THE word antibiotic comes from two Greek words: anti – “against”, and bios – “life”. The practice of using natural substances was seen as far back as 2000 BC. Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by various species of microorganisms that suppress the growth of other microorganisms and may eventually destroy them.

Ancient people used diverse compounds such as vine plants and mud to combat infection. These are all documented in ancient manuscripts and these substances helped the healing process in wounds. Plants, through the passage of time were used to great effect. Plants contain antibacterial agents and were easily collected, treated and used as ointments.