Natural Medicines

Since earliestdays,humans have used some kinds of medicines.We know this because humans havesurvived.Ancient treatments for injury and disease were successful

enough to keephumans from dying out completely.

They were successfullong before the time of modern medicine. Before the time of doctors with whitecoats and shiny（发亮的）instruments.Before the time of big

hospitals withstrange and wonderful equipment.

Many parts of theworld still do not have university-educated doctors. Nor do they have expensivehospitals.Yet injuries are treated.And diseases are often cured.How?By

ancient methods. Bymedicines that might seem mysterious , even magical（有魔力的）.Traditional medicines areneither mysterious nor magical,however.

Through thecenturies , tribal（部落的）medicinemen experimented with plants. They found

many usefulchemicals in the plants.And scientists believe many of these traditionalmedicines

may provide the curefor some of today's most serious diseases.

Experts say almost80% of the people in the world use plants for health care.These naturalmedicines are used not just because people have no other form of treatment.They

are used becausepeople trust them. In developed areas,few people think about the source of themedicines they buy in a store .Yet many widely-used medicines are from

ancientsources,especially plants.

Some experts saymore than 25%of modem medicines come,in one way or another,from nature.

Scientists have longknown that nature is really a chemical factory. All living things containchemicals that help them survive .So scientists' interest in traditionalmedicine is

not new.But it hasbecome an urgent concern.This is because the earth's supply of naturalmedicines may be dropping rapidly.What do themajority of the people in the world use for health care?

A.Strange andwonderful equipment.

B. Factory-producedchemicals.

C. Modern medicines.

D. Plants.