History of Salvarsan (Arsphenamine)

John Parascandola, US Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, USA

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0003622

The drug Salvarsan (arsphenamine) was developed and introduced as a chemotherapeutic agent against syphilis in the first decade of the twentieth century by Paul Ehrlich. Although a significant breakthrough in the treatment of syphilis at the time, it was eventually replaced by penicillin.

Keywords: chemotherapy; Ehrlich; pharmacology; syphilis; therapeutics

 Further Reading
    book Bäumler E (1984) Paul Ehrlich: Scientist for Life. New York: Holmes and Meier.
    book Himmelweit F (ed.) (1956–1960) The Collected Papers of Paul Ehrlich. London: Pergamon Press.
    book Marquardt M (1951) Paul Ehrlich. New York: Henry Schuman.
    Parascandola J (1977) Carl Voegtlin and the ‘arsenic receptor’ in chemotherapy. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 32: 151–171.
    Parascandola J (1981) The theoretical basis of Paul Ehrlich's chemotherapy. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 36: 19–43.
    Parascandola J and Jasensky R (1974) Origins of the receptor theory of drug action. Bulletin of the History of Medicine 48: 199–220.
    Swann JP (1985) Arthur Tatum, Parke-Davis, and the discovery of Mapharsen as an antisyphilitic agent. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 40: 167–187.
    Ward PS (1981) The American reception of Salvarsan. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 36: 44–62.

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Article Title: History of Salvarsan (Arsphenamine)
 
How to Cite close
Parascandola, John(Apr 2001) History of Salvarsan (Arsphenamine). In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0003622]