3 Early Toxicologists: Impact on Progression of Toxicology - Essay Sample

Three Early Toxicologists who made the most Significant Contributions to the Progression of Toxicology, and the Reason for Choosing them

The history of toxicology offers an intriguing perspective on not only the growth of the science of toxicology but also the community’s varying approach to preventing diseases (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009). Popular history concentrates on the deadly uses of various poisons. For instance, Greeks used “aconite” as an arrow poison, and “hemlock” as a technique of execution (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009). As society advanced so did different discoveries in the field of toxicology progress through individuals like Moses ben Maimon, Paracelsus, and Dr. Bernadino Ramazini. The paper will discuss the three early toxicologists and provide the reason for choosing each one of them.

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In 1700, Dr. Bernardino Ramazzini’s book titled Discourse on the Disease Workers was edited and published. In the book, Ramazzini paid keen attention to the expanding field of industrial hygiene and occupational toxicology (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009). He further included specific methods of analysis for the detection of an illness, and a methodical perspective to disease prevention, which ultimately formed the basis of factory safety. Ramazzini highlighted the underlying factors of occupational illness, treatment, and preventative techniques in detailed length that emphasized the classical ideals of Galen Hippocrates (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009).

Moses Ben Maimon was a Jewish philosopher and a doctor who authored Treatise on Poisons and Their Antidotes. His book was sectioned into two distinctive parts; the first part covered all sorts of bites, including those of stray dogs, snakes, scorpions, wasps, and bees. The second section highlighted poisons in food, minerals, and plants (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009). Moreover, it also covered antidotes and measures that could be undertaken to prevent the absorption of poisons like emesis (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009).

The reason for selecting Paracelsus is because he is recognized as the father of toxicology, and his works assisted to develop the basis of the current dose-response concept of toxicology (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009). He was a doctor, alchemist, and philosopher of the late Medieval Early Renaissance stage (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009). Paracelsus also held on a notion that there was a point of illness advancement beyond which no man could be cued and death was imminent. His five canons were followed closely by five types of doctors or healers that could treat. Paracelsus recognized that the level of exposure to a drug determined its toxicity, and not the substance itself (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009). Finally, he discovered that despite Mercury being poisonous, it could be used to treat syphilis (Hayes & Gilbert, 2009).

References

Hayes, A. N., & Gilbert, S. G. (2009). Historical milestones and discoveries that shaped the toxicology sciences. In Molecular, clinical, and environmental toxicology (pp. 1-35). Birkhäuser Basel. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Steven_Gilbert/publication/23805736_Historical_milestones_and_discoveries_that_shaped_the_toxicology_sciences/links/5601a56708aed9851827c95a.pdf