• At age 18-45: 251 drugs per 100 population • At age 45-65: 505 drugs per 100 population • At age 65+ : 1047 drugs per 100 population • The average patient seeking medical evaluation* was
A Brief History of Pharmacology
PROBLEM • "I have an earache"
SOLUTION
• 2000 BC- Here, eat this root • 1000 AD- That root is heathen, say this prayer • 1850 AD- That prayer is superstition, drink this potion • 1940 AD- That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill • 1985 AD- That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic • 2000 AD- That antibiotic is artificial , here eat this root
History of Pharmacology
The Ebers papyrus, written in Egypt in the 16th century B.C., lists the extensive pharmacopia of that civilization. Included in this are: beer, turpentine, myrrh, juniper
History of Pharmacology
Antiquity to the modern era
The ancients considered disease a consequence of demonic possession, or the wrath of god. Thus, in ancient times, the treatment of illness with natural products was invariably accompanied by religious rituals deemed essential to the healing
* Evaluation for a complaint, i.e. not a routine examination
History of Pharmacology
A history of pharmacology
Ancient Times A series of scattered facts exists that speak of the early history of humankind's efforts to harness the healing properties of natural compounds. However, what we know for certain is that ancient peoples made extensive use of plant, animal and mineral sources for this purpose.
History of Pharmacology
From ancient China comes evidence of that culture's extensive efforts to heal through the use of natural products. The Pen Tsao Kang Mu, or Great Herbal, comprised forty volumes describing several thousands of prescriptions. It was complied during the Ming dynasty by Le Shih Chen (1518-1593AD) and widely translated both in the east & west.
taking 3.5 prescription meds (this does not include OTC drugs) • The average number of prescription written during a medical evaluation* was 2.1 (2.2 for ER visit).
Born Phillip von Hohenheim, he
Why do you need to know pharmacology?
• Percent of persons using at least one prescription drug in the past month: 45 (1999-2002) (National Center for Health Statistics)
berries, poppy, lead, salt and crushed precious stones. Also included were products derived from animals, including lizard's blood, swine teeth, goose grease, ass hooves and the excreta from various animals. The effects of many of these drugs on patients of antiquity can only be imagined. The Kahun papyrus (1825 BCE) describes a combination of crocodile dung, honey and sour milk as a highly effective contraceptive.
History of Pharmacology
• Treatments to regain the humoral balance used combinations of “drugs” consisting of various amounts of characteristics of the elements (hot,cold,wet,dry). John Gerard (1545-1612) authored an herbal compendium which catalogued the characteristics of medicinal plants with respect to the four humors. Fever (too much heat) was treated with mendicants composed of cool and wet plants.
Paracelcus
Paracelsus
Paracelsus (11 November or 17
December 1493 in Einsiedeln,
Switzerland - 24 September 1541)
was an alchemist, physician,
astrologer, and general occultist.
History of Pharmacology
Interestingly, the eastern herb Artemisia annua L. (wormwood), used in China since antiquity to treat fevers, is the source of the modern drug qinghaosu (Artemisinin) which shows great promise as a modern anti-malarial compound. It is tolerated much better than “traditional” antimalarials and resistance to its effects have not been described.
• “Medicinal Plants in a Middle Paleolithic Grave Shanidar IV” J. Ethanophramacology, 1992.
• J. Leitava reports the discovery of pollen from plants lacking both “aromatic or decorative potential” in the burial sites of Homo neanderthalensis dated to ~60,000 years ago. These six plants are the source of demonstrably theraputic substances.
process. Some aspects of
modern treatment continue to involve ritual.
History of Pharmacology
• A major impediment to the advancement of medicine & pharmacology was the humoral basis of medicine whose major proponent was Hippocrates: the four humor of the body were: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood. Imbalance of these humors was responsible for disease and the temperament of the individual (melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic and sanguine). These correlated with Aristotle's four basic elements: earth (cold), fire (hot), water (wet) & air (dry).