Moldy hay, dead cows and the creation of a blood thinner
The origin story of warfarin has been detailed previously—but it’s worth revisiting because it’s so darn intriguing.
Here’s the short version: A farmer notices cows dying of internal bleeding after eating moldy sweet clover hay; the farmer takes the evidence—a dead cow, a can of blood and some hay—through a blizzard to the University of Wisconsin; a UW chemist studies the substance in the spoiled hay and discovers the blood-thinning compound, which is later applied to treatment of blood clots in humans.
To fill in the gaps, read the story from NPR below:
Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.