A Brief History of Toxicology

Much of the early history of toxicology has been lost and in much that has survived toxicology is of almost incidental importance in manuscripts dealing primarily with medicine. Some, however, deal more specifically with toxic action or with the use of poisons for judicial execution, suicide or political assassination. Regardless of the paucity of the early record, and given the need for people to avoid toxic animals and plants, toxicology must rank as one of the oldest practical sciences. 

The Egyptian papyrus, Ebers, dating from about 1500 bc, must rank as the earliest surviving pharmacopeia, and the surviving medical works of Hippocrates, Aristotle, 

There appear to have been few advances in either medicine or toxicology between the time of Galen (ad 131-200) and Paracelsus (1493-1541). It was the latter who, despite frequent confusion between fact and mysticism, laid the groundwork for the later development of modem toxicology by recognizing the importance of the dose-response relationship. His famous statement— All substances are poisons there is none that is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy —succinctly summarizes that concept. His belief in the value of experimentation was also a break with earlier tradition. 

There were some important developments during the eighteenth century. Probably the best known is the publication of Ramazini s Diseases of Workers in 1700, which led to his recognition as the father of occupational medicine. The correlation between the occupation of chimney sweeps and scrotal cancer by Percival Pott in 1775 is almost as well known, although it was foreshadowed by Hill s correlation of nasal cancer and snuff use in 1761. 

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