We have evidence of prehistoric dentistry and brain surgery. Researchers at the University of Manchester examined documents dating back 3,500 years and found proof that modern medicine comes from ancient Egypt, and not the Greeks.
They found the evidence in medical papyri written in 1,500 BC, which is 1,000 years before the birth of the Greek physician Hypocrites, for whom today?s “Hippocratic Oath” was named.
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We’ve recently reported on subliminal ads on TV, but the constant barrage of advertisements for new medicines are anything but subtle! Do the prescription drug ads we see on TV make us think we’re sick when we’re not? These ads are part of the new “empowered patient” movement, which means that doctors have lost some of their professional clout when it comes to making diagnoses and prescribing treatment?is this good or bad?
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One reason to protect the Amazon rain forest is that we are still discovering major new drugs there. For thousands of years, people around the world have lived intimately with botanical healing agents and evolved effective healing traditions, and pharmaceutical companies regularly mine the wisdom of ancient cultures in this way. The Mayo clinic has recently revived the healing wisdom of Pacific Island cultures by testing a plant extract described in a 17th century Dutch herbal text for its antibiotic properties. The rise of superbugs means that we constantly need to discover new and powerful antibiotics.
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What if victims of terrorism, who have had their limbs hacked off, could grow a new one? What if a paralyzed person could grow a new spine?or someone with heart disease could grow a new heart? This might be something that actually comes true, in the not-so-distant future.
Scientists are studying zebrafish to see how it’s done. If a zebrafish loses a chunk of its tail fin, it’ll grow back within a week. Like lizards, newts, and frogs, a zebrafish can replace surprisingly complex body parts. A tail fin, for example, has many different types of cells and is a very intricate structure. It is the fish version of an arm or leg.
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