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Once thought to have neurofibromatosis, Joseph Merrick (also known as "the elephant man") is now, in retrospect, thought by clinical experts to have had Proteus syndrome. This endocrine disease causes continued and abnormal growth of the bones, muscles, skin, and so on and can become completely debilitating with severe deformities occurring anywhere on the body.
Patients who cannot swallow may receive nutrition via a parenteral route—usually, a catheter is inserted through the chest into a large vein going into the heart.
About 100 new prescription or over-the-counter drugs come into the U.S. market every year.
The ratio of hydrogen atoms to oxygen in water (H2O) is 2:1.
There are approximately 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States each year.