Dragendorff's reagent: Historical perspectives and current status of a versatile reagent introduced over 150 years ago at the University of Dorpat, Tartu, Estonia.

The well-known Dragendorff's reagent (DR) was introduced by an Estonian-German Professor Johann Georg Noel Dragendorff (1836-1898) in the middle of the 19th century (1866). Dragendorff, who was a full-time professor in pharmacy at the university of Dorpat (Tartu) used his reagent originally for the rapid screening of herbal products to find traces of alkaloids. DR is a solution of potassium bismuth iodide composing of basic bismuth nitrate (Bi(NO3)3), tartaric acid, and potassium iodide (KI), and when contact with alkaloids DR produces an orange or orange red precipitate. In this review article, we make a short historical overview on the biography and scientific research work of Professor Dragendorff at the University of Dorpat. The chemistry, method of preparation, mechanism of action, and practical uses of DR in various disciplines in various European countries including the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Finland, Ukraine, Moldova, and in Asia (Vietnam), are also discussed. Over several decades, DR and its modifications have found uses in many new applications and disciplines, and a number of commercial DRs are also currently available on the market. Today, DR is used for example in the production of surfactants, where non-ionic surfactant is precipitated in water solution with modified DR (KBiI4+BaCl2+glacial acetic acid). Total six different potassium iodobismuthate (DR) solutions are also presented in the European Pharmacopoeia. In conclusion, DR (after more than 150 years of its invention in Estonia) has still an important role in pharmaceutical and related sciences all over the world.

The national pharmacopoeias of the Baltic States.

After Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania proclaimed their independence in 1918 and began to create their national health care systems, one of their stated priorities was the formulation and publication of national pharmacopoeias. In order to accomplish this, working groups as well as commissions composed of pharmacists, medical specialists and even linguists had to be formed. The process was long and difficult. New terminology in native languages had to be created. Sources for the monographs had to be chosen, researched, analyzed and compared. There were organizational and financial problems. Nevertheless, by the late 1930s, all three Baltic States published their national pharmacopoeias. Officially, they were not able to use them for long because during World War II all three were occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union. Pharmacists in those countries were obliged to use the Soviet pharmacopoeias, although unofficially, they also made good use of their national ones. Currently, the European Pharmacopoeia is in use in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Pharmacy students at the University of Tartu 1802-2010--a historical study.

The aim of this article was to give an historical overview of pharmacy education in Estonia and the social profile of pharmacy students of the University of Tartu (previously Dorpat and Jurjew) during the period 1802-2010. In addition, separate data is presented about female students and students of Estonian ethnicity. During the period observed, 6736 students studied pharmacy in the University of Tartu, of whom 4184 graduated in the specialty. The largest proportional representation by place of birth was Tartu and the Tartu region (13.5%). 42% of the students were 21-25 years old. The majority (96.84%) of the students were Estonians. At the end of the 19th century, russification of the university resulted in Russian being made the official language of instruction, with a concomitant decrease of ethnically German and an increase in ethnically Estonian students. Changes in admission policies have led to an increased number of Russian students among graduates since 2004. 2319 of the total 6736 students were female. During the period 1926-1940, women achieved the majority among graduates and they represent the majority up to the present day.

[Pharmacy textbooks used at the University of Tartu/Dorpat 1802-1918]. / An der Universität Tartu/Dorpat in den Jahren 1802-1918 benutzte Pharmazielehrbücher.

An overview about the teaching of pharmacy at the University of Tartu in 1802-1918 is presented based on the exhaustive study of the textbooks used during that period. Textbooks were written by all local pharmacy teachers of the university, some of them (those by Grindel, Giese, Goebel, Dragendorff) were also translated into other languages and used at several universities. The content and structure of the textbook by Giese, printed in six volumes (1808-1811, 2277 pages), is studied in more detail. The structure of these books was a good basis for future pharmaceutical textbooks and to Estonian pharmacy education in general. The textbooks developed at the University of Tartu form also an important connecting link between the German and Russian cultural spaces.

[PhD theses at the University of Tartu/Dorpat supervised by Georg Dragendorff 1864-1894]. / Unter der Leitung des Pharmazieprofessors Georg Dragendorff in den Jah- ren 1864-1894 an der Universität Tartu/Dorpat verfasste medizinische Doktorarbeiten.

During 30 years, the professor of pharmacy Georg Dragendorff (1836-1898), who had been invited from Germany, supervised 90 theses of Master of Pharmacy and 87 theses of Doctor of Medicine in Tartu/Dorpat. The present article discusses the authors of these theses, Dragendorff and his co-operation with other university lecturers, the structure of the theses and the regulations of the thesis defence. Analysis of the contents of the theses revealed extensive contacts of the pharmacy of the time with different fields of science. Dragendorff as the supervisor of these theses contributed much to the training of physicians.

[Georg Dragendorff and his students--the M. Sc. dissertations in pharmacy at Tartu University (1864-1894)]. / Georg Dragendorff und seine Schüler--Magisterarbeiten von Pharmazeuten zwischen 1864 und 1894 an der Universität Tartu/Dorpat.

The present paper deals with the M.Sc. dissertations on pharmacy at the University of Tartu/Dorpat (nowadays in Estonia) in 1864-1894. While Professor G. Dragendorff worked in Tartu, 89 persons defended their M.Sc. degrees in pharmacy and 88 persons their M. D. theses in the same field, a total of 177 dissertations for the Institute of Pharmacy, which comprises one third of the M.Sc. degrees in Pharmacy in the whole of Russia. This was the most fruitful era in the activity of Dragendorff and the most successful period in the history of pharmacy in Tartu University.

Una encuesta sobre las opiniones de los estudiantes de la Universidad Abierta en Estonia / A survey of pharmacy students’ opinions at the Open University in Estonia

En 2004, además de los 37 estudiantes de la Universidad de Tartu que terminaron los estudios a tiempo completo, obtuvieron el título de farmacéutico también los primeros 64 auxiliares de farmacia de la Universidad Abierta (enseñanza a distancia), que ya realizaban el trabajo de auxiliar farmacéutico durante los estudios. Su formación de auxiliar farmacéutica la obtuvieron en la escuela profesional superior. Después de 3,5 años de estudios universitarios, se hizo una encuesta anónima para descubrir su opinión sobre los estudios cursados. La mayoría de los estudiantes, tanto los de la escuela profesional superior como los de la Universidad, fueron estimulados para estudiar Farmacia por sus padres, amigos, conocidos o colegas. Entre las motivaciones principales para entrar en la universidad se destacan la oportunidad de recibir un sueldo más alto y mejores posibilidades de promoción. Por lo general, están contentos con la organización de los estudios, el nivel de los conocimientos adquiridos, la instrucción recibida y los materiales de estudio. Casi la mitad reconoce que sería adecuado realizar un cambio respecto a los bloques de asignaturas en el plan de estudios – desean, en general, reducir el volumen de asignaturas basadas en química. La Universidad Abierta proporciona una buena oportunidad de formación a nivel universitario, partiendo de la base de los estudios de auxiliares de farmacia y permite este grado de formación sin límite de edad. La presente encuesta de evaluación constituye una base para la creación de un sistema de valoración y de garantía de la calidad de estudios. Esto ayuda a desarrollar el currículo de Farmacia

In the year 2004, in addition to the 37 full-time students who graduated from the University of Tartu, the first 64 are already working as pharmacist’s assistants have received their pharmacy education in the Open University (distance learning). Their pharmaceutical education comes from the professional school. After 3.5 years of studying at the university, an anonymous survey was carried out to find out the students’ opinions about the program they graduated from. The students, both in professional school and in university, have received the impulse to study pharmacy from their parents, friends or colleagues. The main motivations for entering the university were the opportunity of higher salary, and better opportunities of promotion. The students are predominately satisfied with the level of the organisation of the studies, teaching and the study aids. Almost half of the students consider it right to change the proportions of the modules in the curriculum – they wish to reduce the importance of the subjects based on chemistry. The Open University is a good opportunity to prepare pharmacists with university education on the basis of the education of the pharmacist’s assistant and enables life-long learning without age limits. The survey, as feedback, is the basis of creating a system for evaluating and ensuring the quality of the studies. This enables the development of the curricula of pharmacy