(1) Throughout history, people have suffered from ailments that could have been easily avoided if they had only been understood. (2) For instance, it used to be common for hat makers to be tortured by uncontrollable trembling, slurred speech,
and mental confusion. (3) The condition led to Lewis Carroll's creation of the Mad Hatter in his book Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland. (4) Sadly, the hatters did not know that the mercury they used in creating felt hats was poisoning them, leading
to their strange symptoms. (5) Similarly, many of the world's greatest artists suffered from terrible depression. (6) Today we
know that the lead in the paint they used probably affected their mental state. (7) How tragic that so many lives were
destroyed for want of a little knowledge.
1. The primary purpose of this paragraph is to
a. to tell readers about formerly misunderstood ailments
b. to persuade readers to protect themselves against easily avoidable ailments.
c. both of the above.