The latest edition of Rachel's Environment & Health Weekly is an
article on "Toxics and Violent Crime." It summarizes research by Roger
D. Masters and co-workers at Dartmouth College on their "neurotoxicity
hypothesis"--their belief that toxic pollutants contribute to violent
crime. I don't know enough about science to be able to understand
whether the research is sound or the conclusions justified, but it is
fascinating reading. A few passages particularly caught my eye:

After explaining that manganese is toxic:
>Masters emphasizes that children who are raised from birth on
>infant formula and who are not breast fed will absorb five times
>as much manganese as breast-fed infants.  

and later:
>Because of increased manganese absorption by babies who drink
>infant formula and who are not breast fed, Masters considers
>infant formula toxic. 

The full Rachel Weekly article is on the Web
(http://www.monitor.net/rachel/r551.html).

The research referred to is Roger D. Masters, Brian Hone, and Anil
Doshi, "Environmental Pollution, Neurotoxicity, and Criminal
Violence," in J. Rose, editor, ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY (In press.
[London and New York: Gordon and Breach Publishers, 1997]).

Kate Pennington, Newcastle, Maine