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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.
The modern decimal position system was the invention of the Hindus (around 800 AD), involving the placing of numerals to indicate their value (units, tens, hundreds, and so on).
The average human gut is home to perhaps 500 to 1,000 different species of bacteria.
Human stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve small pieces of metal such as razor blades or staples.
The first documented use of surgical anesthesia in the United States was in Connecticut in 1844.