Seventy-five volumes of "Die Pharmazie" - a historical review.

The journal "Die Pharmazie" was founded shortly after World War II in the German Sovjet occupation zone, and made its way to the leading pharmaceutical journal in the German Democratic Republic. From the early 1960s, and under the editorial responsibility of Siegfried Pfeifer (1961-1993) and Rudolf Voigt (1961-1988), the journal continuously increased its reputation and reached its present status of a peer reviewed international journal. Pfeifer served the journal as an editor-in-chief for 32 years in total. Other long-time editors were Peter Pflegel (1989-2012) and Theodor Dingermann (since 1994). Between 1946 and 2019 more than 12.000 manuscripts from almost 120 countries were published. From the very beginning up to the present day, "Die Pharmazie" has been accepting papers from all the pharmaceutical disciplines. The journal made history by publishing the first description of the thin layer chromatography technique and personal accounts of Arthur Eichengrün, personally involved in the discovery of aspirin.

Traditional use and scientific investigations of the medicinal plant Simaba cedron Planch.

Simaba cedron Planch (Simaroubaceae) has frequently been reported as a traditional remedy against snake bites, malaria, gastrointestinal and other disorders. Starting in the 18th century, European physicians and researchers made several efforts to verify the reported virtues and to isolate active principles. Most important achievements are reviewed her. From modern investigations, an anti-malarial activity seems plausible due to the quassinoids contained. An effect against snake-bites seems questionable, research about the usefulness against gastrointestinal disorders, which is also reported, is missing. Other Simaroubaceae, however, are under current investigation now.

Ethnopharmacology in the work of the British botanist Arthur Francis George Kerr (1877 - 1942).

Reports on traditional use of medicinal plants may be used as starting points for phytochemical and pharmacological research. As has recently been shown, publications, letters, diaries and reports of exploring botanists are a valuable source of historical ethnopharmacological information. In this study, the heritage of the British botanist Arthur Francis George Kerr (1877-1942), mainly working in Thailand, was screened for information about traditionally used medicinal plants. Information given was compared to state-of-the-art scientific knowledge about these species. Many historical uses could be confirmed, some did not, while a number of species reported to be traditionally used have not been sufficiently investigated so far. These, strongly suggested for further research, include Kurrimia robusta, Alpinia siamensis, Amomum krervanh (A. testaceum), Trichosanthes integrifolia (= Gymnopetalum scabrum), Croton cumingii (= C. cascarilloides), Lobelia radicans (= L. chinensis), Willughbeia sp., Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Pluchea indica, Heliotropum indicum, as well as some fungi and woods.

Ethnopharmacology in the work of Melville William Hilton-Simpson (1881-1938)--historical analysis and current research opportunities.

In the early 20th century, the British anthropologist Melville William Hilton-Simpson (1881-1938) did explorations in Africa, mainly the Congo region and the Aurès region in Algeria. He showed considerable interest in local medicinal practices and plants used by the natives, mainly the Algerian Berbers. He left notes, letters and publications about traditional medicine which were screened for relevant information about medicinal plant use. His reports were compared with current knowledge and recent study results. Many plants described by Hilton-Simpson as therapeutically relevant could prove their efficacy in current studies which again shows that historical sources may exert some reliability. The study, however, unveiled a couple of plants reported as traditionally used, but neglected by modern science so far. These, including Marrubium supinum, Cynoglossum pictum (= C. creticum), Sonchus maritimus, and two Erodium species, are strongly recommended to be further studied. Foresightedly, this approach was already intended by Hilton-Simpson himself.

Ethnopharmacological information from the botanical correspondence of Berthold Seemann (1825 - 1871)--a pilot study.

Historical research may be able to contribute to the exploration of traditional knowledge about medicinal plants and promising attempts have been made investigating Byzantine texts, Early Modern herbals, and writings of Christian missionaries. In this pilot study it should be explored if publications, travel reports, diaries or correspondence of the botanical explorers of the 19th and early 20th centuries may serve a source of ethnopharmacological information as well and may be able to guide modern phytopharmacological research. Writings of Berthold Seemann (1825-1871), a German investigator exploring the botany of Middle America, the Fiji islands and other regions, are investigated as a first example. It could be shown that Seemann's heritage mainly kept at Kew Garden Archives, does contain ethnopharmacological information which in part has already been confirmed by recent study results indicating some reliability of his observations. However, there are also reports about traditional medicinal plants scarcely investigated so far, including Schultesia stenophylla Mart. (syn. S. guainensis (Aubl.) Malme), Trixis inula Crantz, Waltheria glomerata Presl., Gonophlebium attenuatum (Humb. & Bonpl. Es Wil\d) C. Presl., or Pseudoelephantopus spicatus (Juss ex Aubl.) C.F. Baker. It is suggested to further explore their potential as medicinal plants. In general, as Seemann's example has shown, publications and correspondence of botanical explorers of the past seem to be a valuable and hitherto almost neglected source of information to be considered in further historical and ethnopharmacological research.

The evil of the unknown--risk-benefit evaluation of new synthetic drugs in the 19th century.

In the 19th century, synthetic chemistry discovered completely new chemical entities for medicinal use, which dramatically enriched the therapeutic armamentarium. However, no information was available regarding the safety of these new drugs, which were unrelated to most of the medicinal agents formerly known. Therefore, the question arises, if and how far, considerations regarding the relationship between benefit and risks were made. In this study, chloroform, phenazone (antipyrine) and sulfonal, were investigated as examples for drugs newly introduced in the 19th century. The results revealed that these drugs were provided by the manufacturer, tested by the physicians in a multicentre pattern and side effects were published in the medical literature soon after. Within a few years, several hundred cases were reported but the data were rarely summarized statistically. Therefore, physicians needed to stay updated with the medical literature because neither systematic industrial research nor regulatory authorities existed. The number of case reports within the first years were sufficient to detect common (> 1/100 to < 1/10) side effects but rare events were also reported. An extraordinary example is the drug-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis, which is commonly known as the Lyell syndrome or its less severe form, the Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This reaction has been clearly described by Baruch Spitz (1854-1932) as a side effect of antipyrine in 1887, several decades before Stevens, Johnson and particularly Lyell.

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. - how a traditional Taiwanese medicinal plant found its way to the West.

Tripterygium wilfordii is regarded as a promising traditional medicinal plant showing several, mainly antiinflammatory and cytotoxic activities. It contains unusal natural products currently under investigation as lead compounds. The species has been well known in Traditional Chinese Medicine but was recognized in Western science as an insecticide not before the 1930's and as a promising medicinal plant in the 1960's. The name refers to Charles Wilford, employed as a botanical collector at Kew Botanical Gardens, London from 1857-1860. He collected the plant on the island of Taiwan, formerly called Formosa, in June 1858, unfortunately without reporting its medicinal use in the country of origin. The plant was named according to the Linnaean system before 1862 what initially concealed its medicinal properties which had to be re-discovered in the second half of the 20th century.

Vaccinium myrtillus as an antidiabetic medicinal plant--research through the ages.

Bilberry leaves (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) were one of the most frequently used antidiabetic remedies of plant origin before the discovery of insulin. During the last century, many animal, clinical and phytochemical studies have been undertaken with this plant and its extracts and are summarized here. Overall, it must be concluded that the results were more or less disappointing and could not support the traditional use of bilberry leaves against diabetes mellitus which is sometimes recommended even up to the present day.

Syzygium cumini (L.) SKEELS (Myrtaceae) against diabetes--125 years of research.

Syzygium cumini (L.) SKEELS (syn. S. jambolanum DC, Eugenia jambolana LAM.) belongs to the medicinal plants most often recommended as an adjuvant therapy in type 2 diabetes. The plant was extensively studied during the last 125 years, approximately 100 case reports were reported already before the discovery of insulin. After the Second World War, research was concentrated on animal studies. Not all, but many of them reported some success in reducing type 2 diabetes symptoms. However, a state-of-the-art clinical study is still missing. In this review, historical literature dating back to the pre-insulin era was evaluated as were more recent in vitro-, animal-, and in vivo studies. Results were screened for information still useful today and compared to study results achieved in more recent decades. In view of the knowledge summarized here, a successful clinical study should use S. cumini seeds, seed kernels or fruit from India in fairly high doses. Reductions on blood sugar levels by about 30% seem reasonably to be expected. Adverse effects to be expected comprise gastrointestinal disturbances.

Antidiabetic drugs used in Europe prior to the discovery of insulin.

Many therapeutic agents had been used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus before insulin was discovered and several hundred plants have shown some extent of antidiabetic activity. This study tries to explore which agents were most widely used in Europe in the pre-insulin era. According to the scientific literature and the proprietary drug industry around 1900, more than 100 agents were considered to have hypoglycemic activity. Most of them seem to have been used only occasionally while some others were recommended and marketed to a large extent. Among the medicinal plants, Syzygium cumini (syn. S. jambolanum, Eugenia jambolana), Vaccinum myrtillus and Phaseolus sp. were most common, and other frequently used agents were opium, opium alkaloids, other alkaloids like quinine or Belladonna alkaloids, salicylates, alkaline substances like sodium (bi)carbonate and even strong poisons like arsenic or uranium salts. Syzygium jambolanum seed powder seems to be one of the most intensively studied antidiabetic agents of plant origin.

The history of electrotherapy of pain--or: what Voltaren has to do with voltage.

To reasons not yet completely understood, the pharmaceutical trademark Voltaren or Voltarol refers to the Italian scientist Alessandro Volta (1745-1827) who played an important role in the history of electricity. It is shown that electrotherapy has been used for the treatment of pain, gout and rheumatic disorders from ancient times to the present day. This therapeutic attempt was also discussed in scientific literature in the late 1960s, the time Voltaren was under development. Therefore, it is suggested that the electrotherapy of pain in history is a background for chosing this trademark.

The history of electrically-assisted transdermal drug delivery ("iontophoresis").

The first proposals for the use of electric current in drug delivery date from the mid 18th century. Serious progress was made in the 19th century notably by Benjamin Ward Richardson (1828-1896), Hermann Munk (1839-1912), William James Morton (1846-1920), Stéphane Leduc (1853-1939) and Fritz Frankenhäuser (born 1868). Administration of metal ions as well as alkaloids was tried at that time. Until the early 20th century, current mediated drug delivery was known as "cataphoresis"; Frankenhäuser is said to have introduced the term "iontophoresis" before 1908. Recently, researchers talk about "electrically-assisted transdermal drug delivery". The technique was never widely adopted but always proved useful to some extent in solving particular drug delivery problems. At the dawn of the 21st century, attempts are being made to achieve iontophoretic delivery of peptides and proteins.

[Parenteral administration of formic acid in alternative medicine]. / Die parenterale Ameisensäuretherapie - ein medikamentöses Therapieverfahren der komplementären Medizin.

Treatment of rheumatic and other diseases through immersion in an anthill is reported in German folk medicine. In the first half of the twentieth century, the physicians Eduard and Egon Krull (1842-1914 and 1879-1936, respectively) as well as Albrecht Reuter (1863-1937) recommended injections of diluted formic acid to treat tuberculosis, gout, arthritis, renal disorders and other complaints. Between 1930 and 1960, more than 15 different commercial preparations were marketed, and Egon Krull invented a drug series called "Myrmekan". Formic acid inhalations were recommended by Sigmund von Kapff (1864-1946) at a time when the acid was rarely used in homeopathy. In the 1950s, the injection of formic acid was regarded as one of the most important procedures in alternative medicine.

[Equipment and stocks in a German hospital pharmacy in the 19th century]. / Einrichtung und Warenlager einer deutschen Krankenhausapotheke im 19. Jahrhundert.

Two inventories from the hospital pharmacy in Cologne, founded 1807, give insight into the equipment of such an institution in Germany during the nineteenth century. The lists dated 1818 and 1884 have been transcribed and are presented verbatim. Additionally, a stock list dated 1817 was investigated.