Chapter 2
Development of Pharmacy in History as Healing profession
Outcomes:
Illustrate the history of pharmacy from its origins in ancient times
through the middle of twentieth century
1.Pharmacy differentiates during the Middle ages (500 to
1500):
• The separation between pharmacy and medicine in
Islamic land.
• The first pharmacy shop: in eight century in Bagdad
• German Emperor Frederick II issued an act in 1240 that separates the
pharmacy profession from medicine:
- pharmaceutical profession is separated from the medical
- pharmaceutical profession should be supervised officially
- Pharmacists should take an oath to prepare drugs 12
2. The European Renaissance (1400 to 1700) :
Emerging the associations and societies of pharmacists
New ideas about diseases appeared:
- Disease may be localised in a specific organ
- Some plants contain active chemicals which can be extracted
- Disease was produced through imbalance of acid and alkaline substances in body
- Homeopathy is alternative medicine
3. Pharmacy in USA: in the old days (17th – 19th century)
1820. USA Pharmacopeia (USP) – keep updating every 5 years
1821. The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (now known as University of
Science) – 1st pharmacy organisation in the USA
1829. New York College of Pharmacy (now known as Columbia University)
4. Twentieth century pharmacy: improvement of pharmaceutical
industry (contributed by World War II).
The effects:
- Compounding became less important
- Many new drugs (with new side effects, and mechanism of
actions appeared)
Thinking of other practices of pharmacy as patient oriented
practices in order to recognise pharmacist as a profession (unlike
physicians and engineers)
History of Pharmacy
1. Ancient Egyptian Period:
The ancient Egyptians 3000 B.C. were expert in using drugs
for disease curing.
"Son" was a priest doctor and pharmacist, who prescribe
and prepare medicines.
The ancient Egyptians used to prepare their medicines and
drugs either from biological sources either from animal origin
or plant origin.
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History of Pharmacy
2. The Mesopotamian Formula:
The Babylonian medicine was known through interpretation
of a written table known as "Laws of Hammurabi" in 772
B.C.
The formula contain 250 materials of plant and 180 of
animal source which usually mixed with honey or water
before administration.
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History of Pharmacy
3. Old Indian Medicine :
The aim of the old Indian drugs (2000 B.C) is used to prolong
the human life.
The drugs obtained from plant materials by pure religious
person.
The fresh plants were considered to be more effective, after its
collection from fertile soil washed with pure water and exposed
to sun.
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4. Old Chinese Medicines :
Famous in the acupuncture and the chinese herbal medicine
before 1000 B.C.
The Chinese thought that for every disease, there must be a
drug curing it, and the drug is only provided by nature.
Many drugs of plant and animal origin were used and
prepared in form of suppositories and ointments or as dry
powders.
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5. The Greek and Romans:
Well Known Hippocrates (466 B.C) was familiar with
numerous drugs and wrote Corpus Hippocraticum.
'Alexander the Great' helped to increase the number of
the drugs used at that time.
Dioscorides was first to describe the drugs and his work
"Greek Herbal of Dioscorides” included about 5000 medical
plants + animal and mineral drugs.
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6. Islamic contribution:
The Islamic civilization added many scientific terms as
“Kemia” alcohol
Famous Islamic scientist such as Abu al Hassan Ibn-Sina
(980-1037 A.D). His Book (Canon of Medicine) was known
as the best written medical test – combining Greeks and
Arabs knowledge together
Ibn Al-Bitar born in Spain in 1197 A.D, he was the best
pharmacognosist, his book “Jame–ul-muffradat” contains
description of 2000 drugs.
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5. Islamic contribution:
Dawood El- Antaki and his book “Tazkert Uli Ai- Albab”
Al- Biruni and his book “pharmacy and medical material”
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