How is the yew tree's bark used for making medicine?

Yew is a tree. People use the bark, branch tips, and needles to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, yew is used for treating diphtheria, tapeworms, swollen tonsils (tonsillitis), seizures , muscle and joint pain (rheumatism), urinary tract conditions, and liver conditions. read more

Mansukh Wani, Ph.D., (left) and Monroe Wall, Ph.D., (right) discovered paclitaxel, a lifesaving compound from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. In the second half of the 20th century, researchers realized the need for systemic treatments, such as chemotherapy and hormone therapy, to destroy cancer cells that had spread from the site of the original tumor to other parts of the body. read more

Taxanes are a class of anti cancer chemicals originally found in yew bark. Taxane - Wikipedia. One of them is Paclitaxel. From 1967 to 1993, almost all paclitaxel produced was derived from bark from the Pacific yew, the harvesting of which kills the tree in the process. Not very environmentally friendly. read more