Category: Bad Medicine
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4-Aminophenol – what a molecule!
This is a humble organic compound with the formula H2NC6H4OH, but don’t let its unassuming structure fool you. This is not just any crystalline powder; this is a chemical that moonlights as a pharmaceutical ingredient, a hair dye precursor, and—wait for it—a black-and-white film developer. If molecules had résumés, 4-Aminophenol’s would read like someone who’s worked…
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Paracetamol is an aniline derivative with a sketchy date of birth (and a very sketchy rebirth)
Paracetamol was first made in 1877…or possibly 1852. Some reports state that Cahn & Hepp or a French chemist called Charles Gerhardt first synthesized paracetamol in 1852. Acetanilide was the first aniline derivative serendipitously found to possess analgesic as well as antipyretic properties, and was quickly introduced into medical practice under the name of Antifebrin by Cahn & Hepp in 1886. But…
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The word “paracetmol”
The word “paracetmol” is a shortened form of para-acetyl-amino-phenol, and was coined, manufactured and sold by Frederick Stearns & Co in 1956.
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The word “acetaminophen”
The word “acetaminophen” is a shortened form of N-acetyl aminophenol, and was coined and first marketed by McNeil Laboratories in 1955.
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Paracetamol is extremely toxic to cats, which lack the necessary UGT1A6 enzyme to detoxify it
Paracetamol is extremely toxic to cats, which lack the necessary UGT1A6 enzyme to detoxify it. Initial symptoms include vomiting, salivation, and discoloration of the tongue and gums. Unlike an overdose in humans, liver damage is rarely the cause of death; instead, methemoglobin formation and the production of Heinz bodies in red blood cells inhibit oxygen transport by the blood, causing asphyxiation (methemoglobinemia and hemolytic anemia).…
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N-acetylcysteine treatment is efficacious in dogs when administered within two hours of toxic paracetamol ingestion
Paracetamol has been reported to be as effective as aspirin in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain in dogs. The main effect of toxicity in dogs is liver damage, and GI ulceration has been reported. N-acetylcysteine treatment is efficacious in dogs when administered within two hours of paracetamol ingestion.
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Paracetamol is lethal to snakes
Here is a tale of pharmaceutical warfare that’ll make your scales stand on end! Welcome to Guam, where the brown tree snakes are throwing the wildest party since the Ice Age, and the locals are fighting back with… Tylenol? That’s right, folks! These slithery party crashers have been living it up on the island, munching…
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Benefits of paracetamol for fever are unclear
Paracetamol (acetaminophen or para-hydroxyacetanilide) is a medication used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. At a standard dose, paracetamol only slightly decreases body temperature; it is inferior to ibuprofen in that respect, and the benefits of its use for fever are unclear.
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Mauveine aka aniline purple
Mauveine, also known as aniline purple and Perkin’s mauve, was one of the first synthetic dyes. It was discovered serendipitously by William Henry Perkin in 1856 while he was attempting to synthesise the phytochemical quinine for the treatment of malaria. It is also among the first chemical dyes to have been mass-produced. Chemistry Mauveine is a mixture of four related aromatic compounds differing in number and placement of methyl…
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Hydrangea macrophylla
Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to Japan. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall by 2.5 m (8 ft) broad with large heads of pink or blue flowers in summer and autumn. Common names include bigleaf hydrangea, French hydrangea, lacecap hydrangea, mophead hydrangea, penny mac and hortensia. It is widely cultivated in many parts of the world in many climates. It is not to…
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Umbelliferone
Umbelliferone, also known as 7-hydroxycoumarin, hydrangine, skimmetine, and beta-umbelliferone, is a natural product of the coumarin family. It absorbs ultraviolet light strongly at several wavelengths. There are some indications that this chemical is antimutagenic, it is used in sunscreens. Umbelliferone has been reported to have antioxidant properties. It is a yellowish-white crystalline solid that has a slight solubility in hot water, but high solubility in ethanol. Natural occurrences…
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Metoclopramide, Paracetamol/metoclopramide, Witch’s Milk, Lactating Men and Homicidal Maniacs?
Metoclopramide is a medication used for stomach and esophageal problems. It is commonly used to treat and prevent nausea and vomiting, to help with emptying of the stomach in people with delayed stomach emptying, and to help with gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is also used to treat migraine headaches. Common side effects include: feeling tired, diarrhea, and feeling restless. More serious side effects include: movement disorder like tardive dyskinesia, a condition called neuroleptic malignant…
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Goa stone
A Goa stone or Lapis de Goa was a man-made bezoar that was considered to have medicinal and talismanic properties. Goa stones were made in Goa, India and exported to apothecaries in Europe from the mid-16th to 18th century. Goa stones were manufactured by Jesuits in the late seventeenth century in Goa because naturally occurring bezoars were scarce. Their inventor was the Florentine lay brother Gaspar Antonio, and a Jesuit…
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Bezoar
A bezoar is a mass often found trapped in the gastrointestinal system, though it can occur in other locations. A pseudobezoar is an indigestible object introduced intentionally into the digestive system. There are several varieties of bezoar, some of which have inorganic constituents and others organic. The term has both modern (medical, scientific) and traditional usage. Types By content Food boluses (or boli; singular bolus) have the…
