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In the 19th century, organic chemistry was defined as the chemistry of carbon compounds. For most of human history, however, both simple chemicals and complex mixtures of chemicals have been used without an understanding of the science behind them. Indeed, plants have been “milked,” cut, boiled, and eaten for thousands of years as folk medicine remedies. Many naturally occurring materials contain important organic compounds that are well known in human history. People in ancient Assyria, Sumer, and Egypt chewed willow bark as an antipyretic treatment. In ancient India, Java, and Guatemala certain plants provided a deep blue substance used to color clothing. In recent times, the main constituent was identified as indigo. In the 18th century, Lavoisier made an important contribution to understanding the structure of organic molecules by burning natural materials in air.