More Facts About the World of Medicine

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Medical care has come a long way from ancient times, but there is still a lot to be learned AND the strange things that were done in the past are often ridiculous. Take for instance: In ninth-century Baghdad, doctors hung pieces of meat around the city. They were looking for the best possible site to build a hospital. Say what? Yes, they chose the location where the meat last turned rotten, thinking that it would prove to be the healthiest site. Really? Here’s an odd fact: Inca surgeons used coca leaves in surgery a long time before Europeans learned the anesthetic properties of cocaine. But, they didn’t use it on the patient. They used it on themselves to keep awake and alert through hours of surgery. Hmmm. Did you know that Jimmy Carter was the first U.S. president to be born in a hospital? He is older than I am and I was born at home, like most babies back then. Were you born in a hospital?