Salt figures prominently in two of the 15 medical greatest medical advances since 1840, according to the latest British Medical Journal , including the one judged most important: public sanitation . Chllorination is an important element in ensuring public sanitation. The other is oral rehydration therapy -- the administration of a solution of salt, sugar and water to combat diaherria.

A third salt-related development was highlighted as one of the major health advances -- the development of systematic rules for applying science known as "evidence-based medicine ." As BMJ points out: how can it be that clinicians give only lip service to basing treatment deciisons on hard science and why have they had such a hard time setting aside their informed professional opinions in favor of reliance on scientific evidence? That's the question we've been raising for the past decade with regard to the mounting scientific evidence that there is no health benefit for reducing dietary salt .

Finally, an omission, we believe, from an otherwise-excellent compilation: the fortification of dietary salt with potassium iodide or potassium iodate. Iodizing salt to combat Iodine Deficiency Disorders and the mentail impairment they impose on children born of iodine-deficient mothers and developing children receiving insufficient amounts of the vital trace mineral iodine was worthy of inclusion. That said, we''re not sure which of the 15 should have been jettisoned to make room.