Posts tagged pharmaceuticals

When the cure is worse than the disease… No. 97: Metallic stomatitis sores, concurrent with re-emergence of syphilitic mucous papules. Caused by mercuric injections.No. 98: Bullous Erythema multiforme brought on by arseno-benzene injections. Patient had nine injections of mercury and eleven of arseno-benzene, and presented his rash two-and-a-half months later. His urine had much protein in it and showed signs of acute yellow atrophy of the liver. He was given three more injections of arseno-benzene and apparently recovered?No. 99: “Typical” presentation of nails after acute arsenical dermatitis, after the rash has disappeared. There were many recorded deaths from the “cure” for syphilis, often from infection of open wounds caused by reactions to the deadly poisons that people were ingesting to try and avail themselves of an illness that, if anything, would probably have killed them much more slowly… Venereal Diseases: Their Clinical Aspect and Treatment. J. E. R. McDonagh, 1921.

When the cure is worse than the disease…

No. 97: Metallic stomatitis sores, concurrent with re-emergence of syphilitic mucous papules. Caused by mercuric injections.

No. 98: Bullous Erythema multiforme brought on by arseno-benzene injections. Patient had nine injections of mercury and eleven of arseno-benzene, and presented his rash two-and-a-half months later. His urine had much protein in it and showed signs of acute yellow atrophy of the liver. He was given three more injections of arseno-benzene and apparently recovered?

No. 99: “Typical” presentation of nails after acute arsenical dermatitis, after the rash has disappeared.

There were many recorded deaths from the “cure” for syphilis, often from infection of open wounds caused by reactions to the deadly poisons that people were ingesting to try and avail themselves of an illness that, if anything, would probably have killed them much more slowly…

Venereal Diseases: Their Clinical Aspect and Treatment. J. E. R. McDonagh, 1921.

Five Important Plants in Pharmaceuticals (in no particular order): 1. Papaver somniferum, the Opium Poppy: Gives us opiates such as morphine, thebaine, codeine, and heroin. All opiates are powerful analgesics and most derivatives of the poppy also have a strong sedative effect. The smooth muscle in the body is also relaxed by these substances. 2. Digitalis purpurea, Purple Foxglove: Gives us digoxin, one of the most important cardiac glycocides that exist. Causes the heart to beat more slowly and effectively at the correct dosages. 3. Filipendula ulmaria, Meadowsweet: Gives us salicin, and salicylic acid. While salicylic acid in the form of white willow bark powder had been used for centuries as an analgesic, the salacin of meadowsweet caused much less gastric upset, and was mixed with acetyl chloride to create aspirin - the antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory that is still the most common pain relief medication in the majority of the world. 4. Atropa belladonna, Deadly Nightshade: Gives us atropine, a powerful smooth-muscle antispasmodic and pupil dilator. In fact, the name itself (belladonna) comes from the fact that women used to use the plant to increase their pupil size at several points in history, as was considered attractive. Atropine was also used as an anesthetic during surgery in the Middle Ages. 5. Physostigma venenosum, the Calabar Bean: A very toxic plant with a rich history of poisonings and trial-by-fire incidents, the calabar bean also provides us with physostigmine. Physostigmine is a powerful cholinergic agent, and can be used to counteract poisonings by anticholinergics (such as deadly nightshade, mandrake, henbane, and datura plants). Conversely, those plants provide the anticholinergic agent used to treat calabar bean poisoning. Every single one of these plants is easily fatal in the incorrect dosages, but by discovering the ethnobotanic history of plants (traditional cures), and isolating the active ingredients in plants identified, effective and relatively safe medications can be produced. Over 85% of our modern medications have been derived from plant compounds to some degree, and ethnobotanists have played a huge role in that. Image: Atropa belladonna, Deadly Nightshade - Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Dr. Otto Willhelm Thome, 1885.

Five Important Plants in Pharmaceuticals (in no particular order):

1. Papaver somniferum, the Opium Poppy: Gives us opiates such as morphine, thebaine, codeine, and heroin. All opiates are powerful analgesics and most derivatives of the poppy also have a strong sedative effect. The smooth muscle in the body is also relaxed by these substances.

2. Digitalis purpurea, Purple Foxglove: Gives us digoxin, one of the most important cardiac glycocides that exist. Causes the heart to beat more slowly and effectively at the correct dosages.

3. Filipendula ulmaria, Meadowsweet: Gives us salicin, and salicylic acid. While salicylic acid in the form of white willow bark powder had been used for centuries as an analgesic, the salacin of meadowsweet caused much less gastric upset, and was mixed with acetyl chloride to create aspirin - the antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory that is still the most common pain relief medication in the majority of the world.

4. Atropa belladonna, Deadly Nightshade: Gives us atropine, a powerful smooth-muscle antispasmodic and pupil dilator. In fact, the name itself (belladonna) comes from the fact that women used to use the plant to increase their pupil size at several points in history, as was considered attractive. Atropine was also used as an anesthetic during surgery in the Middle Ages.

5. Physostigma venenosum, the Calabar Bean: A very toxic plant with a rich history of poisonings and trial-by-fire incidents, the calabar bean also provides us with physostigmine. Physostigmine is a powerful cholinergic agent, and can be used to counteract poisonings by anticholinergics (such as deadly nightshade, mandrake, henbane, and datura plants). Conversely, those plants provide the anticholinergic agent used to treat calabar bean poisoning.

Every single one of these plants is easily fatal in the incorrect dosages, but by discovering the ethnobotanic history of plants (traditional cures), and isolating the active ingredients in plants identified, effective and relatively safe medications can be produced. Over 85% of our modern medications have been derived from plant compounds to some degree, and ethnobotanists have played a huge role in that.

Image: Atropa belladonna, Deadly Nightshade - Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. Dr. Otto Willhelm Thome, 1885.
biomedicalephemera: Bothrops jararaca - Jararaca or Yararaca This is just one of the many pit vipers that inhabit South America. It is currently particularly prevalent in Argentina and Paraguay, though it was historically mostly found in Brazil - this may be a result of more people living in the Paraguayan and Argentinian territories than Brazilian, however.  This is a significant species of pit viper primarily for its venom being the source of several base peptides used in ACE inhibitors, used for congestive heart failure cases. Though its bites cause death only ~1% of the time, these snakes are considered dangerous as they are very prevalent, and cause death years after the bite more frequently than other snakes. Their hemotoxic venom affects the heart and vessels in such a way that they are sometimes unable to deal with the stresses of aging. Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867. Here’s a real jararaca! :D

biomedicalephemera:

Bothrops jararaca - Jararaca or Yararaca

This is just one of the many pit vipers that inhabit South America. It is currently particularly prevalent in Argentina and Paraguay, though it was historically mostly found in Brazil - this may be a result of more people living in the Paraguayan and Argentinian territories than Brazilian, however. 

This is a significant species of pit viper primarily for its venom being the source of several base peptides used in ACE inhibitors, used for congestive heart failure cases. Though its bites cause death only ~1% of the time, these snakes are considered dangerous as they are very prevalent, and cause death years after the bite more frequently than other snakes. Their hemotoxic venom affects the heart and vessels in such a way that they are sometimes unable to deal with the stresses of aging.

Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.

Here’s a real jararaca! :D

Bothrops jararaca - Jararaca or Yararaca This is just one of the many pit vipers that inhabit South America. It is currently particularly prevalent in Argentina and Paraguay, though it was historically mostly found in Brazil - this may be a result of more people living in the Paraguayan and Argentinian territories than Brazilian, however.  This is a significant species of pit viper primarily for its venom being the source of several base peptides used in ACE inhibitors, used for congestive heart failure cases. Though its bites cause death only ~1% of the time, these snakes are considered dangerous as they are very prevalent, and cause death years after the bite more frequently than other snakes. Their hemotoxic venom affects the heart and vessels in such a way that they are sometimes unable to deal with the stresses of aging. Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.

Bothrops jararaca - Jararaca or Yararaca

This is just one of the many pit vipers that inhabit South America. It is currently particularly prevalent in Argentina and Paraguay, though it was historically mostly found in Brazil - this may be a result of more people living in the Paraguayan and Argentinian territories than Brazilian, however. 

This is a significant species of pit viper primarily for its venom being the source of several base peptides used in ACE inhibitors, used for congestive heart failure cases. Though its bites cause death only ~1% of the time, these snakes are considered dangerous as they are very prevalent, and cause death years after the bite more frequently than other snakes. Their hemotoxic venom affects the heart and vessels in such a way that they are sometimes unable to deal with the stresses of aging.

Bilder-atlas zur wissenschaftlich popularen. Leopold Fitzinger, 1867.