Drugs today are obtained from
several sources. According to http://waybuilder.net/sweethaven/MedTech/Pharmacol/coursemain.asp?whichMod=module010303 (retrieved 8th,
oct. 2013) the following are some of the
sources of drugs :
a. Plants. For thousands of years, plants have
served as sources of drugs. Ephedrine, a drug used to treat nasal congestion,
was used by the Chinese long before western man visited the Orient. Belladonna
(or Deadly Nightshade), the source of atropine and scopolamine was used in the
middle Ages. Its name means "beautiful woman" in Italian. A solution
obtained by soaking the belladonna plant in water caused the pupils of the eye
to dilate and appear black. These were symbols of beauty at the time. Belladonna
was a favorite poison. Opium, a product obtained from the poppy plant, is
mentioned in early Greek mythology as a sleep producer.
b. Animals. Animals provide us with large
supplies of natural products like hormones. Insulin, used in the treatment of
diabetes mellitus, used to be obtained from the pancreas of pork, beef, and
even fish. Heparin, a potent anticoagulant, is obtained from the intestinal and
lung mucosa of beef and hogs.
c. Minerals. Minerals, such as iron and iodine,
are essential for normal growth and development. An old remedy for pallor (a
very pale complexion) was the water used to cool horseshoes in the blacksmith
shop. This water contained small amounts of iron in solution.
d. Microorganisms. You are probably aware of the
fact that microbes can cause disease and/or death. Fortunately, some
microorganisms can be used to produce antibiotics. These antibiotics can be
used to kill or stop the growth of other microbes. Furthermore, chemically
treated or killed microorganisms can be used to produce vaccines.
e. Synthetics. These are drugs that are
synthesized by chemical processes; synthetic drugs naturally become
comparatively cheap and can be synthesized quickly when desired. Most drugs
today are synthetically made. Examples of synthetically produced drugs are
aspirin , chloroquine and the sulpha drugs.
(http://waybuilder.net/sweethaven/MedTech/Pharmacol/coursemain.asp?whichMod=module010303)
No comments:
Post a Comment