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.
Did you know?
Asthma cases in Americans are about 75% higher today than they were in 1980.
Did you know?
Aspirin is the most widely used drug in the world. It has even been recognized as such by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Did you know?
In inpatient settings, adverse drug events account for an estimated one in three of all hospital adverse events. They affect approximately 2 million hospital stays every year, and prolong hospital stays by between one and five days.
Did you know?
Malaria was not eliminated in the United States until 1951. The term eliminated means that no new cases arise in a country for 3 years.
