Tablets

Q. I wouldn't have believed this if it hadn't happened to me. A doctor prescribed 2.5 milligrams of a medication for me. When I went to the pharmacy to have it filled, I was told that they were out of 2.5-milligram tablets, but that 5-milligram tablets were available, and I could break them in half, which I did. A month later, when I went to get the prescription refilled, 2.5-milligram tablets were available, but the bill showed the price per tablet was...

As thousands of boaters this summer take to Maryland's waterways, from the lazy Susquehanna River to the sprawling Chesapeake Bay, many will surely find their bilges fouled by stagnant water, gunk and oil.That raises a delicate question for those sensitive to the damaging effects oil and fuel discharges can have on marine life: What to do with bilge oil?"

County police arrested a Glen Burnie couple Wednesday on drug charges after raiding their home and finding more than 2,000 tablets of drugs prescribed for pain and anxiety with a street value of $7,165.Joann Beck, 39, and Scott A. Risso, 35, of the 500 block of Milton Ave. were charged with drug distribution and drug possession.Police said they had been investigating the couple since August and raided their house about 10: 30 a.m. Police seized tablets of hydrocodone, alprazolam and diazepam, a small amount of marijuana and $3,822.

CHICAGO -- Writing, wheeled carts, the 60-minute hour, sailboats and seed plows are among the things a people called the Sumerians invented in the fabled Fertile Crescent about 5,000 years ago. They also left behind evidence of the earliest known wheedling and whining adolescents.That comes down to us because the Sumerians had the good sense to devise a system of writing called "cuneiform." They pressed wedge-shaped indentations into soft clay tablets, drying the tablets in the sun or firing them in ovens.

I BELIEVE THAT the lid of the toilet tank is like the door to your kid's room. You don't open it until you have heard repeated sounds of distress.So the other night when I was awakened by the sounds of running water, I was reluctant to investigate. I told myself maybe I was dreaming, or maybe it was raining, or maybe one of the kids was taking part in their latest nocturnal ritual, the post- midnight shower. As I lay in bed, I slowly eliminated each of these possible explanations.I got up and stumbled toward the noise.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Watch world events unfold on dozens of satellite news feeds. Play ace reporter for a day. Have a peek at Walter Cronkite's cameras.Those will all be among the experiences possible in April 1997, when the Freedom Forum will open what its officials say is a first among museums: a "Newseum."The project, now under construction, will tell a story that plays a big part in the lives of people the world over: the story of the news.The Newseum will occupy four stories of the Freedom Forum World Center, across a wide boulevard from the Gannett Co. Inc. headquarters.

RU-486 is actually two drugs, mifepristone, used in combination with misoprostol, and must be taken under a physician's supervision.Essentially, mifepristone induces a miscarriage by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is necessary to maintain a pregnancy.In a doctor's office, the woman takes three 200-milligram tablets of mifepristone, and returns two days later for two 200-milligram tablets of misoprostol, which causes uterine contractions. She remains for four hours, under observation, to ensure against possible adverse side effects, such as excessive bleeding, nausea and cramping.

As a drawing or painting tool, the computer mouse is only slightly less effective than a potato. This is particularly a problem for artists who want to use the power of the personal computer to create new forms of electronic art, but it also makes life difficult for people who want to draw maps, make sketches or simply doodle with a computer painting program.The Wacom Technology Corp. recently introduced a new graphics tablet for Apple Macintosh computers that uses a cordless "ultra" pen, instead of a mouse, to enable artists to draw, paint and trace images more naturally.

Using supplements to increase calcium intake during pre-teen years may build higher bone density and prevent osteoporosis later in life.Osteoporosis is a disorder -- affecting mostly older women -- that makes bones susceptible to fractures from little or no stress. Areas such as the wrists, hips and spine are especially vulnerable.Osteoporosis occurs when bone mass and density -- the overall amount of bone and its amount per unit volume -- are progressively reduced. This is generally associated with a decrease in the amount of calcium stored in the bone.

When you exercise in hot weather, you sweat and lose a lot of salt. That doesn't mean that you need to take salt tablets. The use of salt tablets is recommended only if their benefits exceed their side effects.If you lose more salt than you take in, your muscles will start to hurt and cramp. You will feel tired and sick and develop a headache. You can even pass out. Taking salt tablets would replace the lost salt; however, they have side effects. They can irritate your stomach lining and make you throw up, and they can thicken your blood enough to cause clots in your arteries.