History of Pharmaceutics Introduction
 Today we are induldged with the abundance of remedies and pills we rely upon whenever our health is out of order. But what was when pharmaceutics was not at this level? Unfortunately, as a science, the history of pharmacy still remains in the shadow of other sciences and is not studied as closely and other medical sciences. At our website we try to collect as much information as possible about this science. Here you can also find the iformation about the biggest pharmaceutic companies, thier foundation, developement and current state.
How it Began..."Throughout the 19th century, and well into the twentieth, patients were besieged by infections, commonly lethal to old and young alike - diphtheria, chickenpox, scarlet fever, rubella and a multitude of gastro- intestinal and dysenteric troubles claimed millions of infants. Being a family doctor in 1830 and even a century later meant being called out late at night to febrile patients, sweating copiously and hectic in their breathing, suffering from some infant fever or from pneumonia (called the "old man's friend" because it was often speedily fatal). Measles and the other epidemic diseases of childhood were still killers; tuberculosis, syphilis, diphtheria, meningitis, and post-partum sepsis were widely encountered. " In 1900, pneumonia and influenza were the leading causes of death in the United States, followed by tuberculosis and diarrhea. Heart disease - which tops the chart today - was only fifth; possibly because infectious diseases carried many people off before they grew old enough to develop heart disease. Physicians had few weapons in their black leather bags to fight disease. The pharmacopoeia of time included drugs such as mercury for syphilis and ringworm, digitalis and amyl nitrate for the heart, quinine for malaria, colchicum for gout, and plant-based purgatives. Pharmacy is the art and science of compounding and dispensing drugs or preparing suitable dosage forms for administration of drugs in man or animals. It includes collection, identification, purification, isolation, synthesis, standardization and quality control of medicinal substances.
Roots of Modern Pharmaceutics
European Traditional Medicine - Latin, Teutonic, Celtic, Gaelic, Greek
Asian-African Traditional Medicine - Greek, Egyptian, Arabic, Indian, Chinese - Galen, Hypocrites, Dioscoredes
Medieval Universities & Separation of Health Care Services - Pharmacy, Physicians, Nursing
What Were Ancients Medications made From?The oldest records of medicinal preparations made from plants, animals, or minerals are those of the early Chinese, Hindu, and Mediterranean civilizations. An herbal compendium, said to have been written in the 28th century bc by the legendary emperor Shennong, described the antifever capabilities of a substance known as chang shan (from the plant species Dichroa febrifuga), which has since been shown to contain antimalarial alkaloids (alkaline organic chemicals containing nitrogen).
How Did Pharmaceutics Develop?
- By trial and error, the knowledge of the population about the healing properties of certain natural substances grew.
- Great fertile valleys of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, yellow and Yangtze, Indus Rivers were the places of its origin.
- Medical care by two practitioners in Babylonians:
- - Asipu - Magical healer
- - Asu - Empirical healer
- Traditional Systems of medicine inculde:
- - Ayurveda, Siddha originated in India
- - Unani (greco-arabic medical system) came from West asia
- - In Greeks Drug or Pharmakon means Magic spell, remedy or poison
- Western system of medicine - came from Europe
In the past 100 years, pharmaceutical research has helped transform health care from a largely palliative practice to a science-based endeavor. Due in part to this transformation and in part to improvements in sanitation, average life expectancy in the U.S. has increased from 47 years in 1900 to more that 76.5 years today. In addition to longer lives, pharmaceutical progress has brought better lives to millions of people. It has consigned many infectious scourges of the past to history books; it has transformed mental illness from a misunderstood cause of shame and fear into a highly treatable condition. It has helped make old age a time of active independence, rather than disability, for many. It has made impressive inroads against cancer, heat disease, stroke, and many other diseases.
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