Understanding Foods and Drugs
Author: Zhiming Ou
Mattermatics Learning Center
Publisher: 3265 Public Way
ISBN: 978-1-997036-04-3
Summary
Animals need energy to maintain life and metabolism. Besides the biomolecules that can be synthesized by an animal’s own cells, animals live on foods. At the same time, pathogens are also taken in. To live on, animals should develop some protection from diseases, such as the immune system; also, a person must have the knowledge of the causes for diseases.
To search for drugs that can free humankind from suffering is the forever pursuit of all humankind. People have long relied on herbs to attain relief from ailments. In some Asian and African countries, about 80% of the population rely on traditional medicines (mostly herbs) to deal with their primary healthcare needs. Until the 19th century, most Western drugs were concoctions of herbs.
During the early 1800s, advances in extraction procedures led to the isolation of pure chemical constituents from herbs. These constituents include morphine, quinine, and colchicine. In the late 19th century and well into the 20th century, scientists tuned to animals for hormones used as medicines, and later to microbes as a valuable source of vaccines and antibodies.
Due to the increasing knowledge of molecular biology and physiology, many biologic drugs that specifically target disease mechanism at the molecular level have been manufactured. Before, these highly complex protein molecules were naturally produced in animals’ body in minute quantities, now can be mass-produced; although maybe not necessarily affordable.
Now, medications are rarely developed by lone scientists working in isolation in cold and damp dark laboratories. The German Nobel laureate Paul Ehrlich attributed his success in research to 4 big G’s: Geduld (patience), Geschick (ability), Geld (money), and Gluck (luck). Someone added a 5th G: Geist (intellect). While, Alexander Fleming attributed his discovery of penicillin to the 6th factor: never to neglect an extraordinary appearance or happening.
I have read and watched many fairy tales. I search through known drugs to find the answer to one question: is immortal pill possible? Or, at least some pills that can heal wounds in a short time period? If possible, how to produce it?
谨记：是药三分毒，必须尊医嘱。民以食为天，但适度才是最好的选择。美国的FDA是保护和促进公众健康的最高执法机构。
Content
Part 1 Foods
民以食为天
Food webs
弱肉强食的丛林法则
动物的欺骗行为
Nutrition Vs Poison
Foods for Human
病从口入，祸从口出
体内四种液体的平衡
Part 2 Pathogens (Causes of Diseases)
Poison
Virus
Prions
Allergies
Inborn error of metabolism
Nerve growth factor
Causes of Cancer
Tobacco smoking and cancer
Oncogenes
Cause of leprosy
Cause of Malaria
Causes of yellow fever
Part 3 Drugs
Classification
Some selected drugs:
Penicillin (the most important of all drugs)
Ampicillin
Anabolic steroids
Aspirin
Antiseptics （解毒药）
Antitoxins
Anesthesia (麻醉剂)
Antipsychotics
Antiaging drugs
Accutane
Aconite
Arsenic: king of poisons and prisoner of kings
Birth-control Pill
Belladona
Caffeine
Cannabis
Cephalothin
Coca, Cocaine
Colchicine
Cortisone
Cosmetics
Digitalis (foxglove for heart diseases)
Digitoxin
DDT
Diuril
Epinephrine/Adrenaline
Erythromycin
Ergot
Estrone and Estrogen
Gentamicin
Glucophage
Heroin
Morphine
Heparin (肝素)
Herceptin ()
Human growth hormone
Hydrogen cyanide
Sulfa drugs
Insulin （胰岛素, for diabetes）, Human insulin
LSD (Lysergic acid diethyl amine)
Metformin
Narcotics
Nanomedicine
Nitrogen mustard
Neo-Antergan
Oxytocin, oxycontin
Opioids
Phenol
Phenolphthalein
Phenol barbital
Placebos
Progesterone, Progestin
Prontosil
Quinine
Quinidine
Ramipril
Rifampin ()
Salvarsan (for syphilis)
Statins（降胆固醇药物）
Streptomycin (for tuberculosis)
Synthroid
Sulfanilamide
Testosterone (丸酮/素，雄性激素)
Tetracyclines
Terodotoxin
Thyroxine
Viagra, female Viagra
Tubocurarine
Vaccine
Polio vaccine
Vitamin
Xylocaine