Examples of ancient "magic" herbs, and why they worked.
Egyptians rubed moldy bread into wounds. Penicillium mold excretes penicillin.
African children were given tree bark to chew on to cure fevers caused by "bad air." Cinochona tree bark contains quinine, a chemical that treats malaria.
Chewing on willow bark used to be a common pain reliver. Willow bark contains compounds similar to asprin.
Parts of the foxglove plant were used to treat heart disease in the 16th centure. Digitalis, comonly prescribed today as a cardiac glycoside, is still harvested from foxglove leaves.
Sc is pretty boring.
last edit on
7/4/2019 5:08:58 AM
