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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.
Patients who have undergone chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer often complain of a lack of mental focus; memory loss; and a general diminution in abilities such as multitasking, attention span, and general mental agility.
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.
More than 4.4billion prescriptions were dispensed within the United States in 2016.
The first oral chemotherapy drug for colon cancer was approved by FDA in 2001.