A little programme on tv tonight about uneminent Victorians dropped a few
little nuggets unbeknown to me:
one was that for untold generations people had used crushed willowbark as
pain-killer. Victorian chemists succeeded in isolating the effective agent,
salic acid, and after some difficulty in creating a palatable product they
created what replaced both the traditional remedy and opium, which the
programme claimed was used by about 5 out of every 6 families, as a cure-all
pain-reliever.
It was aspirin.
The other one was that early Victorian dentures often used human teeth.
Guess where or what from?
Just thought I'd share that.
Best
David Bircumshaw
Leicester, England
A Chide's Alphabet
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Painting Without Numbers
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