Healing

Akron, Ohio. -- I can tell you why I haven't forgotten a former secretary of labor in the Reagan administration. His name is Raymond J. Donovan, not one of the hot-shots one usually remembers long after they are gone. But remember him I do, for one question to which he got no answer.Mr. Donovan resigned in 1984 when he was indicted on fraud charges. Three years later, he and several co-defendants were cleared of all charges. The day the jury verdict came down, Mr. Donovan asked of his accusers: ''Which office do I go to to get my reputation back?

Anna Napravnik, Maryland's top jockey last year and runner-up in the Eclipse Award voting for outstanding apprentice, found out yesterday she will miss up to 12 weeks of competition with broken vertebrae she suffered during a spill Friday at Laurel Park. Original X-rays showed nothing wrong, and Napravnik had hoped to return to riding yesterday. But the results of a follow-up CT scan Monday at Harbor Hospital revealed three compression fractures in the thoracic region -- the middle -- of her back.

Religious freedom, including the right to practice what youpreach, became part of our civil liberties in the United States with the adoption of the Bill of Rights 200 years ago.Courts and legislatures have found more consensus, however, in interpreting the clause of the First Amendment that prohibits ''an establishment of religion'' than in reaching accord on what constitutes ''the free exercise thereof.''Establishment cases continue to arise, particularly in the area of religious displays on public grounds and the meeting of student denominational groups on school campuses.

Stomach bothering you? It could be exposure to internal cold winds, or perhaps you're not wearing the right clothes.Pain in the bones and joints? Maybe you need to put your back in balance by showing more compassion toward the aged.Not exactly the kinds of diagnoses you get from your HMO. But they might be what you would hear from a Tibetan physician.This weekend in Washington, more than 1,200 Western medical professionals will get an intensive look at Tibet's long history of Buddhism-based medical practice.

The 1993 Maryland General Assembly opened with calls for "healing" yesterday but immediately turned fractious as Montgomery County lawmakers sharpened their knives against Baltimore and a Baltimore delegate revolted against House leaders.The opening gavels had barely sounded before some legislators made it clear they were still hot over regionally divisive budget cuts last fall and a failed coup in the House of Delegates. Even a retired Montgomery County senator who returned to the State House to receive an award used the occasion to complain about how the legislature had treated her home county.

Seminar planned on medicine and spirituality Dale A. Matthews, a medical doctor and author of The Faith Factor: Proof of the Healing Power of Prayer, will present a seminar on "Medicine & Spirituality" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Krug Chapel Auditorium at Carroll Lutheran Village. Matthews will review findings from numerous scientific studies to address the questions: "Is religion good for your health?" and "Does prayer enhance healing?" Matthews is a practicing physician with the Washington Internists Group and is affiliated with Georgetown University Hospital.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - At exactly 4:45 p.m. yesterday, Orioles third baseman Cal Ripken stepped into the outdoor batting cage beside the clubhouse, bat in hand, and entered another phase of his spring training. Taking his first cuts since reporting with a fractured rib, Ripken hit balls off a tee for about seven minutes before calling it quits. Contact was made with a nice, easy motion, as if practicing his golf swing. It was enough to challenge the injured area without the possibility of aggravating it. His morning began with an orthopedic examination from Dr. George Caldwell as he was tested at various resistance angles.

The stress fracture in his left elbow not healing as quickly as he had hoped, Adam Loewen will see renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews today in Alabama, and the Orioles pitcher said he is almost resigned to the fact that he'll need season-ending surgery. "When we got the CT scan back, it didn't show any huge improvements like it should have after the four or five weeks that I took off," said Loewen, who hasn't pitched since May 1. "It didn't do as much healing as I would have liked.

Terrell Suggs' torn Achilles continues to heal, and the Ravens outside linebacker hopes to return during the 2012 season. But Suggs' mind and mouth are already in midseason form. Nearly one month after having surgery to repair a partially torn right Achilles, Suggs is already talking about winning Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season, and helping the Ravens host the AFC championship game in Baltimore. If you thought Suggs might be a little depressed from an injury that some say could force him out for the entire 2012 season, think again.