Introduction - Uppsala Monitoring Centre

1656 Christopher Wren and Robert Boyle performed the first intravenous
injection of opium into a dog using a pig’s bladder and a sharpened
quill. It noted that the dog appeared extremely ‘stupified’. This paved
the way for pharmacology (Scarborough, 1945). Boyle, although not
a physician, wrote a great deal on medical matters and criticised
Galen’s practices.’ These helps are bleeding, vomiting, purging,
sweating, and spitting; of which I briefly observe in general that they
are sure to weaken or discompose when they are employed but do
not certainly cure afterwards’ and physicians did not escape lightly ‘
When a poor patient lies sick of a dangererous disease, the aim of
his recourse to a physician is, to be cured by him, or at least to be
relieved. But if he desired no more than that the physician should do
him no hurt, his surest course were not to send to a physician at all;
For then he need not fear to be killed by him.’ (Boyle, 1663; Hunter,
1997).
1657 Morel, Pierre, Johannes Jacobus Brunn, and Nicholas Culpeper.
‘The expert doctors’ dispensatory the whole art of physick restored to
practice : the apothecaries shop and chyrurgions closet open’d
..together with a strict survey of the dispensatories of the most
renowned colleges of the world : to which is added by Jacob A.
Brunn ... a compendium of the body of physick, wherein all the
medicaments universal and particular, simple and compound, are
fitted to the practice of physick. London: Printed for N. Brook.