Drug Discovery
How did it all begin? How did we go from ancient civilizations to becoming the drug-dependent culture we now have.
1. How our earliest ancestors selected
drugs is a matter for speculation.
-finding "healing herbs" was a process of trial and error
2. Those living in hot, sandy desert
conditions sought out soothing
balms and lotions to apply to their dry skin and eyes, while others whose diet was deficient in fiber sought herbs to relieve their constipation. The ache following the eating of contaminated foods was relieved by swallowing other herbs that irritated the wall of the stomach to induce vomiting, while the bleeding of minor cuts or the pain of burns was dealt with by rubbing with leaves or barks rich in astringent tannins.
3. Serious illness was a different matter.
Unable to explain how it was
possible to be fit and healthy one moment yet be writhing in agony or even dying a moment later, our ancestors turned to magic and the supernatural.
Traditional Medicine (What American medicine will move toward if the far-right has their way....
Video from Burma.
Sneader: History of Drugs (.pdf) If you want a lot of details..
Sneader: History of Drug Development
There are some scientific journals devoted toward studies of Herbal Medicine (they open as new windows to journal website).
International Journal of Herbal Medicine
Journal of Clinical Medicine and Clinical Naturopathy
American Journal of Phytomedicine and Clinical Therapeutics
Alternative and Integrative Medicine
Articles:
Today, we call the drugs that were initially found by trail and error Herbal Medicine. Products made from botanicals, or plants, that are used to treat diseases or to maintain health are called herbal products, botanical products, or phytomedicines. A product made from plants and used solely for internal use is called an herbal supplement.
Our Earliest Addicts:
According to Sneader (2005), The earliest direct for human consumption of betel nut comes from the Duyong Cave in the Philippines, where a skeleton from 2680 BC was found buried beside shells containing lime. There is a stimulatory effect from ingesting arecoline as a free base liberated with lime juice. (see more link).
A review of the .adverse effects of areca nut or betel nut (2014)
Note that the healer in the video said he was influenced by a spirit.
"Witch doctors, sorcerers, shamans and medicine men preceded their administration of herbs by elaborate rituals involving fervent dancing, weird utterances, grotesque facial expressions, use of charms and other devices – all likely to have a powerful effect on the mind of the sick person and thereby enhance any benefit to be derived from the treatment. Even when belief in magic was undermined by the arrival of both pantheistic and monotheistic religions, the remedies themselves hardly changed. Treatment was instead administered in conjunction with appropriate benedictions rather than the incantations previously uttered in the hope of driving out the demons" (Sneader, 2005).