Medicine

Traditional
medicine

Modern medicine

Medicine : Used to prevent or cure

diseases or to relieve pain
Drug
used

: Any natural or artificially made chemical which is

as a medicine

Traditional Medicine
1. Traditional medicines are derived from plants or animals.
2. Traditional medicines are passed down from one
generation to another.
3. Over a thousand species of plants in Malaysia are
reported to have medicinal properties.

Name of plants
i. Aloe vera (lidahbuaya)

ii.

iii.

iv.

v.

vi.

Centellaasiatica

Functions
To treat skin wounds

To treat depression and for

longevity

(pegaga)
Eurycomalongifolia
(tongkatali)

To increase the male libido

Orthosiphonaristatus
(misaikucing)

To treat gout, diabetes, and

rheumatism

Andrographispaniculat To treat diarrhea, fever and

a (hempedubumi)
diabetes

Ocimumbasilicum

(selasih)

To treat coughs, colds and

bronchitis

4. Animals that are claimed to have medicinal

properties: sea cucumbers, centipedes, ants,

grasshoppers, snakes, and cockroaches
5. Sea cucumber (gamat) is used to treat Japanese
encephalitis and hole in heart.
6. Any medicinal plant containing alkaloid is
potentially toxic to the liver.

Modern Medicine
Modern Medicine

Analgesics

Aspirin

Antibiotics

Paracetamol Codeine

Stimulant
Antipsychotic

Psychotherapeutic
medicine

Antidepressant

Penicillin
Streptomycin

Analgesics
1. Analgesics: medicines use to relieve pain without
causing numbness or affecting consciousness.
2. Common analgesics: aspirin, paracetamol,
codeine.
3. Aspirin
Used for pain relief
Active ingredient is acetylsalicylic
acid
Acidic in nature, swallowed with plenty of water
to reduce irritation of the stomach wall as
aspirin causes internal bleeding and ulceration

 Cannot be given to children

4. Paracetamol
Taken to relieve mild to
moderate pain such as
headache, muscle and joint pain,
backache and period pains
Can be given to children
Overdose of paracetamol can cause liver damage
5. Codeine
Stronger analgesic used in
headache tablets and in cough
medicines
Synthesized from morphine
May cause drowsiness when
taken
Abuse of this medicine may
lead to addiction, depression, and nausea
Antibiotics
1. Antibiotics: used to treat
infections caused by
bacteria as they can kill or
slow down the growth of
bacteria but cannot cure
infections caused by viruses.
2. Penicillin
Extracted from fungus penicilliumnotatum
Used to cure bacterial diseases such as
tuberculosis (TB) and pneumonia
3. Streptomycin

 Used to treat tuberculosis, whooping cough and

some forms of pneumonia
4. Antibiotics are usually given by injection and not
taken orally because they are broken down by acid
in stomach

Psychotherapeutic medicine
1. Psychotherapeutic medicine: used to alter abnormal
thinking, feelings or behaviours but do not cure
mental illness.
2. Stimulant
A medicine which activates the level of activity
arousal or alertness of the central nervous system
to reduce fatigue and elevate mood in most
people
Overdose can lead to anxiety, hallucinations,
severe depression, or physical and psychological
dependence
Examples of stimulants: amphetamine,
methyphenidate, dextroamphetamine

3.

Antidepressant
A medicine used in treatment
of depression
Examples: tranquilizers,
barbiturates
Tranquilizers calm down a
person and reduces tension
and anxiety
Side effects of tranquilizers: drowsiness, poor
coordination, light- headedness
Overdose of tranquilizers can lead to respiratory
difficulties, sleeplessness, coma, death
Barbiturates sedate, calm, or relax most
individuals at low doses, higher doses can induce
sleep
Barbiturates are addictive
4. Antipsychotic
A medicine used to treat psychiatric illness such
as schizophrenia (hearing voices people do not
hear)
Examples of antipsychotic
medicines: chlorpromazine,
haloperidol, clozapine
Side effects of antipsychotic:
drowsiness, rapid heartbeat,
dizziness

Drug abuse
1. Drug abuse: taking drugs excessively and without
a doctors prescription

The Existence of Chemicals

1. Proper management of chemicals:
2. Detergents
Wear gloves when working with strong
detergents
Use appropriate amounts of detergents
3. food additives

avoid consuming too much salt and sugar

avoid foodstuff with additives you are
sensitive to

avoid rewarding children with junk food

4. medicines

no self medication
check for expiry date
follow doctors instruction for taking medicine
keep away from children
do not overdose

Sir Alexander
Fleming
discovered
penicillin when
growing dishes of