D&C Black #2 is the name, given by the FDA, for a highly pure form of carbon black prepared by combusting aromatic petroleum oil in the "oil furnace" process. It consists, essentially, of pure carbon. The Cosmetic, Toiletries and Fragrance Association (CTFA) petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to use carbon black in cosmetic formulations. The FDA granted approval on August 29, 2004, and now D&C Black #2 is used in all cosmetic products: mascaras, eyeliners, brush-on-brow, eyeshadows, and lipsticks.

Phenylmercuric ammonium acetate is a fungicide and bactericide. It is used for the seed treatment.

Strychnine is an indole alkaloid obtained from the seeds of the Indian tree Strychnos nux-vomica. It gets its scientific name “strychnos” from Carl Linnaeus, who classified it back in 1753, but it was known to the population of India way before then. Nux vomica originates in India. Strychnine-containing baits are currently labelled for below-ground use and are intended for the control of pocket gophers. Their use as indoor pesticides has been eliminated since 1989. In the past, strychnine has been used as a pesticide to control rats, moles, gophers, and coyotes. Strychnine is highly toxic to most domestic animals. Strychnine is a competitive antagonist at glycine receptors and thus a convulsant. It has been used as an analeptic, in the treatment of nonketotic hyperglycinemia and sleep apnea.

Cacodylic acid also known as dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) has been used as a herbicide. As a part of agent blue it used to destroy broadleaf plants and trees, especially rice paddies during the Vietnam War. DMA is the major metabolite formed after exposure to tri- (arsenite) or pentavalent (arsenate) inorganic arsenic (iAs) via ingestion or inhalation in both humans and rodents. DMA induces an organ-specific lesion--single strand breaks in DNA. Mechanistic studies have suggested that this damage is due mainly to the peroxyl radical of DMA and production of active oxygen species by pulmonary tissues. Multi-organ initiation-promotion studies have demonstrated that DMA acts as a promotor of urinary bladder, kidney, liver and thyroid gland cancers in rats and as a promotor of lung tumors in mice. Thus it was shown, that DMA played a role in the carcinogenesis of inorganic arsenic.

Diethyl ether (ether) had been widely used for anesthesia until the 1960s despite its explosive properties and toxicity to both humans and animals. Diethyl ether still serves a role today as an effective inhalation agent. Newer inhalation agents have replaced ether completely and open drop delivery systems have been exchanged for complicated vaporizers and monitoring systems. Anesthesia in the developing world, however, still closely resembles primitive anesthetics.

Lawsone (aka hennatannic acid) is a red-orange dye present in the leaves of the henna plant as well as the flower of water hyacinth. Henna extracts have been used by humans as hair and skin dyes for more than 5000 years. Henna extracts have been clinically investigated as a method of reducing dose-limiting Chemotherapy-Induced Palmoplantar Erythrodysesthesia.

Dimecrotic acid is a choleretic agent with spasmolytic properties. It is obtained by reaction of resorcinol with acetoacetate to give 4-methyl-7-hydroxycoumarin. It is indicated for the treatment of hepato-digestive insufficiency and its manifestations. It shouldn’t be used in case of blockage of bile ducts, severe liver failure and severe renal impairment. Diarrhea may be associated with high doses of dimecrotic acid.

Uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP, INS316) is a naturally occurring agonist for P2Y(2) receptors on the apical surface of ciliated respiratory epithelium. INS316, being developed by Inspire Pharmaceuticals, is a short-acting, aerosolized uridine 5-triphosphate (UTP) solution used as a diagnostic aid for lung cancer. INS316 appears to improve sputum expectoration mediated through the P2Y2 receptor, a nucleotide receptor expressed in human airway epithelial cells and some other tissues. UTP binding to the P2Y2 receptor triggers signal transduction that leads to chloride ion secretion, thereby resulting in mucociliary clearance of airway. UTP stimulates salt and water transport and cilia beat frequency in human airway epithelium in vitro. Single, inhaled doses of UTP stimulate mucociliary clearance in conscious, intubated sheep and in patients with mild chronic bronchitis (smokers and former smokers), suggesting that UTP may be useful for obtaining deep-lung sputum specimens suitable for diagnostic purposes. A single dose of INS316 safely improves the ability of patients with mild chronic bronchitis to expectorate a deep-lung sputum specimen suitable for cytologic evaluation.