Natural Healers
Abstract
Some naturally occurring chemicals have been used as medicines for hundreds of years; opium was a panacea before morphine was isolated from it, whilst quinine has been a key anti-malarial for several hundred years. Penicillin led the way in showing the twentieth century that new drugs could come from natural sources, promoting the search for many others. Some of these have been discovered by accident, others as a result of systematic testing, often of soil samples. Some of these “natural” drugs have become abused.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
Historical Medical Research and Treatments
Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- CRC Press eBooks
- Pages
- 191–215
- Publication date
- 31 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter