|
|
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.
Bacteria have been found alive in a lake buried one half mile under ice in Antarctica.
In most cases, kidneys can recover from almost complete loss of function, such as in acute kidney (renal) failure.
After 5 years of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, one every three patients will no longer be able to work.
More than 2,500 barbiturates have been synthesized. At the height of their popularity, about 50 were marketed for human use.