|
|
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.
Hypertension is a silent killer because it is deadly and has no significant early symptoms. The danger from hypertension is the extra load on the heart, which can lead to hypertensive heart disease and kidney damage. This occurs without any major symptoms until the high blood pressure becomes extreme. Regular blood pressure checks are an important method of catching hypertension before it can kill you.
The average human gut is home to perhaps 500 to 1,000 different species of bacteria.
A strange skin disease referred to as Morgellons has occurred in the southern United States and in California. Symptoms include slowly healing sores, joint pain, persistent fatigue, and a sensation of things crawling through the skin. Another symptom is strange-looking, threadlike extrusions coming out of the skin.
Cocaine was isolated in 1860 and first used as a local anesthetic in 1884. Its first clinical use was by Sigmund Freud to wean a patient from morphine addiction. The fictional character Sherlock Holmes was supposed to be addicted to cocaine by injection.
![The nitrogen cycle. Numbers represent fluxes as 1012 g N per year (data from Schlesinger 1991, after](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_33_17_02_12_7_02_17_2038129.jpeg)
![The Kingsley plantation, on Fort George Island in Jacksonville, Florida. Zephaniah Kingsley, the own](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_375552_19_08_15_9_09_52_223241930.jpeg)