Studies in the History of Modern Pharmacology and Drug Therapy

Contents: Preface; Part I Pharmacological Science and Theory: Structure-activity relationships: the early mirage; Origins of receptor theory of drug action (with Ronald Jasensky); The controversy over structure-activity relationships in the early 20th century; The evolution of stereochemical concepts in pharmacology; Arthur Cushny, optical isomerism and the mechanism of drug action; Carl Voegtlin and the 'arsenic receptor' in chemotherapy; The theoretical basis of Paul Ehrlich's chemotherapy; The development of receptor theory. Part II Discipline of Pharmacology: John J. Abel and the early development of pharmacology at the John Hopkins University; Development of pharmacology in American schools of pharmacy (with John Swann); The beginnings of pharmacology in the federal government; The 'preposterous provision': the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics' ban on industrial pharmacologists, 1908-1941. Part III Drug Therapy: The search for the active oxytocic principal of ergot: laboratory science and clinical medicine in conflict; The introduction of antibiotics into therapeutics; Miracle at Carville: the introduction of the sulfones for the treatment of leprosy; John Mahoney and the introduction of penicillin to treat syphilis; From germs to genes: trends in drug therapy, 1852-2002; Chaulmoogra oil and the treatment of leprosy; From mercury to miracle drugs: syphilis therapy over the centuries; Index.