It sounds like the stuff of fairy tales or a thing that could only happen in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Imagine a doctor writing the words “ice cream” on a prescription […]
Research Proves Benefits When Doctors Prescribe Ice Cream
The Strange Case of the Woman Who Urinated From Her Ears, Eyes, Nose, and Navel
If you have suffered through a long car ride in which the driver refuses to stop for a bathroom break, you may have felt as if your eyeballs were floating. Possibly you […]
Who Would Want to Be the Shepherd of the Royal Anus?
What is the weirdest job you could list on your resume? It probably doesn’t hold a candle to “Shepherd of the Royal Anus.” Despite what you may think, having that job was […]
The Strange Case of the Exploding Teeth
If you harbor some anxiety about visiting the dentist, you certainly aren’t alone. As many as 75% of adults report some level of dentophobia — fear of dentists. For those who dread […]
One-Fourth of Orthopedic Surgeons Have Operated On the Wrong Limb
Did you hear about the surgeon who accidentally amputated a patient’s right leg, when it was the left one that was to be removed? Once he realized the error, he had no […]
Hippocrates’ Horrifying Method For Dealing With Hemorrhoids
There are days when researching subjects for Commonplace Fun Facts has us reading inspiring stories of heroism. Sometimes we are privy to the thought-provoking journals of some of history’s greatest minds. There […]
Rabies — 100% Fatal and 100% Preventable
When it comes to killer diseases, you will be hard-pressed to find anything more lethal than rabies. Tens of thousands of people contract the disease each year. Once the symptoms begin to […]
Bad Handwriting Responsible for Up to 61% of Prescription Errors
It is a standing joke that physicians have horrible handwriting. It turns out this may not be such a laughing matter. A number of studies have found that sloppy handwriting is just […]
The Medicine Worked Fine… Until the Patient’s Jaw Fell Off
Feeling rundown? Suffering from headaches? How about anemia? Diabetes? Asthma? Whatever it is that is making you feel under the weather, Radithor may be just what you need. What’s that you say? […]
How Lawrence of Arabia’s Death Led to the Use of the Crash Helmet?
T.E. Lawrence, known around the world as “Lawrence of Arabia,” died on May 19, 1935. His death, 6 days after a tragic motorcycle accident, seemed an inglorious end to the life of […]
Naturally Protected
95% of all people have a natural immunity to leprosy. source
Forget “An Arm and a Leg” — Here’s The Really Expensive Stuff
We refer to something outlandishly expensive as “costing an arm and a leg.” Perhaps a better comparison would be the cost of a unit of blood.
A Smile So Sharp It Will Split Atoms
From 1940 to 1945, if you wanted to acquire radioactive material in Germany, you didn’t have to engage in cloak-and-dagger shenanigans; you simply had to go to the nearest pharmacy and purchase […]
Pucker Up and Kiss Your Allergies Goodbye
Countless songs, poems, and dramatic works have been written about the power of a kiss. You may have been unaware of one of the additional benefits of the exercise: allergy reduction. Dr. […]
Gunshot Wound? Don’t Worry, Son… I’m Sure There’s An App for That
Every child believes his or her mom can fix every boo-boo. Sometimes that faith can be misplaced. Consider the case of the 14-year-old son of Deborah Tagle, who received a gunshot wound […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 