esearch.One of the biggest discoveries made was the use of Curare. Curare was originally used as a poison in war in the 1600’s. In 1939, the active ingredient, D-tubocurarine, was isolated, and led to a skeletal muscle relaxant, Intocostrin. Intocostrin has been used in surgeries ever since because it does not have the same depressant effects as Ether or Chloroform (King and Veilleux WWW).Indian fever bark from the cinchona tree is used to cure one of the most common jungle diseases, Malaria. The active ingredient in the bark is alkaloid quinine. It was used by the natives of the Andes and Amazon highlands and was brought to Europe by Jesuit missionaries. Alkaloid quinine can be used to treat other fever inducing diseases besides Malaria (King and Veilleux WWW).Many people in the world suffer from an eye condition called Glaucoma. Glaucoma causes blindness by building up pressure until the eye can no longer function. The leaves of the jaborandi tree secrete oil rich in alkaloid pilocarpine. When applied to the eye of someone with Glaucoma, the pilocarpine stimulates the muscle that contracts the pupil to relieve eye pressure. The tree leaves have other uses besides Glaucoma. In tablet form, it has been used to treat dry mouth syndrome, and in powder form, it is used as a stimulant and expectorant in diabetes and asthma. The Brazilians make a tea to use as a diuretic or sweat inducer. It is also said that if applied to the scalp it will prevent baldness (King and Veilleux WWW).Some may think that pineapple is only good for eating, but it has been proven that pineapple is more useful than that. Pineapple contains an enzyme called Bromelain that breaks down proteins. Pineapple is used to reduce inflammation in wounds and other skin injuries, break down blood clots, and may aid in treatment of burned tissue, abscesses, and ulcers. It is possible that pineapple will someday play a part in heart attack treatment (King an...
