Abstract: In his report on the Ice Man's use of natural laxatives and antibiotics, Luigi Capasso (Dec 5, p 1864)1Capasso L 5300 years ago, the Ice Man used natural laxatives and antibiotics..Lancet. 1998; 352: 1864Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (68) Google Scholar should have cited better references to substantiate his statements about the field of natural product chemistry and pharmacology. We have not been able to find any relevant data from the standard databases (Medline, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Biological Abstracts, and NAPRALERT) to confirm a purgative or antibiotic effect of Piptoporus betulinus. The available pharmacological data on antibacterial effects are from the mycelia and culture liquids, and not from the fruit body.2Coletto MAB Labollita A Antibiotic activity in Basidiomycetes: XI. Antibacterial and antifungal activity of 25 new strains..Allionia. 1997; 35: 95-101Google Scholar We were also unable to find any information in Chemical Abstract, NAPRALERT, or standard textbooks to confirm that P betulinus contains agaric acid or toxic oils. Furthermore, agaric acid is a name used for various compounds.3Budavari S O'Neil MJ Smith A Heckelman PE The Merck Index. 11th edn. Merck & Co Inc., Rahway, NJ1989Google Scholar Capasso claims that “The discovery of the fungus suggests that the Ice Man was aware of his intestinal parasites and fought them with measured doses of Piptoporus betulinus”. The fungus has rarely been used in European traditional medicine and only as a remedy against wounds. Ethnobotanical data from preindustrial Northern Europe show that the fungus has had several non-medical uses, such as to protect metal blades from rust, to sharpen razors, as toys, floats or pincushions. So it is odd that Capasso concludes that the fungi kept by the Ice Man were used to treat a worm infection and not for any other purpose. In some places worm infestation is so common it is regarded as a normal state. Indeed, infestation with Trichuris trichiura “does not usually cause problems except in heavily infected young children, who may exhibit mild toxicity and some degree of anemia”.4Webster LT Chemotherapy of parasitic infections..in: Goodman Gilman A Rall TW Nies AS Taylor P The pharmacological basis of therapeutics. Pergamon Press, New York1990Google Scholar In contradiction to what Capasso claims, there are many medicinal plants that were used against intestinal worms long before the introduction of chenopod oil to Europe. We find it astonishing that Capasso draws so many conclusions from such a limited amount of data. Laxatives and the Ice ManAuthor's reply Full-Text PDF