|
|
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.
Bisphosphonates were first developed in the nineteenth century. They were first investigated for use in disorders of bone metabolism in the 1960s. They are now used clinically for the treatment of osteoporosis, Paget's disease, bone metastasis, multiple myeloma, and other conditions that feature bone fragility.
In 1844, Charles Goodyear obtained the first patent for a rubber condom.
This year, an estimated 1.4 million Americans will have a new or recurrent heart attack.
In the United States, there is a birth every 8 seconds, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Clock.