If you see a product label that lists “guar gum" or "cellulose gum” among its ingredients you would probably expect to chew rather than lick. But these substances are critical to making a smooth...
Inhaling the breath of a duck that was captured in a test tube was once used to treat disorders of the mouth and throat in children. Talk about quack medicine!
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...
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...
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...
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