Botox – An Accidental Cosmetic Discovery

         Botox (botulinum toxin) was discovered in 1987 by Alastair and Jean Carruthers and it began as a toxin that was to treat eyelid spasms and other eye-muscle disorders (Simmons, 2021). They discovered that Botox had an interesting side effect which is that it made wrinkles disappear. This discovery was to become one of the biggest discoveries in cosmetic procedures in the world.

          Botox is made by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This causes paralyzing of the muscles of the throat, face, and mouth before it spreads to the rest of the body (Saleh, 2019). The way Botox works is that it is injected into the muscle of the area for treatment, and Botox suffuses the nerve terminal binding it and preventing the release of acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter (Saleh, 2019).   Preventing the release of acetylcholine stops muscle activity causing paralysis. This is what stops spasms and takes away wrinkles. Clostridium botulinum was discovered by Belgian scientist Emile Pierre van Ermengem after a botulism outbreak that happened in Belgium (Saleh, 2019).  

           After Botox was discovered to make wrinkles disappear, since 2002 (this is when the FDA approved it to be used in cosmetic procedures) women have been using Botox injections to tighten their skin and to smooth away wrinkles. Since FDA approval, Botox is used to treat many medical treatments like chronic migraines, eyelid spasms, neck and shoulder spasms, frown lines, crows feet, crossed eyes, and even excessive sweating and overactive bladders. Botox can be used without any anesthesia for treating some medical treatments such as frown lines and crows feet.

          There are some disadvantages of using Botox. Because it paralyzes the area of the body that the injection was given, if it was injected into the face, it is possible the face might lose some expressions. Botox can be expensive. It also is not permanent which means the patient must go back after a period of time to be reinjected. And just like with any toxins, your body could reject it or catch a severe injection.

Fireworks – An Alchemist’s Accidental Discovery

          In 200 BC to  800 AD (Stempien, 2015): A Chinese alchemist trying to make a potion to find eternal life mixed together sulfur, potassium nitrate and charcoal, and instead ended up with a fire and a boom noise, giving the Chinese the idea to pack the powder (they called it gun powder later) into bamboo tubes, light it on fire to make noise to use during celebrations (Stempien, 2015). These were also used in China to fight off spirits that they perceived as being evil because they thought the noise would scare the evil spirit off.

          In 1200 to 1600 AD (Stempien, 2015): The Chinese made the first rocket cannons that used gun powder to blast projectiles to their enemies. The West side of the world heard about gun powder when Arabian and European diplomats visited China. Upon discovering gun powder there, they began to make their own weapons such as cannons and muskets. In 1600 AD, fireworks became more elaborate in the West to celebrate religious events, military victories and even aerial fireworks were used.

           In 1600 AD to Present (Stempien, 2015): Around 1830, Italian inventors added in barium and strontium metals (now called aluminum powder) which makes the firework explosions greater which also added color. Today, a firework is made from gun powder in a paper tube for the explosion, and the  aluminum powder and metal salts for the bangs and flashes with colors.

            Most fireworks are made in China by hand to stop factory explosions and fires. This is because the materials are friction-sensitive.  When the firework charge is lit, the gun powder gets hot and causes gases that shoot fire backwards causing the firework to shoot forward up into the air. 

References

Japan Wonder Travel Blog. (2021). Image from Website. Retrieved from Japan Wonder Travel Blog: https://blog.japanwondertravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1478035_l-1200x800.jpg

Saleh, N. (2019, November 23). The Remarkable History of Botox. Retrieved from Very Well Health: https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-botox-came-to-be-1124145

Simmons, A. (2021, January 6). 10 Accidental Discoveries That Changed the World. Retrieved from Reader's Digest: https://www.rd.com/list/10-accidental-discoveries-put-to-good-use/

Stempien, A. (2015). The Evolution of Fireworks. Retrieved from Smithsonian Science Education Center: https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/evolution-fireworks