Arsphenamine
Arsphenamine
Arsphenamine (pronounced: ars-fen-a-meen), also known as Salvarsan or Compound 606, is a chemotherapeutic drug that was widely used in the early 20th century to treat syphilis and trypanosomiasis. It was the first effective treatment for syphilis, and it was introduced by the German scientist Paul Ehrlich in 1910.
Etymology
The term "arsphenamine" is derived from its chemical composition. It contains arsenic (Ars) and phenylamine (aniline), hence the name "arsphenamine". The name "Salvarsan" is derived from the Latin salvare (to save) and arsenicum (arsenic).
Usage
Arsphenamine was used primarily to treat syphilis before the discovery of penicillin. It was administered by intravenous injection, and it was known to have several side effects, including rashes, fever, and even death in rare cases. Despite these risks, it was considered a miracle drug in its time due to its effectiveness against syphilis, a disease that was previously considered incurable.
Related Terms
- Syphilis: A sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.
- Trypanosomiasis: A parasitic disease transmitted by the tsetse fly.
- Paul Ehrlich: A German scientist who introduced arsphenamine.
- Penicillin: An antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, which eventually replaced arsphenamine as the primary treatment for syphilis.
- Arsenic: A chemical element used in the composition of arsphenamine.
- Phenylamine: An organic compound also known as aniline, used in the composition of arsphenamine.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Arsphenamine
- Wikipedia's article - Arsphenamine
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