Drug elements

Coal, graphite and diamonds are three forms of the same element, carbon. But when you know the properties of these substances you hardly try to cut glass with coal or use diamonds as fuel.

This may sound like a joke, but actually only biopharmacists have paid any attention to differences of the same kind where drugs are concerned. What they have discovered is truly amazing: the action of a drug is different depending on whether it is in crystalline or amorphous state. What is more, various crystalline structures of the same substance behave differently. The widely used antibiotic levomycetin, for example, exists in three crystalline and one amorphous state.

Insulin, essential for diabetics, in microcrystalline suspension acts for twice as long as it does when it is in an amorphous state. Biopharmacy is supplying more and more information of this kind which helps to improve drugs.

Starch, saccharose, pork fat, gelatine, cocoa butter, among other substances, used as auxiliary admixtures and bases, include particles of medicinal substances used in treatment. But they themselves are not neutral agents: they may affect the action of the drugs. Sometimes a paradoxical situation occurs when inside the body the vehicle substances acquire medicinal properties while the drug becomes neutral. This does not happen often: over the years medicine has, in most cases, selected suitable combinations of substences. In the future not a single new drug will escape the stringent control of the biopharmacists.

Until recently a purely quantitative approach to a drug taking was used. It was accepted that a fourteen-year-old needs three-quarters of the adult dose, a child of seven a third of this dose, and a one-year-old a twelfth, and so on.

Quantity, it was discovered, is not the principal factor. In preparing drugs for small children, for example, many other factors have to be taken into consideration: their faster metabolic rate, faster utilisation of proteins, vitamins, microelements, etc.

Children are impressionable and their sense of fear and pain is so acute that it may obliterate the curative properties of a drug. Biopharmacists have drawn up special recommendations concerning the manufacturing of drugs for children. They should preferably be in liquid form, and taste good. The Institute of Pharmacology recommends special syrups and fruit and berry juices for them. The drugs that cannot be taken in liquid form are made to resemble sweets.

Other problems are involved in developing drugs for the aged, whose endocrine and other systems, kidneys and liver become less efficient. It takes longer for an aging organism to absorb and eliminate medicinal prepations. This is why it is important to combine these drugs with aminoacids, vitamins, and microelements, in all of which an elderly person is deficient.

 

Vocabulary of the text:

coal- уголь

graphite- графит

diamond- алмаз

properties- свойства

fuel- топливо

pork- свинина

admixture- добавка

vehicle- двигатель

amazing- удивительно

auxiliary- дополнительный

hardly- едва ли

actually- в действительности

truly- поистине

to cut- резать

to supply- поставлять, снабжать

approach- подход

to accept- допускать

metabolic rate- скорость метаболизма

utilisation- усвояемость

impressionable- впечатлительный

sense of fear- чувство страха

acute- острый

obliterate- задержать, замедлить

curative properties- лечебные свойства

preferably- предпочтительно

to resemble- напоминать

eliminate-выводить

Упражнение 1. Прочитайте и переведите текст, используя словарь.

Упражнение 2. Дайте русские эквиваленты следующим словам и словосочетаниям:

drug elements; coal; graphite; diamonds; carbon; properties; substances; fuel; pay attention; differences; to discover; to concern; depend on; amorphous state; behave; to exist; essential for; twice as long as; to supply; to improve; starch; saccharose; pork fat; gelatine; cocoa butter; auxiliary admixtures; medicinal substance; neutral agents; to affect; the action of the drug; to occur; suitable combinations; quantative approach; it was accepted; to take into consideration; metabolic rate; utilisation of proteins; impressionable; sence of fear and pain; acute; obliterate; the curative properties of drugs; manufacturing; preferably; syrup; beery juices.

Упражнение 3. Найдите в тексте эквиваленты следующих слов:

тот же элемент; свойства вещества; использовать алмазы в качестве топлива; это может звучать как шутка; уделять внимание; где речь идет о лекарствах; в зависимости от; более того; в два раза дольше, чем; свиной жир; дополнительная добавка; влиять на; основные (действующие) вещества; подходящий; избегать; тщательный, строгий, контроль; до недавнего времени; чисто количественный подход; для приготовления лекарств; принять в расчет (во внимание); скорость метаболизма; микроэлементы; дети впечатлительны; чувство страха и боли; замедлить лечебные свойства лекарства; относительно; походить на конфеты; усвоить и вывести; вот почему.

Упражнение 4. Определить, являются ли следующие утверждения истинными или ложными, исправить ложные утверждения.

1.Coal, graplite and diamonds are three forms of the same element, carbon.

2.The action of a drug is not different depending on whether it is in crystalline or amorphos state.

3.Insulin, errential for diabetics, in microcrystalline suspension acts for once as long as it does when it is in an amorphous state.

4.Auxiliary admixtures and bases include particles of medicinal substances used in treatment.

5.In preparing drugs for small children many factors have to be taken into consideration.

6.Biopharmacists have drawn up special recommendations concerning the manufacturing of sweets for children.

7.The Institute of Pharmacology recommends special syrups and fruit and berry juices for adults.

Упражнение 5. Ответить на следующие вопросы:

1. What are the three forms of carbon?

2. What influences the action of a drug?

3. Which of the drug states is more important?

4. Why must biopharmaceutists strictly control the new drugs?

5. What approach was taken until resently?

6. What factors are to be taken into consideration in preparing drugs?

7. In what forms should the drugs be produced for children?

8. What may influence the metabolic rate in the aged people?

9.What are recommendations for the drugs production for the aged people?

Упражнение 6. Дать краткий пересказ текста, используя следующие фразы:

I knew that...

I believe that...

I think that...

I suppose that...

I did note know that...

I agree that...

I do not think that...

I’d like to stress the fact that...