/oss/articles/rss en /oss/article/medical-history/wolfsbane-has-long-dark-history <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-wolfsbane-has-a-long-dark-history">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>“When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession.”</p> Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:29:16 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10175 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-did-you-know/acne-and-diet-ambiguous-association <p>You have probably heard that drinking milk and eating chocolate causes acne or, at the very least, that they make it worse. Diet is often blamed for a teenager’s pimply skin, but is there good evidence behind this accusation?</p> Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:14:36 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10174 at /oss /oss/article/medical-history-did-you-know/bite-science-venoms <p>You are likely aware of the large number of drugs that have been developed from chemicals found in plants, including aspirin from willow bark, atropine from deadly nightshade, and both morphine and codeine from the opium poppy. Indeed, more than a hundred-twenty, or over one-quarter of all drugs that currently exist, are derived from plants, although many of these have been chemically modified from their original form so as to improve potency and/or reduce unwanted side effects.</p> Fri, 22 Nov 2024 16:02:03 +0000 Patricia Brubaker, Ph.D., F.R.S.C. 10173 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/acrylic-fingernails-harbour-interesting-chemistry <p>I was queried via email “if there are chemicals in acrylic fingernails.” I imagine the question was really about the safety of the ingredients because for many the term chemical has become synonymous with toxic substance. Well, yes there are chemicals in acrylic fingernails, just like in everything except in a vacuum. As far as safety goes, it is possible to have an adverse reaction to some of the ingredients but that is not common. What there is for sure in acrylic fingernails is a lot of interesting chemistry.</p> Wed, 20 Nov 2024 21:17:57 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10169 at /oss /oss/article/medical-history-did-you-know/sometimes-luck-serves-springboard-science-0 <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-sometimes-luck-serves-as-a-springboard-for-science">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>It is a lifesaver, stocked in every emergency room! N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is amazingly effective as an antidote to acetaminophen poisoning.</p> Fri, 15 Nov 2024 22:57:27 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10165 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/kennedys-coalition-quacks-wants-feed-america-diet-lies <p>When America sneezes, the world catches a cold. Donald Trump’s renewed tenancy in the White House, with anti-vaxxer-in-chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr whispering in his ear, promises more than just sneezes. It heralds the return of vaccine-preventable illnesses, which do not stop at the border.</p> Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:40:39 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10162 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-contributors/fecal-matter-deserves-better <p>It may be an indelicate subject to bring up at the dinner table, but colon cancer screening based on fecal matter merits discussion. The first-generation kit ColoGuard rolled out in August 2014, and now an advanced version, ColoGuard Plus, received FDA approval in October 2024. What’s new? </p> Mon, 18 Nov 2024 21:13:11 +0000 Nancy Liu-Sullivan, PhD 10167 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking/ballistic-bomb-fizzes-out <p>The advertising is pretty bold. “Feel Good in the Southern Hemisphere! Try a Ballistic Bomb.” They’re not talking about hitching a ride aboard a missile to Australia. They’re talking about the Southern Hemisphere of the body. The part that is immersed in the water in a bath. The Ballistic Bomb is a hardened cake of chemicals that is designed to be dropped into the bath water. It produces vigorous fizzing, supposedly the cause of pleasure in the “Southern Hemisphere,” while releasing a plethora of scents which claim to relax the bather and put a smile on his or her face. </p> Wed, 13 Nov 2024 14:47:11 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10160 at /oss /oss/article/medical-history-did-you-know/lorenzos-oil-contributed-treatment-devastating-disease <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-lorenzos-oil-raised-awareness-about-a-devastating-disease">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Given that he had trained and practised as a physician before turning to filmmaking, it is no surprise that George Miller was so captivated by the story of Michaela and Augusto Odone’s struggle to save their son from a deadly disease that he decided to turn it into a movie.</p> Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:05:23 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10154 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/linoleic-acid-neither-villain-nor-superhero <p>Are you familiar with linoleic acid? If you’ve heard about it from Dr.</p> Fri, 08 Nov 2024 16:23:16 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10153 at /oss