What is the history of some of the common drugs that we use today?

The action and effect of drugs was distinguished by man in the early civilization. The use of drugs to heal ailments and improve health could be seen in the old therapeutic writings on India and china. Interests and evolution in drugs got advanced over the period of time. In the middle ages, there was a noted rise in the usage of herbal medicines. And several major contributions have been made in the past 500 years in the field of medicine.

Here are discussed some of the ancient medicinal practices and their evolution in recent times.

History of quinine- it was in the year 1630 when, Agostino Salumbrino, a Jesuit missionary priest was cured of malaria. A concoction was used which was made by Inca medicine man, of Lima in Peru. The potion was kept a secret. But the priest was determined to find out the concoction and was successful in finding out, that it came from cinchona bark. After two centuries, quinine emerged from the bark which was used to treat infectious disease.

History of Penicillin- Alexander Fleming, in the year 1928 was working on bacteria named Staphylococcus, and he forgot to close the lab window and was out for 3 weeks for vacation. When came back, saw that the bacteria got destroyed, on account of fungal growth (mould) which was called penicillin. Later Ernst Chain and Howard Florey, isolated penicillin and were successful in creating the worlds first antibiotic.

History of insulin- before the invention of insulin the only treatment available for a diabetic was starvation diet therapy. Fredrick Banting and Charles Best, made use of the extract from pancreas, which had insulin. It was the first hormone to be discovered. Thus, it got converted from fatal disease to a compatible disease.

History of aspirin- in 1763 the use of willow bark to treat ague or fever was discovered. Aspirin is now the most common from of drug that is used to treat simple pain.

History of Chemotherapy- until the year 1903 there was no cure for African sleeping sickness. Paul Ehrlich, synthesized a series of compounds from atoxyl. Arsphenamine the 606th one was most effective against parasite and non toxic to the human body. It was the first step towards chemotherapy.

Others- statins, steroids, birth control pills, Vi@gr@ are relatively new drugs that are widely used.