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Definition: drug from Philip's Encyclopedia

In medicine, any substance used to diagnose, prevent or treat disease or aid recovery from injury. Although many drugs are still obtained from natural sources, scientists are continually developing synthetic drugs which work on target cells or microorganisms. Such drugs include antibiotics. Some drugs interfere in physiological processes, such as anti-coagulants which render the blood less prone to clotting. Drugs also may be given to make good some deficiency, such as hormone preparations which compensate for an underactive gland.


Drugs

From Encyclopedia of Environment and Society
DRUGS ARE CHEMICALS that have a dramatic effect upon a living organism by altering one or more body organs. They can be used to alter or block the processes of diseases. They can also be misused or abused. Drugs are commonly placed into a dozen categories. Those used to treat humans are classified according to the way they affect the human body. They can also be classified by their chemical makeup, the disease they fight, the affect they have on the heart or blood vessels, or their affect on the nervous system. Manufactured drugs have three names: a scientific chemical name, a manufacturer approved generic name, and the brand name of its manufacturer. Since ancient times, drugs have been produced from many different plants, animals, and minerals. Penicillin, an antibiotic, is probably the most famous of the infection fighting drugs. Others antibiotics include the sulfa drugs (sulfonamides). Vaccines, antiserums, and immunoglobulins are infectious disease-preventing drugs. These drugs…
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Full text Article Drugs

From World of Criminal Justice, Gale
Drugs are chemical substances that produce either a beneficial or harmful change in the body. There is no universally accepted classification system for determining whether a given substance is a drug or not. In the United States both federal and state governments have relied on publishing lists of…
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Full text Article drugs

From Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend, Thames & Hudson
From time immemorial various narcotic substances have been used in India for religious and other purposes. bhang ( Cannabis sativa ), a drink made of cannabis leaves, is associated with Shiva. In some temples dedicated to him, such as the Lingaraja at Bhubaneshvar in Orissa, the main image is…
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From The Columbia Encyclopedia
substances used in medicine either externally or internally for curing, alleviating, or preventing a disease or deficiency. At the turn of the century only a few medically effective substances were widely used scientifically, among them ether , morphine , digitalis , diphtheria antitoxin, smallpox…
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Full text Article DRUGS

From Dictionary of Probation and Offender Management
In this context a drug is any substance that acts upon the nervous system in order to have a psychoactive effect – that is, altering emotions, cognitions, perceptions and behaviour in some way. With repeated exposure the body develops physiological tolerance, becoming less responsive to the drug so…
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Full text Article DRUGS

From Dictionary of Prisons and Punishment
Over half of prisoners report that their offending is linked to drug misuse. The use of drugs in prison is also an issue that has a serious impact on prison culture and on order. Tackling drug misuse has therefore become a major strategy in the internal management of prisons and in attempts to…
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Full text Article Drugs

From Encyclopedia of World Trade: From Ancient Times to the Present Full text Article A-Z Entries
Natural or artificial substances, obtained legally or illegally, to treat a disease, reduce pain, or alter one's behavior or perception. The production, use, and trade of drugs have been around since ancient times. From alcohol in Egypt, to opium in Sumer, and coca in the Inca empire, people have…
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From The Macquarie Dictionary
a chemical substance given with the intention of preventing or curing disease or otherwise enhancing the physical or mental welfare of humans or animals. Plural: drugs a chemical substance taken for non-medical reasons to bring about a change in behaviour, mood or perception, as a narcotic, …
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From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Any chemical agent that affects the function of living things. Some, including antibiotic s, stimulant s, tranquilizer s, antidepressant s, analgesic s, narcotic s, and hormone s, have generalized effects. Others, including laxative s, heart stimulants, anticoagulant s, diuretic s, and…
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From Black's Medical Dictionary, 43rd Edition
Natural products or synthetic chemicals that can alter the way in which the body works, or be used to prevent or treat disease. One or more drugs, combined with stabilisers, colourings, and other ingredients, make(s) up a medicine for practical use in treating patients. (See DEPENDENCE ; MEDICINES…
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From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Any of a range of substances, natural or synthetic, administered to humans and animals as therapeutic agents: to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease, or to assist recovery from injury. Traditionally many drugs were obtained from plants or animals; some minerals also had medicinal value. Today, …
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