THE HISTORY of DRUGS Veterinary Technician May 2006 U C

272 S THE HISTORY OF DRUGS Veterinary Technician May 2006 U C

O The History F of Drugs L Mindy Bough, CVT A Harold L. Trammel, PharmD

I ASPCA Knowledge Management Department Urbana, Illinois C E P S Many definitions exist for the term “drug.” For the purposes of this paper, a drug is defined as “an article intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or animals.”1 Drugs affect biologic systems in both positive and negative ways. Humans have been gaining knowledge of the effects of drugs for thousands of years.2

The first drugs were likely discovered through accident and observation. As early humans tried different plant, animal, and mineral substances, they realized that some substances produced specific effects. They were then able to use the substances that had beneficial effects to achieve desired results, and they passed their knowledge of these “drugs” from generation to generation.3 Early veterinary pharmacology was closely tied to early human pharmacology,3 to the point where the same drugs may have been tried for human and animal illnesses.4 Certainly, the practices of human and animal medicine share common beginnings.

EARLY WRITTEN RECORDS OF NATURAL DRUGS With the development of writing and the ability to record knowledge, the information passed from generation to generation expanded to include organized knowledge about drug substances.3 The earliest written documents indicate that the use of drugs such as herbs, powders, and poultices had a place in religion and mysticism as well as medicine.2,4 Around 3000 to 4000 BC, the Chinese documented the use of herbal medicine to cure illness in humans and valuable animals.4 According to legend, Chinese emperor Shen Nung made early discoveries about the medicinal values of herbs. Many of these discoveries are still recognized in modern pharmacy.5 Asian, Ancient Egyptian, Sumerian, and Greek civilizations continued to contribute to medicinal developments throughout 274 THE HISTORY OF DRUGS Veterinary Technician May 2006 S U

the BC period.3 Sumerian clay tablets from 2,100 C BC contain pharmacologic “recipes” involving ingredients such as salt, saltpeter, thyme, seeds, O 1817 roots, and bark. These ingredients were mixed with beer,2 presumably to aid in swallowing F Article about morphine and rather than for further medicinal value. Early its effects Hindus used snake root to treat mental disor- published ders, and Egyptians used opium to treat diar- L 1884 rhea and to “cure” crying babies, who probably Rabies vaccine for had colic.2,3

A dogs announced 1915 Hippocrates, an early Greek physician who

I First aspirin lived from 460 to 375 BC, believed that there tablets made was little use for drugs. Some remnant of this

C 1924 attitude may be preserved in the word pharma- Barbiturate use cology, which is derived from the Greek word 2 E began pharmakon, meaning “potion” or “poison.” 1928 Hippocrates and his followers noted that sick

P Penicillin people generally got well even if drugs were discovered not used. However, the scientific basis for med- S 1930 icine was formed shortly after his time by the Intravenous Greek philosopher Aristotle, who lived from pentobarbital use began 1940 384 to 322 BC. Aristotle based his ideas on biol- Pantothenic acid ogy-related observations and systematic classi-

(vitamin B5) fications and recorded much of what was 1946 synthesized known about natural science at the time, Penicillin including similarities and differences between produced 1950s the biology of humans and animals.4 His stu- synthetically dent Theophrastus, known as the father of Anthelmintic properties of botany, systematically classified medicinal piperazine plants.3,5 1951 identified Dioscorides, from Asia Minor, was the next Effects of fluoride significant contributor to the history of drugs. on dental health Working with medicinal plants as well as drugs discovered 1955 from mineral and animal sources, Dioscorides First polio recorded drug names, sources, identification, vaccine licensed preparation, dosage, and usage. His work estab- 1966 lished a structure used and developed for future 3,5 Pyrantel pharmacopeias. Also from Asia Minor, Galen, introduced 1987 who lived from 130 to 200 AD, practiced and First monthly taught pharmacy and medicine. His contribu- m heartworm tions focused on correct compounding and are o

c preventive still useful today. He wrote at least 30 phar- . 1994 3,5 l macy-related works.

a First monthly

n systemic flea r treatment 1996 MEDICINE IN THE MIDDLE AGES u First monthly During the Middle Ages, much emphasis was o

J spot-on flea placed on combining multiple ingredients in

h treatment medicines so that they could be used for any ail-

c 1997

e First veterinary ment. Today, this practice is known as polyphar- T NSAID macy, also defined as “the administration of t 6

e excessive medication.” The Middle Ages pro-

V duced little advancement in the area of phar- . macy. However, during this time, the Arabs w ᮡ

w The history of drugs goes back thousands of years, but many of the contributed to drug knowledge by recording new

w specific drugs used today are relatively recent. information about crude preparations. Trade in 275 Veterinary Technician May 2006 THE HISTORY OF DRUGS P H

drugs and spices — some of which were also thought to have placed on pharmacology in the medical curriculum. Unfor- A medicinal properties — continued throughout the Middle tunately, the veterinary field lagged behind in drug devel- 4,7 Ages. opment because of economic factors as well as the fact that R the profession was much smaller. After 1950, scientific

PHARMACY IN EARLY MODERN TIMES exploration in the veterinary drug industry began to M In 1498, the first official pharmacopeia was published in increase, and although economic and societal factors still

Florence, Italy. The goal was to provide a source for uniform contribute to slower progress in this area, significant A pharmaceutical standards. In 1606, the Society of Apothe- growth has occurred. During the 20th century and into the caries of London was formed. At that time, an apothecary 21st century, remarkable changes have occurred in the pro- C was similar to a modern pharmacist, preparing and selling duction and use of human and veterinary drugs.3,8 medicinal substances. When King James I granted a charter O to the society in 1617, he created the first official organiza- CONCLUSION tion of pharmacists in the Anglo-Saxon world.5 Throughout history, humans have incidentally and inten- L tionally discovered new drugs both in nature and through MODERN AGE DRUG DISCOVERIES scientific experimentation. In addition to using plant, ani- O During the Colonial years in America, pharmaceutical mal, and mineral substances exclusively, science has pro- G and medical services were provided by governors, gressed to using these substances as well as their religious leaders, and educators. These men New modified forms and laboratory-derived chemi- Y used imported drugs as well as drugs derived knowledge in the cal substances. New knowledge in the areas from local plants. In 1821, the Philadelphia of chemistry, pharmacology, and drug use College of Pharmacy was founded; it was areas of chemistry, has led to phenomenal growth in the drug the first association of pharmacists in pharmacology, and industry. New drugs that are both life America.5 As the development of drugs enhancing and life prolonging are regu- continued, pharmaceutical education drug use has led to larly being discovered and developed. This developed with a stronger focus on chem- is an exciting place to be in history istry and standardization.5 phenomenal growth because so many beneficial drugs are avail- Scientists began developing biologicals able and are continuing to be developed. in the late 1700s and throughout the 1800s. in the drug Veterinary technicians can readily appreciate The first diseases these drugs affected were industry. the contribution that drugs make in the care of smallpox, diphtheria, and tetanus. Louis Pasteur our animal friends.3,7 (1822 to 1895), who is responsible for numerous scientific achievements, discovered that weakened forms of REFERENCES microbes could be used as immunizations for more viru- 1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Accessed March 2006 at www.fda.gov/opacom/ lent forms of microbes. His work led to the development laws/fdcact/fdcact1.htm. of vaccines for chicken cholera, anthrax, and swine 2. Upson DW: General principles, in Handbook of Clinical Veteri- erysipelas as well as modern rabies vaccines for humans nary Pharmacology, ed 4. Manhattan, KS, Dan Upson Enter- and dogs.8 In 1903, the first US government inspection prises, 1993, pp 1–174. and licensure policies were implemented for those manu- 3. Davis LE: Veterinary pharmacology: An introduction to the facturing viruses, serums, toxins, and analogous discipline, in Booth NH, McDonald LE (eds): Veterinary Phar- products.5 The Pure Food and Drug Act, passed in 1906, macology and Therapeutics, ed 5. Ames, Iowa State University w

Press, 1982, pp 1–7. w gave the US government the ability to enforce United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards and to bring action 4. Animal Welfare Information Center: Veterinary History. Ac- w cessed April 2006 at www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/VetHistory/ . 9 against those who adulterated or misbranded drugs. This vethistory.htm. V act was prompted by the exposure of popular patent med- e 5. Bender GA: Great Moments in Pharmacy. Detroit, Northwood t icines for humans and animals as largely ineffective — Institute Press, 1966. T and sometimes harmful — concoctions. 6. Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 28th ed. Philadelphia, e c

Until the 1920s in some medical schools and the 1950s in WB Saunders, 1994. h veterinary schools, materia medica (i.e., diluted pharmacy 7. DiPalma JR: Introduction: Brief history, in Drill’s Pharmacol- J ogy in Medicine, ed 4. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1971, pp 3–9. o courses) was taught. Materia medica, which has since been u replaced by the term pharmacology, was the early study of 8. The Embassy of France in Canada Science and Technology r compounding and preparing drugs, usually from natural Department: Louis Pasteur. Accessed March 2006 at n ambafrance-ca.org/HYPERLAB/PEOPLE/_pasteur.html. a sources. After 1920, human medicine grew significantly. l 9. Swann J: 100 Years of the 1906 Food and Drug Act: The For- . The introduction of chemotherapy in 1936 and overall drug mation and Early Work of the Drug Laboratory, USDA Bureau c industry growth after World War II kept the momentum of Chemistry. Accessed April 2006 at www.fda.gov/oc/history/ o m going. As these changes occurred, a greater emphasis was 2006centennial/apothecary.html. VT