Dating myths

This allegorical letter which I recent uncovered in MS. Sloane 3667 (folios 15v-16v) in the British Library, a compilation of short pieces dated to the middle-late 17th century, is of interest as it has some parallels with the myth of the discovery of the tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz recounted in the Fama Fratemitatis"... 

Blackwell, B. Shepherd, M. 1968, Prophylactic lithium another therapeutic myth An examination of the evidence to date, Lancet, vol. 1, no. 7549, pp. 968-971. 

I often say it s on this date of July 2, 1982, that the myth of the Nazi gas chambers and their associated witnesses died or entered their final death throes, at least on the level of historical research. At the very heart of the Sorborme, one had thus disconcertingly discovered the absence of any solid proof and any witness worthy of trust. Notwithstanding, one had previously trumpeted that this colloquium... 

But the trouble is that the right question has never been asked. Which question have we to answer Is aromaticity an out-of-date or an up-to-date concept or (that most tedious question) Ts aromaticity a myth or reality These questions must be discussed before we can venture upon defining and measuring aromaticity. 

The use of cocaine by humans dates back to prehistoric times. The Incas of the Andes regions of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru developed the practice of chewing the coca leaf more than 3,000 years ago. Archeological sites in Peru that date back to 1300 B.C. contain mummified bodies with shell vessels for coca and the powdered lime used even today to enhance absorption of cocaine from the leaf (Streatfeild, 2001). Coca was a sacred drug to the Incas. Mama Coca" was viewed as possessing a goddess-like essence. One myth had it that coca had been a beautiful woman who was executed for adultery. From her remains the divine coca plant grew, to be consumed only by royalty in her memory (Petersen, 1977). 

The aim of this book is to bring the background of this fascinating field to the attention of a wider audience. It explores the literature to date and attempts to indicate other areas in which ultrasound may be exploited. It also hopes to explode some of the myths surrounding this area which have hitherto been regarded by the synthetic community as a bit of a black art ... 

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