Which is witch
If you happened to reside in Salem, Mass., in 1692-93, being a witch (or simply being accused of being one) was bad for your health. You would be tried and, if found guilty, imprisoned and/or executed.
Over the course of the infamous Salem witch trials, which ran for 15 months, 19 persons were hanged and one killed by torture. Five died in prison awaiting trial, while 150 others awaited their day in court.
What constituted evidence that the accused was a witch?
1. They were female.
2. They could not themselves financially.
3. Conversely, they were financially independent. (No man needed.)
4. They had one or more female friends.
5. They had had an argument with one or more female friends.
6. They had had a disagreement with someone. (Anyone could accuse anyone of being a witch.)
7. They were old.
8. They were very young.
9. They were good at healing others.
10. They were married with too few or no children.
Body of knowledge
Some babies are born with teeth, and not everyone loses their baby teeth. Tumors called teratomas can grow teeth (and hair). Wisdom teeth are slowly evolving into oblivion. Once needed to chew our predecessors’ tough, fibrous diet, they are disappearing. Roughly 35 percent of people today are born without wisdom teeth.
Get me that. Stat!
Average carbohydrate intake, as a percentage of total energy consumption, is declining among Americans, down to 46.7 percent. Protein intake is up slightly to 15.8 percent. Fat intake is rising, up to 35.8 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Doc talk
Mania of the week
Best medicine
Q: What do you call a doctor who treats stomach bugs?
A: A gastroentomologist.
Observation
“As you get older, three things happen. First, your memory goes. Then, I can’t the other two.”
Perishable publications
Many, if not most, published research papers have titles that defy comprehension. They use specialized jargon, complex words and opaque phrases like “nonlinear dynamics.” Sometimes they don’t, and yet they’re still hard to figure out. Here’s an actual title of actual published research study: “The Unsuccessful Self-Treatment of a Case of ‘Writer’s Block.’”
Published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the author Dennis Upper’s entire ruminations follow: …
Med school
Q: What are electrolytes?
A: Electrolyte is a catch-all term for substances that assist biological processes, including chemical reactions and fluid balance. They get their name for their positive or negative electrical charge when dissolved in water. Those charges contract muscles and control hydration levels. Sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium chloride, phosphate and bicarbonate are all considered to be electrolytes. Too much or too little of each can prompt a reaction from your body, including weakness, muscle contractions, fatigue or confusion.
LaFee is vice president of communications for the Sanford Burnham Prebys research institute.
