The 19th Century: The Birth of Modern Pharmacology

Development of Pharmacodynamics:

• The 19th century saw significant progress in the scientific understanding of pharmacology. Researchers began to explore how drugs interact with the body and their biological effects (pharmacodynamics).
• The term pharmacology itself began to emerge as a distinct scientific discipline.
• Claude Bernard (1813–1878), a French physiologist, is often considered the founder of modern pharmacology. He conducted pioneering work on how drugs affect organs and tissues and laid the groundwork for experimental pharmacology.
  • His experiments showed how curare (a poison used by South American tribes) affects the nervous system, providing one of the first explanations for the mechanisms of action of toxins.

Synthesis of Drugs:

• The synthesis of drugs from natural sources was another key development. In the 19th century, many pharmacological compounds, such as morphine, quinine, and caffeine, were isolated and studied for their effects.
• The first synthetic drug, aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), was developed by Felix Hoffmann at Bayer in 1897, a milestone in pharmaceutical chemistry.