Numbers

HEALTH CARE

110.2 million Number of emergency-department (ED) patients in 2004, up from 93.4 million in 1994. The number of hospitals operating 24-hour EDs decreased 12% in that same period

150% Increase from 1997 to 2004 in average wait time for treatment for ED heart-attack patients, according to a Cambridge Health Alliance study. In 1997, it was 8 min.; in 2004, 20 min.

DRUG USE

3.1 million Number of people from age 12 to 25 who have used over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to get high

140 Number of nonprescription medications that contain the cough suppressant DXM, which in high doses acts as a dissociative hallucinogenic drug

ACCESSORIES

$18,000 Cost of the new Kale Miles leather belt. The item's high price tag is due mainly to its nearly 8-oz. (0.25 kg) platinum buckle

3 Number of weeks it takes to make each buckle in a Boston workshop. Leather cutting and assembly are done by hand in Maine over the course of one week, with materials supplied by an English tannery

PATENTS

4.7% Growth in the number of patent applications worldwide each year

800% Increase in applications in mainland China from 1995 to 2005

Sources: Cambridge Health Alliance (2); MSNBC (2); New York magazine (2); AFP (2)