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The question was posed in the "Preparation H" forum as to how and who exactly discovered that shark liver oil relieved lower sphincter irritation. The answer is not quite as simple as a professor in a small boat shooting a shark with a large gun, then disemboweling the unfortunate vertibrate and accidentally sitting on its liver whilst naked. Many tiny steps and lessons were taken and learned, leading inexorably towards this final shark-population-devastating conclusion.
Many fine scientists and biologists risked their lives for each tiny floating sliver of information that would one day revolutionise posteria relief.
The first such lesson would have been learned by early man. Whilst paddling in the swash perhaps looking for tasty sea morsels to take back to the tribe. One moment searching for sushi - next moment chewed up churvy swept out with the tide.
This inevitably made sharks a target for fear and loathing. As man's skills grew he was able to catch and kill sharks for food.
Even today, parents still chastise errant children for playing with their food. It was centuries of playing with food that taught us many of the restorative and curative properties of the shark.