Napoleon's Buttons Chapter 12: Molecules of Witchcraft

From the 1300s to the 1500s, people were accused of being witches due to a certain group of molecules. Many of the people accused were elderly women, but they were not the only ones. Something many of the accused people had in common was that they dealt with herbs to cure people. Christians did not approve of this witchcraft because it was associated with paganism. What the accusers did not realize is that these “witches” were actually early forms of chemists.
Salicylic acid was one molecule found in the willow tree and meadowsweet plant in Europe. It was often used to alleviate pain, much like aspirin. 

Salicylic Acid Structure

Another molecule was Digitalis. This was distracted from the foxglove plant, which was also common in Europe. It has several effects on the heart, including reduced heart rate, regularized heart rhythm, and a strengthened heartbeat.

Digitalis Structure

Other important molecules in this chapter include cocaine and atropine. When cocaine was first used, it was used to fight fatigue, hunger, and thirst. In order to allow the alkaloids in cocaine to release slowly, it was mixed with a lime paste and tucked between the teeth and cheeks inside the mouth. Cocaine was used by Sigmund Freud to treat morphine addiction. However, it soon became evident that cocaine was addictive as well. Although cocaine is extremely addictive, its structure is used in local anesthetics. These include Benzocaine, novocaine, lidocaine. These compounds are able to combat pain like cocaine can, but it lacks the ability to tap into the nervous system and affect the heart rate. This is just another example of how witchcraft drugs have affected our current medical treatments.

Cocaine Structure

I chose this chapter because it was presented in an interesting manner. I grew up watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail, so the clip from that movie made me enjoy the presentation more than the others. I am not normally wrapped up in witchcraft, but I realize that it is has been an important part of pharmaceuticals that we have today. I have provided the video for those who would like to share in my excitement about it.