Which medicines are obtained from animals?
Medicines obtained from animals
Scientists have already studied more than 8 million kinds of animals. From these animals we get many useful things like meat,eggs milk skins,wools etc. We get many medicines from animals which are also used in the treatment of various diseases. Most of the hormonal medicines are obtained from the animal glands :
1) Epinepherin used in the treatment of heart ailments is extracted from the adrenal glands of cats and pigs. This is also known as adrenaline.
2) The medicine thyroxine is obtained from the thyroid glands of the cat. It is used in the treatment of diseases relating to the thyroid glands.
3) Insulin, the common medicine for the treatment of diabetes is prepared from pancreatic secretion of cats and pigs.
4) Sex hormones obtained from many animals are used for curing many sexual diseases of men and women.
5) Snake bites are treated by anti-venom serum obtained from snakes.
Vaccines for many diseases are also obtained from animals. For example :
1) The polio vaccine is prepared by taking polio virus out of the kidneys of monkeys.
2) In 1790s Edward jenner the British pioneer of vaccination inoculated cowpox materials into non-immune person who then showed resistance to small pox.
The efficacy and toxicity of medicine are first tested on animals. And when it is found to have the desired curative effect on them, it is put in the market for human use.