ABSTRACT
Humans have used practical applications of chemistry for thousands of years. The discovery and use of folk medicines, the development of metallurgical techniques, and the use of natural dyes are simple examples. For most of history, humans were able to use simple chemicals or a complex mixture of chemicals without actually understanding the science behind them. Organic chemistry became a defined science (the chemistry of carbon compounds) in the nineteenth century, but organic compounds have been known and used for millennia. Plants have been “milked,” cut, boiled, and eaten for thousands of years as folk medicine remedies, particularly in Africa, China, India, and South America. Modern science has determined that many of these plants contain organic chemicals with effective medical uses, and indeed many of our modern medicines are simply purified components of these plants or derivatives of them made by chemists.
