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Notoriety to respectability: a short history of arsenic prior to its present day use in haematology
Author(s) -
Doyle Derek
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2009.07623.x
Subject(s) - panacea (medicine) , greeks , medicine , arsenic trioxide , history , ancient history , intensive care medicine , classics , alternative medicine , arsenic , pathology , materials science , metallurgy
Summary This paper looks at arsenic, and in particular the trioxide, from the days of the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, through the 17th–20th centuries to its adoption by today’s haematologists. It looks at its commercial and medical uses, past and present, its notoriety as a poison, it’s reputation as a ‘tonic’ and therapeutic agent, many of the famous people associated with it including Thomas Fowler, William Withering and Robert Christison, and the promise an 18th century panacea now offers 21st century patients under the care of today’s haematologists and tomorrow’s oncologists.