A Breif History of Cystic Fibrosis....

CF is a  'disease' that has plague science since its first documentation beginning in the 1700's-1800's or so, when it was said by Switzerland and Germany folk tales/ literature , saying 'he's whose forehead tastes 'salty' will soon must die', pretty deep there,.

The first clue we got to CF is it's to do with something 'salt', but why and how?

'Salt' is a critical body mineral, -A.K.A., -Sodium Chloride-, it aids in the proper hydration of blood, fluids, and other body functions ,-to the best of my knowledge. Without  it we die, too much salt, we suffer problems with blood pressure, kidneys, osteoporosis and other aliments. The taste of salt is our basic human tastes, its an electrolyte, it's in out food, and was highly prized in the history of the world, and covers 80 percent of the earth in the form of the ocean.

It wasn't till 1930's was CF really looked into and came out of the the 'dark ages', and in 1938 'Cystic Fibrosis of the Pancrease ' was coined by Dorthy Hansine Anderson. After researching into pancreases and lungs of babies with 'CF', noting the intense scarring, and 'fibrosis' of her patients, 'Fibrosis' meaning thicken tissue cause by continued damage,. 'Cystic' meaning 'Cyst's that form membrane of nearby tissues, -or plugs in both the lungs and pancreases. Hence came around the name 'CYSTIC FIBROSIS', or even the other name not used much 'Mucoviscidosis.' Meaning 'Thick Mucus', possibly. 

Cystic Fibrosis even got confused with possible 'Celiac disease', a allergy where you can't tolerate wheat gluten,- by the problems with the bowels. 

Here is an excellent link explaining the history of cystic fibrosis and the leaps we really have made,-  and I mean a detail history, 

http://www.cfmedicine.com/history/index.htm

 CF itself is complicated. and history even more, yet oddly fascinating, It involves one single gene, and SALT.......and perhaps more that we don't know yet....