Barbiturates
Barbiturates refer to a class of general central nervous system depressants that are derived from barbituric acid, a chemical discovered in 1863 by the Nobel Prize winner in chemistry (1905) Adolf von Baeyer (1835-1917). Barbituric acid itself is devoid of central depressant activity; however, German scientists Emil Hermann Fischer and Joseph von Mering made some modifications to its structure and synthesized barbital, which was found to possess depressant properties. Scientists had been looking for a drug to treat anxiety and nervousness but without the dependence-producing effects of OPIATE drugs such as OPIUM, CODEINE, and MORPHINE. Other drugs such as bromide salts, CHLORAL HYDRATE, and paraldehyde were useful sedatives, but they all had problems such as toxicity or they left such a bad taste in patients' mouths that they preferred not to take them. Fischer and von Mering noted that barbital produced sleep in both humans and animals. It was introduced into chemical medicine in 1903 and was soon in widespread use.
By 1913, the second barbiturate, PHENOBARBI-TAL, was introduced into medical practice. Since that time, more than 2,000 similar chemicals have been synthesized but only about 50 of these have been marketed. Although the barbiturates were quickly used to treat a number of disorders effectively, their side effects were becoming apparent.
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