|
|
In the United States, an estimated 50 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for viral respiratory infections.
The first documented use of surgical anesthesia in the United States was in Connecticut in 1844.
Pope Sylvester II tried to introduce Arabic numbers into Europe between the years 999 and 1003, but their use did not catch on for a few more centuries, and Roman numerals continued to be the primary number system.
Though the United States has largely rejected the metric system, it is used for currency, as in 100 pennies = 1 dollar. Previously, the British currency system was used, with measurements such as 12 pence to the shilling, and 20 shillings to the pound.
About 100 new prescription or over-the-counter drugs come into the U.S. market every year.