Chemical which may be used for the treatment of dised reducing the suffering from pain are called medicines or drugs.
Some of the important drugs are as follows :
Antipyretics : These are the chemical substances which reduce body temperature during high fever.
e.g. aspirin, phenacetin, analgin and novalgin, etc.
Analgesics : Medicines used for getting relief from pain an called analgesics.
These are of two types
Narcotics : Drugs which produce sleep and unconsciousness are called narcotics. These are hab forming drugs,
e.g. morphine and codeine.
Non-narcotics : These are non-habit forming drugs which reduce mild to moderate pain such as headache toothache, muscle and joint pain, etc.
Antibiotics : These are the substances, which in low concentrations, inhibit the growth of micro-organisms a destroy them by intervening in their metabolic processes.
e.g. penicillin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol, etc.
Antacids : These neutralise the excess acid in gastric juice and raise the pH to an appropriate level in stomach are called antacids.
e.g. magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)2]
Antiseptics : These drugs are used to kill or prevent the growth of microorganisms. They are applied to the living tissues.
e.g. chloroxylenol, terpineol, etc.
Tranquilizers : Chemical substances used for the treatment of stress, anxiety, irritability and mild or even severe mental diseases are known as tranquilizers.
e.g. barbituric acid, luminal and veronal.
