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The Demon Under The Microscope
Jan. 28th, 2008 11:15 amWhile lounging by the pool in Puerto Vallarta, I read The Demon Under the Microscope
by Thomas Hager. It's a fascinating look at the development of sulfa drugs, the first effective drugs against bacteria.
The period from 1890 to 1935 was a tragic one in medical history. Doctors had (finally) come to the conclusion that bacteria caused disease. The fact that they could have made this conclusion centuries ago is a testament to the power of institutional bias. Unfortunately, having made the link between bacteria and decease, once somebody got infected, there was nothing one could do. For example, Calvin Coolidge Jr., the President's teen-aged son, got a blister on July 2. On July 7, he was dead from an infection.
A group of German scientists, employed by the infamous IG Farben corporation, were working on the problem, and developed the first safe and effective anti-bacterials. Ironically, the effective ingredient was a simple dye additive, and not under patent, so it was quickly copied.
Also ironically, these first effective medicines led directly to the end of the patent medicine industry in the US, and the development of medical testing and prescription control. Hager tells the story of how, prior to the mid-1930s, just about any medication was available to anybody over the counter. Then a batch of the new sulfa drugs killed over 100 people, and the modern FDA was born.
The Demon Under The Microscope is a very interesting read. It's probably not for hypochondriacs, but I found it fascinating.
by Thomas Hager. It's a fascinating look at the development of sulfa drugs, the first effective drugs against bacteria.The period from 1890 to 1935 was a tragic one in medical history. Doctors had (finally) come to the conclusion that bacteria caused disease. The fact that they could have made this conclusion centuries ago is a testament to the power of institutional bias. Unfortunately, having made the link between bacteria and decease, once somebody got infected, there was nothing one could do. For example, Calvin Coolidge Jr., the President's teen-aged son, got a blister on July 2. On July 7, he was dead from an infection.
A group of German scientists, employed by the infamous IG Farben corporation, were working on the problem, and developed the first safe and effective anti-bacterials. Ironically, the effective ingredient was a simple dye additive, and not under patent, so it was quickly copied.
Also ironically, these first effective medicines led directly to the end of the patent medicine industry in the US, and the development of medical testing and prescription control. Hager tells the story of how, prior to the mid-1930s, just about any medication was available to anybody over the counter. Then a batch of the new sulfa drugs killed over 100 people, and the modern FDA was born.
The Demon Under The Microscope is a very interesting read. It's probably not for hypochondriacs, but I found it fascinating.
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