For about 100 years, scientists thought that peptic ulcers were caused by stress, spicy food, and alcohol. Later, researchers added stomach acid to the list of causes and began treating ulcers with antacids. Now it is known that peptic ulcers are predominantly caused by Helicobacter pylori, a spiral-shaped bacterium that normally exist in the stomach.
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When Gabriel Fahrenheit invented the first mercury thermometer, he called "zero degrees" the lowest temperature he was able to attain with a mixture of ice and salt. For the upper point of his scale, he used 96°, which he measured as normal human body temperature (we know it to be 98.6° today because of more accurate thermometers).
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Earwax has antimicrobial properties that reduce the viability of bacteria and fungus in the human ear.
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Increased intake of vitamin D has been shown to reduce fractures up to 25% in older people.
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More than 2,500 barbiturates have been synthesized. At the height of their popularity, about 50 were marketed for human use.
