Napthalene was first reported by two chemists in 1819 and it was Michael Faraday who determined its chemical formula in 1826, which was later confirmed as composed of two fused benzene rings.

Exposure to mothballs has been found to be associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the lymph glands, and also blood diseases such as aplastic anemia (where normal new blood production is severely reduced or ceases) and hemolytic anemia (where blood cells are destroyed).

About 54,300 Americans are diagnosed with NHL each year, and about 19,400 of them die from it, reported the American Cancer Society. Since the 1970s, a few decades after the sharp rise in the use of household and agricultural pesticides, the incidence of NHL has doubled.

It is prudent for us to open our closets at home and get rid of those mothballs and all other toxic substances, like pesticides, etc. The farther away they are from us, the lesser our exposure to them, the safer we are. The caveat: Most any chemical, even the commonly used home and car deodorizers, or Muriatic (Hydrochloric) Acid, in any form, especially chemicals in aerosol or spray, are agents that are toxic to man and other living things. They can cause a variety of adverse effects on us, on our immune system, and even on our DNA, and lead to various illnesses, including cancer.

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Among the thousands of mind-boggling gadgets that the advances in computer technology have brought us is the Real-Time Micro Portable GPS Tracking Device, a unit that can help "track down anyone or anything with great accuracy, even indoors." The GPS (Global Positioning System) used in this tracker is the same as the GPS navigation device used by hikers, or in vehicles, which prompts the user which direction to travel, where to turn, even announcing the name of the street, all the way to the address destination, with amazing accuracy. GPS is also used in boats, airplanes, etc. The tracking device "utilizes state of the art location technology whether you need to locate a child, person, or asset…this tracking device is one of the world’s smallest and lightest GPS trackers. With a 7 to 10 day battery life, this GPS tracker can be located indoors and in other challenging places where conventional GPS devices fail. This could be used to protect valuable merchandise and equipment, or locate missing loved ones, especially young children, the very elderly persons, or even pets. And including persons who do not wish to be tracked down.

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A new study by World Health organization researchers revealed that suppositories "derived from sweet wormwood kill the deadliest malaria parasites quickly and offer stop-gap treatment for people in remote areas until they can reach a hospital." A single dose of artemisinin given rectally was superior to the conventional injection of quinine and cleared the parasites in 24 hours among patients with severe malaria, reported the journal BMC Infectious Disease.

"Early effective treatment with artemisinin-based suppositories has potential as a lifesaving intervention, particularly at the periphery of the healthcare system," stated WHO researcher Melba Gomes and colleagues. Sweet wormwood has been in the armamentarium of traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

The WHO reported that malaria, which is caused by a parasite (a protozoa, genus Plasmodium) transmitted by mosquitoes, kills one child every 30 seconds, mainly children under age 5 in Africa. Worldwide, 515 million people are afflicted with malaria each year and between 1 to 3 million of them die from it.

In the Philippines, the incidence of malaria was 67 per 100,000 in year 2000, a 34 percent reduction compared to the 1997 statistics. The death rate is below 1 per 100,000. The highest morbidity and mortality were in 1984 to 1989. Seventy percent of the cases are due to Plasmodium falciparum and the main vector is the mosquitoe Anopheles flavirostris.

While pneumonia and diarrhea are the top two on the list of ten leading morbidity (illnesses) in the Philippines, Malaria ranks number 8, just below heart diseases.

Cebu is among the malaria-free provinces, which includes Aklan, Biliran, Bohol, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Guimaras, Iloilo, Leyte, Northern Samar, Siquijor and Southern Leyte.

But don’t let your "mosquito guard" down. There are other serious illnesses that are transmitted by mosquitoes, like Dengue, encephalitis, etc. As we have often stated in this column, prevention is the best "cure" for most, if not all, illnesses and accidents.

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The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities, and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.