JIM RISWOLD
VINBLASTINE
2013 color digital print

33-1/2 x 33-1/2 inches, Edition of 10, $750.
24 x 24 inches, Edition of 10, $500.


Vinblastine was discovered by drinking tea.

It was found that drinking tea containing leaves from the Madagascar
periwinkle plant caused a drop in white blood cell counts and from
there Robert Noble and Charles Thomas Beer hypothesized that the
plant might be effective against cancers of the white blood cells.

They hypothesized right. In 1958, they isolated extracts from the plant
and called it Vincaleukoblastine. Then they shortened it to Vinblastine.
Then they shortened it again to VLB.

The folks at the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
(IUPAC) did not shorten it.

They call Vinblastine this: Dimethyl (2β,3β,4β,5α,12β,19α)-15-[(5S,9S)-
5-ethyl-5-hydroxy-9-(methoxycarbonyl)-1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10-octahydro-2H-
3,7-methanoazacycloundecino[5,4-b]indol-9-yl]-3-hydroxy-16-methoxy-
1-methyl-6,7-didehydroaspidospermidine-3,4-dicarboxylate.