De la historia antigua de los métodos iodométricos: de Robert Bunsen a Karoly Tham / Ancient history of the iodometric methods: from Robert Bunsen to Karoly Tham

La contribución más importante en el ámbito de la iodometría se debe a Bunsen, quien describe la determinación de una amplia variedad de sustancias oxidantes liberando el yodo a partir del ioduro potasio, y valorándolo con ácido sulfuroso. Bunsen tenía predilección por el trabajo cuantitativo y era un genio en el diseño de la ciencia aplicada aunque no patenta los dispositivos que idea. Da un impulso decisivo a la institucionalización de la farmacia alemana en el siglo XIX, interesándose por el desarrollo de la educación farmacéutica. Heinrich Schwarz tras estudiar en de Halle y pasar por Giessen marcha al laboratorio de Pelouze en París, donde se familiariza con los métodos volumétricos de análisis, trabajando a su regreso a Alemania en este campo. Propone reemplazar el ácido sulfuroso utilizado por Bunsen en las valoraciones con yodo por tiosulfato sódico, lo que supuso un gran avance. Theophile Pelouze, farmacéutico, es fundamental para entender las conexiones con Schwarz y también con Bunsen. El trabajo concluye con la determinación de azúcares propuesta por Arthur Barreswill modificada por Fehling, y con la determinación de la pureza del ioduro de potasio del comercio

The most important contribution in the field of iodometry is due to Bunsen, who describes the determination of a wide variety of oxidizing substances by releasing iodine from iodide potassium, and assessing it with sulphurous acid. Bunsen had a predilection for quantitative work and was a genius in the design of applied science, although he does not patent the devices that idea. It gives a decisive impulse to the institutionalization of the German pharmacy in the 19th century, taking an interest in the development of pharmaceutical education. Heinrich Schwarz after studying in Halle and going through Giessen goes to the Pelouze laboratory in Paris, where he becomes familiar with the volumetric methods of analysis, working on his return to Germany in this field. It proposes to replace the sulphurous acid used by Bunsen in the evaluations with iodine by sodium thiosulphate, which represented a great advance. Theophile Pelouze, pharmacist, is essential to understand the connections with Schwarz and also with Bunsen. The work concludes with the determination of sugars proposed by Arthur Barres will modified by Fehling, and with the determination of the purity of the potassium iodide of the trade

The gold rush 1925-35.

Although from the time of Koch onwards there had been desultory experiments with a variety of gold preparations in the management of pulmonary tuberculosis, gold as a recognised and accepted treatment did not emerge until 1925. In that year Holger Mollgaard of Copenhagen introduced sanocrysin, a double thiosulphate of gold and sodium, with which he had conducted an extensive series of animal experiments. The results of these were considered to justify its use in clinical practice and two physicians, Secher and Faber, undeterred by its toxicity, reported enthusiastically in its favour. Other Danish physicians followed but, alarmed by violent reactions, modified the dosage, an example followed by British workers. Encouraging results continued to be reported although each series contained a significant proportion of failures, and toxicity remained high. The first properly planned and fully controlled clinical trial took place in the United States and produced a report which was wholly adverse and which sounded the death knell of gold therapy throughout America. Until 1934-35 gold was used extensively in Europe but thereafter there was a sudden and largely universal cessation of interest and within a few years gold, introduced with such éclat and carrying so many high hopes, had vanished from the therapy of tuberculosis even though, at that point, no better alternative was available.