- How did the ancient cultures in Egypt, China, India and Aztec civilization use plants for medicine? What document in each culture records these uses?
- How is Hippocrates important to medicine? Name and describe the “plant book” Dioscorides wrote. Name 2 herbal remedies from ancient Greek and Roman culture.
- Define herbalism. When did its revival begin? Describe the major idea of the Doctrine of Signatures. Who was its strong advocate?
- What % of present day prescriptions is from plant derived active ingredients?
- Compare the use of herbals in the Western world to rural populations. In what countries is herbalism
still widely practiced ?
- What is a secondary plant product? List 2 ways it helps plants.
- Name the two major active principles of medicinal plants. List the six some common alkaloids. Give two common characteristics of alkaloids and list three effects they have on our body.
- Give the common names of the three plant families with the most abundant alkaloids.
- Use Table 19.1 and the Internet to find one medically important use for each of these alkaloids: atropine, cephaeline emetine and scopolamine.
- Name the 3 most common types of glycosides, were each is found and its effects on our body.
- Describe William Withering’s work and its association with Foxglove. What two important glycosides does Foxglove contain and what is their action on the heart?
- How was the bark of the Willow tree important to the people of ancient Greece and then later in 18th century England? What important discovery did the French make in 1822? What did German scientists do in the mid 19th century? Who was Felix Hoffman and what did he do?
- Describe five ways aspirin is important to human health today.
- Briefly describe malaria’s history, its occurrence, its cause and where it is mostly found today. What two ancient civilizations knew of malaria? How did malaria get its name?
- Name the active alkaloid in the Fever bark tree (Cinchona) and why is it important? What is the association of the Incas and Jesuits to the Fever bark tree? Why is chloroquinine important?
- How is wormwood weed (Artemesia annua) of value to people with malaria?
- What are the ancient and present day medicinal uses of Snakeroot (Rauwolfia serpentina)? Name the active ingredient?
- What plant produces aloe? List seven uses for Aloe.
- How is Ephedrine (Ma Huang) medically used? What are its effects on the body? How has it been abused?
- How are the Madagascar periwinkle and the Pacific yews medically important? Name the active alkaloid(s) in each plant.
