Substances and Persons: on the Culinary Space of the People of the Centre
This paper refers to a cultural ensemble of groups of northwest Amazonia who selfdesignate as the People of the Centre (Witoto, Ocaina, Nonuya, Bora-Mirana, Muinane, Andoque). The production of food and the production of ‘true people’, in People of the Centre’s discourse, are referred to with a same set of terms; and the instruments and technical transformations of cooking (heating, pounding, filtering, combining and separating) are conceived of as bodily processes. The first section presents the main substances that constitute such a culinary space, both ritual and everyday. The second section, addresses the main technical processes that they undergo to transform them into foods. The third section discusses the meaning of the combination of different processed foodstuffs. It addresses these substances, processes and combinations—this alchemy—as the culinary and technical expression of the formation of true persons.
A Grammar of Murui (Bue)
This is the first detailed description of Murui (Bue variety), a Witotoan language spoken by about 2,000 people in the Colombian and Peruvian parts of the Amazon Basin. Following Basic Linguistic Theory, the reference grammar presents analyses of the phonology, morphology and syntax of the Murui language. Collected during several fieldtrips to the Murui communities located between the Putumayo and Caquetá rivers in Colombia, the linguistic data consists mainly of an extensive corpus of texts. In addition to the language description and analysis, the grammar also draws attention to the typological features of Murui and sheds new light on the linguistic variation among the Witotoan languages. It is a valuable resource for further research on the linguistic affiliation of the Witotoan language family in South America.
A technique for large-field, superficial electron therapy.
The application of electron beams to radiation therapy has received increased attention in recent years. This interest stems largely from the special characteristics of the electron depth-dose distribution; the fall-off in depth dose near the end of the range of the electrons is particularly rapid for electron beams having energies less than about 10 Mev. Such an electron beam is suitable for the treatment of widespread, superficial lesions, where it is desirable to minimize the dose to deep tissues. All the common sources of super-voltage x-rays, apart from radioactive substances, are inherently capable of producing an external beam of electrons, though with varying degrees of complexity. Electrons of about the energy suitable for superficial therapy (several Mev) may be used to produce an x-ray beam which is sufficiently penetrating for the treatment of even the deepest lesions. The Stanford medical linear accelerator was designed to provide both x-rays and electron beams. The accelerator and its applic...