Medicinal properties

Guaiacol has a very characteristic odour and burning taste its medicinal properties are identical with those of creosote. Used in the preparation of vanillin and paparvarin and for denaturing alcohol. 

The toxic effects of mercury and mercury compounds as well as their medicinal properties have been known for many centuries. In the first century AD, Pliny indicated the use of mercuric sulfide (cinnabar or vermilion) in medicine and in cosmetics. This compound was probably known to the Greeks in the time of Aristotle (13). 

The carbonated beverage has its origin in the study of mineral waters in Europe in the sixteenth century. In the late eighteenth century, artificial mineral waters were investigated for their medicinal properties both in Europe and America. The first commercial artificial mineral water was manufactured in Europe during the 1780s and in America in the early 1800s. 

Pharmacology of Harman Derivalivea. Medicinal properties have... 

Proof-of-concept through new pharmaceuticals. We have generated preliminary data suggesting that one of Rumphius s purported pharmaceuticals does have the medicinal properties described. However, it has not been shown that the active compound is novel. Examining other plants identified in historic herbal texts for their purported medicinal properties may ultimately show that novel pharmaceuticals can be developed by mining historic herbal texts. 

Because not all of the species in the world are known, it is difficult to determine the exact rate of species extinction. Unfortunately, there are plants with medicinal properties that have gone extinct. The first case of a medicinal plant extinction documented in an herbal text is silphium [37]. 

Plants produce a vast array of terpenes, alkenes built in multiples of five carbon atoms. Many terpenes have characteristic fragrances. For example, the fresh odor of a pine forest is due to pinene, a ten-carbon molecule with a ring structure and one double bond. The fragrances of terpenes make them important in the flavor and fragrance industry. Limonene, another ten-carbon molecule with a ring and two double bonds, is the principal component of lemon oil. Geraniol, a chainlike molecule with two double bonds, is one of the molecules that is responsible for the fragrance of roses and is used in many perfumes. Many other terpenes have important medicinal properties. 

Also in the 17th century John Evelyn wrote in his Herbal, "If the medicinal properties of its leaves, bark and berries were fully known, I cannot tell what our countryman could all for which he might not fetch a remedy from every hedge, either for sickness or wounds." Evelyn also claimed that elder would help assist longevity and was effective "against all infirmities, whatever."... 

The culinary, nutritional and medicinal properties of elderberries are legion. They lack the usual tartness of other berries such as strawberries. Drying them improves the flavor. Dry them carefully to prevent mold from growing. Dr. Bernard Jensen recommends elderberry tea as a remedy for ovarian and menstrual problems. 

You will find elder products in natural food and herb stores. You may discover elder growing in your area and feast free on its many edible and medicinal properties. With all the marvelous benefits of the elder, be it as a flu remedy, elderberry pie or its... 

Cannabis sativa, one of the oldest plants farmed by man, has been known for its medicinal properties for at least four millennia (Peters, 1999). The psychoactive-euphoric effects of this plant, as well as its facile and wide climatic range of cultivation, have rendered it a very popular recreational drug. Today, cannabis, or marijuana, is still the focus of strong social, legal, and medical controversy over its therapeutic utility. 

Pharmacognosy, the study of plant products with medicinal properties, has contributed many structural leads to drug development. Although findings have in recent years been less frequent this discipline... 

Dyeing with madder yielded brilliant, permanent reds. When the dye was used in conjunction with different mordants, however, it provided a variety of hues, as listed in Table 95. Madder was also used for the preparation of red lakes (see Textbox 20), as for example, that applied to colored Greek terracotta statuettes (Abrahams and Edelstein 1967 Farnsworth 1951). For many generations and up to the present time madder has also enjoyed popularity in the Middle East for its medicinal properties. Madder has been identified in human bones buried in Qumran at the Dead Sea in Israel. People living at Qumran apparently believed that madder had medicinal and even magic properties, and drank a concoction of madder as a beverage (Steckoll et al. 1971). 

The Websites http //www.consciouschoice.com/herbs/herbsl308.html and http //www. homemademedicine.com/insectbiteandbeesting.html cite the many naturally occurring plants having interesting medicinal properties. 

Allardyce CS, Dyson PJ (2006) Medicinal Properties of Organometallic Compounds. 17 177-210... 

The USP was combined as a compendium with the National Formulary (NF) in 1975. Currently, the USP gives information regarding substances considered as having active medicinal properties while pharmaceutically inactive necessities are described in NF. The combined United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary (USP-NF) is legally recognized under the U.S. Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. 

Amines are found widely in nature. They are often toxic. Many amines that are produced by plants have medicinal properties. 

Figure 22.11. Cellulose is a structural and rather chemically inert component of terrestrial plants. Alginic acid is synthesized by marine algae and has medicinal properties. Some polysaccharides contain nitrogen in the form of amino sugars. The primary example of this is chitin, which composes the exoskeletons of Crustacea. An amino sugar contains an amine in place of a hydroxyl group. In other polysaccharides, sugars combine with lipids and proteins. These form glycoUpids and glycoproteins, respectively.

The majority of herbs are safe to handle and consume, but not all of them. Some herbs can be toxic to humans and animals even in small doses, so they need to be treated with respect. Never use anything that you are not sure is completely safe, and consult a medical herbalist first if you want to use herbs for their medicinal properties. 

For an enlightening look at early efforts at disease therapy, see D. L. Cowen and W. H. Helfand, Pharmacy, Abrams, New York, 1988. This unique book provides multiple examples of advertisements for early agents asserted to have useful medicinal properties. 

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