Did you know ...?

Why chemists use the Rx sign.

The early Roman prescription physicians used the sign R on the labels of medicines that they sold. The "R" stood for recipe, the Latin word for "take". The average prescription in those days consisted of everything available, all mixed into one gunshot solution, in the hope that at  least one of the remedies would do the trick.

However, most Roman physicians instructed their customers to pray to the God Jupiter after taking a dose. Eventually, they placed these prayers, in short form, on the labels in addition to the "R". On the tale of the "R" they subsequently added a cross mark, part of the sign of Jupiter, just to make sure that the patient remembered to pray.

This is why our domain is called "sadleirsrx.com".

 

 

Colds and flu are nothing to sneeze at.

Colds and flu are not the most welcome winter visitors, but there is more to those common aches, pains, sneezes, coughs and splutters than just the winter blues.

  • One sneeze propels up to 100,000 bacteria into the air at about 320 km/hr.
  • Sneezing whilst driving a car means that you drive blind for between 30 and 100 metres.
  • After only 30 seconds use, a handkerchief can contain up to 15,000 germs.
  • The expression "God Bless You" originates from the sixth century where it was used as a congratulatory statement, as a sneeze was thought to expel evil spirits.
  • In the USA in 1919, it was an offence to sneeze in public and people were jailed if they did.
  • Every winter, there are more than 200 different types of flu viruses. All are highly contagious and usually spread through coughing and sneezing.
  • Between 1,500 and 2,000 Australians die from influenza each year, with children and the elderly being most at risk.
  • As many as 1,000,000 Australians can suffer from a cold at any one time, with most of the population being infected between two and three times each year.
  • Colds and flu are not treatable with antibiotics and should be managed with plenty of rest as well as pharmacy recommended products to relieve symptoms.