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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.
Side effects from substance abuse include nausea, dehydration, reduced productivitiy, and dependence. Though these effects usually worsen over time, the constant need for the substance often overcomes rational thinking.
The human body produces and destroys 15 million blood cells every second.
Thyroid conditions cause a higher risk of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
In 1864, the first barbiturate (barbituric acid) was synthesized.