You are saying that if Parkinsonism can be correlated to inhaled toxins, then more PD would have been more prevalent throughout history? I am not sure what you mean. I do not think this is the only path to PD but just the only one, other than viral infection, that could connect us over a big span of time , but still within the context of Rick's thoughts on fallout of the Industrial Revolution.

The toxic soup we now breath is far different in content (pre automobile) and is far more pervasive. Plus, it is grossly unregulated. I think there is a huge difference between what was inhaled by cave dwellers using fire to what is inhaled when a Teflon pan overheats. Dupont had lots of explaining to do when people started losing their pet birds. They are still allowed to sell the crap but have added a disclaimer for the family parakeet.

As for life expectancy rates comparison, yes more people were lost to unsanitary living conditions and or no antibiotics, but I don't think we can make a direct comparison. It is common knowledge that life span has increased with vaccination and use of antiobiotics, but in this regard from an evolutionary perspective we all equally benefit from those things. We negate this gain by embracing "progress". We are exposing the human body to things it is not designed to handle, and we are the sorry outcome. We have a message no one wants to hear. I could cite numerous resources linking air pollution and disease, but I cannot be more clear than this doctor with the Physicians for Socially Responsible Medicine


The systemic inflammation caused by particulate pollution also affects the brain. Air pollution components reach the brain not only through the vascular system, but translocate via the nasal mucosa, along axons of the olfactory and trigeminal nerves into the central nervous system (CNS), allowing deep penetration into the parenchyma and brain stem (35, 36). Furthermore, many of the compounds adsorbed to particulate matter, like heavy metals, are neurotoxic. Through this mechanism, particulate pollution causes CNS oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuronal damage, cortical stress measured by EEG, enhancement of Alzheimer type-abnormal filamentous proteins, BBB changes, and cerebrovascular damage. Many of these changes can be found in children and young adults. Greater air pollution exposure is associated with lower intelligence, poorer motor function, attention deficits and behavioral problems in children, decreased cognition in adults, higher rates of strokes, multiple sclerosis, autism, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44).


I hope this addresses what you mean?