Strange Medical Facts

Little Known Facts about Common Medical Trivia

Jun 25, 2008 Debbie Roome

The world is accustomed to modern medical technology and medication but how and when did these advances come about and have they improved quality of life?

Much medical knowledge is taken for granted these days, whereas a century ago, it would have been a great revelation or something regarded with scepticism.

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are held in place by fluid attraction forces. Imagine placing two pieces of glass together with water between them. They slide easily over each other but are difficult to separate. This is the principle that keeps a contact lens in the eye.

Bandages

The use of bandages dates back many centuries. It is believed that the first bandages were strips of animal hide and dressings were plant material. The first Band-Aid was invented by Earl Dickson who worked for Johnson & Johnson. He created it by using a strip of Johnson and Johnson’s surgical tape and attaching a pad of gauze on the sticky side. On the reverse side, he attached crinoline to protect the bandage. The trade name, Band-Aid was adopted in 1920.

Apgar Score

The Apgar Score consists of five key components for assessing a newborn’s health. They are: color, breathing, pulse, muscle tone and response to stimulation. The score was developed in 1952 by Virginia Apgar, a New York physician. She created it after years of studying the effects of anesthesia in childbirth. It is a simple tool but has been instrumental in saving the lives of countless babies.

Curare

Curare is associated with the poison tipped arrows used by Indians in South American jungles. It is less known that a synthetic form of curare has several medical applications. The most important is as a muscle relaxant during surgery or correction of dislocations. It is also used to control muscle spasms during convulsions. Curare in its various forms is short acting, meaning that several top-ups may be necessary during surgery. Although curare paralyzes a person, the patient remains fully conscious and can feel pain. For this reason it is often administered with anesthesia.

Codeine

Codeine is an alkaloid derived from opium. Opium is a drug made from the milky juice of unripe seed capsules of the opium poppy. Other opium based drugs include morphine and heroin. Together they form the class of drugs known as narcotic analgesics. Codeine is used in prescription drugs as a pain reliever and also a cough suppressant. Because of its addictive properties, it is only available on prescription.

Blood Types

All blood belongs to one of four major groups in the ABO blood system: A, AB, B or O. People with type O blood are known as universal donors as theirs is the only blood that can safely be given to people with other blood types. Below is a table of approximate blood type distribution. This can vary between races.

Types-----Distribution-----Ratios

O +..........1 person in 3..............38.4%

O -...........1 person in 15..............7.7%

A +..........1 person in 3...............32.3%

A -...........1 person in16................6.5%

B +..........1 person in12................. 9.4%

B -...........1 person in 67.................1.7%

AB +........1 person in 29..................3.2%

AB -.........1 person in 167................0.7%

Autoclaves

The autoclave is a cross between a pressure cooker and an oven and is used for sterilizing surgical instruments and dental equipment. It was invented by a French physician, Denis Papin, in 1681 as a device for cooking food. Modern autoclaves work on similar principles but may use dry or steam heat, gas or ultraviolet rays. The heat method works by operating at temperatures higher than boiling point for times of around a half hour.

Medical advances continue to happen on a daily basis and each year, mankind learns more about working with the human body. Much of this new information is aimed at improving quality of life.

References: Medical Discoveries by Bridget Travers and Fran Locher Freiman, U.X.L. 1997

The copyright of the article Strange Medical Facts in General Medicine is owned by Debbie Roome. Permission to republish Strange Medical Facts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Medicines are part of Medical Advances

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