Scot Med J
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The poppy, the cinchona tree and the willow tree have all provided medicines of undoubted value during past millennium and form a "medical bouquet" worthy of consideration as this century ends. The use of these plants by ancient peoples has gradually evolved into a more informed understanding and application of the compounds initially isolated and purified from their extracts. There has been a Scottish contribution to the medical history of all three plants.
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The antiphospholipid syndrome is now well established as an important, acquired prothrombotic disorder. Advances are being made in the understanding of the condition and the paradox of the in vitro anticoagulation, and the in vivo prothrombotic tendency. Newer and better assays for the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome can be expected in the near future. Large, multi-centre, controlled trials to determine the optimum treatment of patients who test positive for the antiphospholipid syndrome, but have not suffered a thrombotic event, are required.