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Aspirin is the most widely used drug in the world. It has even been recognized as such by the Guinness Book of World Records.
It is believed that the Incas used anesthesia. Evidence supports the theory that shamans chewed cocoa leaves and drilled holes into the heads of patients (letting evil spirits escape), spitting into the wounds they made. The mixture of cocaine, saliva, and resin numbed the site enough to allow hours of drilling.
Illicit drug use costs the United States approximately $181 billion every year.
In ancient Rome, many of the richer people in the population had lead-induced gout. The reason for this is unclear. Lead poisoning has also been linked to madness.
Approximately 25% of all reported medication errors result from some kind of name confusion.