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Drugs are in development that may cure asthma and hay fever once and for all. They target leukotrienes, which are known to cause tightening of the air passages in the lungs and increase mucus productions in nasal passages.
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.
Most childhood vaccines are 90–99% effective in preventing disease. Side effects are rarely serious.
Ether was used widely for surgeries but became less popular because of its flammability and its tendency to cause vomiting. In England, it was quickly replaced by chloroform, but this agent caused many deaths and lost popularity.
Cancer has been around as long as humankind, but only in the second half of the twentieth century did the number of cancer cases explode.
![A comparison between chromosomes found in a normal human cell and a cancer cell from the same person](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_33_25_06_11_10_34_04.jpeg)
![Examples of four different types of cells from the body. Although each cell has a cell membrane, nuc](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_14755_16_09_12_5_52_12_8537838.jpeg)