Day 014 - 20 Jul 94 - Page 16

     
     1   Q.   Despite Woodrow Wyatt in The Times this week?
              A.  Despite Woodrow Wyatt.
     2
         Q.   These, I appreciate, are crude -----
     3
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The ten is absolute scientific proof?
     4        A.  I would say so, yes.
 
     5   MR. RAMPTON:  Do you subtract one from your 10 for cigarette
              smoking and lung cancer because the mechanisms of
     6        causation are not yet fully understood?
              A.  Well, it is not an area I would claim to have
     7        specialised expertise, but there is some evidence which
              suggests there are certain factors which may be
     8        protective.  So, if we knew a lot more about those, then
              it would probably increase the degree of certainty a bit
     9        more.
 
    10   Q.   Perhaps tobacco is unfair because, on the whole, people do
              not eat it, although some people do.  Can I take some
         other substances, and I use that as a broad rather clumsy
              word, which have been raised in this case.  On your scale
    12        of one to 10, what about the relationship between sodium
              intake and hypertension, high blood pressure?
    13        A.  I would say at the moment, in view of recent evidence
              that has become available within the last year or two, I
    14        would put it at about five out of 10.
 
    15   Q.   Sort of midway up the chart?
              A.  Yes.
    16
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If we are using numbers like this,
    17        Mr. Rampton, I need to get an idea of what they really
              cover.  If we take 10 as absolute scientific proof.  If
    18        you have something where it has been suggested that
              regular ingestion may damage health, you may never get to
    19        10?
              A.  That is right.
    20
         Q.   In fact, in many cases you probably will not get to 10 in
         the present state of medical science because you cannot
              prove the mechanism?
    22        A.  And it is just too complicated.
 
    23   Q.   But somewhere along the line, you come across a situation
              where a sensible person might have real concern.  Do you
    24        see what I am trying to put?
              A.  Yes.
    25
         Q.   All I need to know ----? 
    26        A.  I see exactly what you mean.  It is really a matter of 
              at what stage do we get to the point where governments and 
    27        health professionals can make recommendations to people on
              how they should change their diet.
    28
         Q.   Where is that between one and 10, in your scheme of
    29        things?
 
    30   MR. RAMPTON:  For what substance?