Fujian Province in south-east China has the highest incidence of respiratory and gastrointestinal tract cancers in the whole country. The culprit in all likelihood is well water which is...
Danbury, Connecticut used to be the center of the American hat industry. It was also known for the “Danbury shakes,” a condition that encompassed tremors, incoherent speech, difficulty in walking...
Phocomelia is a birth defect that has been linked to the drug thalidomide. This word derives from the Greek words for “seal” and “limb.” Thalidomide prescribed to pregnant women for morning...
Plaster of Paris derives its name from the fact that it was originally obtained from rock quarried at Montmartre, a suburb of Paris. This common construction material indirectly led to the first...
In 1853 the Queen’s personal physician, Dr. John Snow dripped an ounce of chloroform on a handkerchief which was then held next to the royal mouth as Prince Leopold was delivered. Her Majesty was...
Chances are you’ll see sodium acid pyrophosphate or sodium bisulfite listed on the label of a package of frozen French fries. They’re added to deal with that bane of potato lovers, the dark, gray...
To make an antivenin, small doses of poison are injected into horses or goats. The amount of toxin is not enough to kill the animal but is enough to trigger the production of antibodies. These...
Gelotophobia can best be defined as the “potentially debilitating fear of being laughed at.” A person suffering from gelotophobia may hear a stranger’s laugh and believe it is aimed at him or her....
Think of a ghastly smell. Skunk? Halitosis? BO? Outhouse? Rotting fish? Rancid butter? Dog flatus? Decomposing flesh? All devastating. But let’s not forget the penetrating fragrance of a billy goat...