Wayfaring MD

I’ve been seeing this picture floating around Tumblr lately. I’d just like to add a few things to it, just to make the point that many of our so-called dangerous, toxic, engineered drugs actually come from natural sources. But of course, advertising a synthesized antibiotic is a little more palatable than telling people that bread fungus is going to cure their gonorrhea. “Natural” doesn’t mean something is better or worse than the “unnatural,” and vice versa.  So next time you take a prescription pill, you may be able to thank a natural plant, fungus or bacteria for making it for you.

Penicillin sp.: Penicillins, Mevastatin, and Griseofulvin

Cephalosporium sp: Cephalosporins

Aspergillus tereus: Lovastatin

Tolypocladium inflatum: Cyclosporin A

Streptomyces sp: Streptomycin

Crocus plants: Colchicine

Willow bark: Aspirin