...The relation between geology and medicine is quite intriguing and can be dated back to the times of Hippocrates and Aristotle. For centuries man has looked up to Earth for the numerous answers he seeks concerning his own body, an amalgamation of elements once sheathed in Earth. To his surprise man has found that geology is both a poison and remedy to his health. In my paper I present the two sides of the geologic coin in the world of medicine. The rocks below our feet can be deemed culprit for a number of health related issues. How many times have we heard that, ‘We are what we eat’? The source of human nutrition is cultivated from the soil. Farmers throughout the globe consider the soil as the source of their family’s bread, however dissolved material, both beneficial and harmful, get incorporated into the ground. Bunnell’s article, ‘Medical Geology: a globally emerging discipline’, discusses the “Endemic diseases correlative with soil deficiencies in selenium, the juvenile cardiomyopathy “Keshan Disease”, and the iodine deficiency disorders including goiter and myxedematous cretinism.” (Bunnell) Another area of geology I would be focusing on is groundwater; groundwater as we know is the largest reserve of fresh water to humans. So how can water something essential to human life be harmful? The answer is contamination. Contaminants in water, even present in trace amounts, can be deemed culprit for delayed brain growth, cancer and many other problems. As stated in Robert...
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