ABSTRACT
The art of healing comes from nature and not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature with an open mind. —Paracelsus, 1493-1541 SummaryHumans have over the ages discovered useful remedies from herbs and other natural substances, the nature of most of which is learnt of only much later. Chemistry interfaces with biology to refine and produce drug substances from nature, often with the help of knowledge from traditional medicine, which is still the major source of provision of health care for most people in developing countries. Tapping the molecular wilderness needs to be done sustainably and responsibly, with fair benefit to the indigenous people whom we must respect for their heritage and traditional wisdom. 2.1 Traditional Medicine: From Past to PresentThe molecular wilderness in nature has been long tapped by traditional medicine, even before the concept of the molecule was born.
