way down the body, innervating even the skin of the tips of the toes. The spinal cord features both efferent and afferent nerve pathways, so that nerves may be transmitted to the body's structures as well as received from them.
Paired sets of nerves branch out from the spinal cord along the vertebral column, with the lowest of these forming the sacral plexus of nerves. The sympathetic nerves travel alongside the spinal cord in the sympathetic nerve trunk, which features periodic clusters of nerves, called ganglia, which deal with specific organ groups. The spinal cord floats in a spinal fluid which protects and nourishes it and, as with the brain, is covered by a meningeal membrane composed of three layers: the pia mater, the arachnoid, and the dura mater. Damage to the spinal cord results in inability to transmit and receive nerve impulses to and from the specific area supplied by the damaged section of the spinal cord, and all sections below it, resulting in paralysis and numbness. Inflammation of the spinal covering is a condition called spinal meningitis. Research Spinal Cord
Tuberculous meningitis is most frequently met with in the second and third years of life, but may affect young adults or older people. The infection is carried to the pia mater by means of the bloodstream from some already existing focus of tuberculous infection, such as tuberculous bone disease, or tuberculous glands in the chest. The onset is usually gradual, with signs of vague and slight illness for several weeks before any definite symptoms appear. The child is noticed to be out of sorts and peevish, and neglects his amusements and play. There is headache and loss of appetite, so that he gradually loses his healthy look and grows paler and thinner. Vomiting is frequent at an early stage of the disease, and usually there is a distinct dislike of light. At a later stage stiffness occurs at the back of the neck, so that the head is pulled backwards on the shoulders - a characteristic sign of irritation of the membranes of the brain. Convulsions are common and a squint may develop. Research Tuberculous Meningitis
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