The History of Pharmacy

The History of Pharmacy

• The desire to treat ailments with medicines is a characteristic of Homo sapiens, dating back to the earliest civilizations.
• Ancient civilizations relied on natural remedies found in plants, animals, and minerals.
• Early methods were crude, but many modern medicines have their origins in these ancient practices.
• Serendipity has also played a role in the discovery of medicines, as seen with Sir Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin.
• Pharmaceutical companies conduct extensive research and development (R&D) to find new drugs and molecules with therapeutic benefits.
• The history of pharmacy is inseparable from the history of humanity, with its focus on collecting, processing, and preparing drugs for use.

Ancient Babylonian Pharmacy

• Babylon, considered the cradle of civilization, provides the earliest documented evidence of pharmacy.
• Ancient Babylonian healers were a combination of priest, pharmacist, and physician.
• Medical texts on clay tablets document the diagnosis, prescription, and instructions for compounding, often including invocations to the gods.

Ancient Chinese Pharmacy

• Chinese pharmacy is credited to Shen Nung (around 2000 B.C.), an emperor who researched the medicinal values of hundreds of herbs.
• He reportedly tested these herbs on himself and wrote the Pen T-Sao, a native herbal containing 365 drugs.
• Shen Nung is still revered as the patron god of Chinese drug guilds.

Ancient Egyptian Pharmacy

• Egyptian medicine dates back to 2900 B.C., with the "Papyrus Ebers" (1500 B.C.) being a key pharmaceutical record.
• The "Papyrus Ebers" contains 800 prescriptions and mentions 700 drugs.
• Pharmacy in ancient Egypt was structured with gatherers, preparers, and head pharmacists, known as "chiefs of fabrication."
• It is believed that the "Papyrus Ebers" was dictated by head pharmacists to scribes involved in compounding activities.

Ancient Greek Pharmacy

• Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, represents the healing aspect of the medical arts.
• His daughters, Hygieia, Iaso, Aceso, Aglæa, and Panacea, embody various facets of health and healing.
• Non-venomous snakes, known as Aesculapian snakes, were associated with healing rituals and found in temples dedicated to Asclepius.
• The cult of Asclepius continued to flourish from 300 B.C. onwards.