title: From the Zulu medicine to the European phytomedicine Umckaloabo.
abstract: Among the Zulus of South Africa a crude root drug of initially unknown botanical origin was used for the treatment of pulmonary diseases and tuberculosis (TB). An English TB patient called "Stevens" heard about it and travelled to South Africa where, according to his account, he was cured by taking an extract of the crude drug. It was extremely difficult to establish the imported crude herbal drug as a "new TB medicine", as neither the plant from which the drug originated was identified nor were the constituents and pharmacological effects known at that time. It was only after a professional search and initial chemical and taxonomic investigations enabled the identity of the plant to be determined that the requirements were met for comprehensive chemical, pharmacological and clinical research into the crude drug. The following report traces the long and difficult path of this "mystery drug" from the Zululand of South Africa to the laboratories of Europe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bladt
authors.forename: Hildebert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional / Q000266:history*; D031316:Pelargonium; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000266:history*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots; D013019:South Africa; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; C476332:EPs 7630; D010936:Plant Extracts