Digitalis Research Paper

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For centuries, humans have been utilizing a drug originally derived from the foxglove plant to treat various illnesses. This very common medicine is known as digitalis. Digitalis has an expansive history, in fact, this drug has documented usage in historic literature that dates back to 1250. Though digitalis has been in use for a while, scientific and technological advancements have led to serious changes regarding the drug. Research and experimentation with digitalis have helped to define usage procedures, discover beneficial applications, and recognize necessary changes in its production.
Long ago, humans discovered that a substance contained within the foxglove flower, a plant native to Europe and North America, had the ability to reduce swelling. This substance became known as digitalis. There were no defined usage procedures for digitalis until an English doctor named William Withering performed a series of studies on the foxglove plant. Through his research he discovered that digitalis could effectively treat heart ailments when dry …show more content…
Digitalis of some form has been in use for centuries to treat various illnesses. There was little information about digitalis until 1785, when William Withering published a book detailing his research on the foxglove plant. Within this writing, Withering began to define usage procedures for the drug and provided information about its toxicity. In the early twentieth century, it was confirmed that digitalis was an effective treatment for heart arrhythmias and congestive heart failure. The drug which was originally derived from the foxglove plant is now synthetically produced for reasons of safety and reliability. Additionally, digitalis is gradually being replaced by other heart medications due to its horrendous possible side-effects. Examination of digitalis has led to defined usage procedures, the discovery of beneficial uses, and changes in its
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