PILLS

[diplodocus]

re thalidomide

this was a big problem due to the two mirror images of the drug and they weren't tested on pregnant rats so the mutagenic properties of one side of the mirror image.

after the problems they retested it and found the problem, this is now solved by filtering the drug so only the 'safe' side is used as the active ingredient.

it's still used now as a pretty effective drug for other specialist areas rather than the morning sickness it was originally marketed as.

the vast majority of drugs are the active ingredients of natural products, as you say knowledge is passed down, but science takes this knowledge, finds the active ingredient and makes the molecule thereby allowing it to be used at an exact dose, eg asprin was originally found in bark, they just took out the active molecule and made it on its own - now used for many other things due to the testing that has to be done on drugs - this isn't the case for herbs, so it's a bit of a misnomer to say herbs are better than synthesised drugs as they don't ondergo the same checks as drugs

[eroticartist]

Diplodocus,
The capitalist drug companies are not interested in testing herbs because they cannot market them as a branded product. Your example of willow bark illustrates this point:if you boil some of the bark and drink the effusion then your headache will go without any side effects, but take an aspirin which is a highly refined synthetic clone of the active substance contained in willow bark, then the side effects are approximately one egg cup full of blood in the stomach per tablet.

Herbs and their medicinal effects have been tested over thousands of years of human experience.

The great killer MRSA can be stopped by the humble garlic which is a powerful and tested anti-biotic but the drug companies can't market it because you can buy it in the greengrocers or grow it yourself!
Mike.

[eroticartist]

Warren,
"Laboratory conditions" are misleading because diseased humans do not exist or suffer in them and their sterile environments.
Research at Kings College has supported evidence of herbal cures for cancer and diabetes:

Mike.

[eroticartist]

Warren,
Carry on taking the pills!
Mike.

[eroticartist]

Warren,
I noticed that you ignored my link which proves that herbs do work! Seems like you seem to ignore the medical research done by the Kings College team.
Mike.

[eroticartist]

Warren,
If the curry leaf cures cancer, as proven scientifically by the Kings College research, why is it not prescribed in its herbal form by the NHS?
Think about it!
Mike.