Friedrich Sertürner

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Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner
Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner
Born	19 June 1783 Neuhaus
Died	20 February 1841 Hamelin
Nationality	Germany
Fields	pharmacology
Known for	morphine

Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner (born 19 June 1783 in Neuhaus (near Paderborn), died 20 February 1841 in Hamelin) was a German pharmacist, who discovered morphine in 1805.

As a pharmacist's apprentice in Paderborn, he was the first to isolate morphine from opium. He called the isolated alkaloid "morphium" after the Greek god of dreams, Morpheus. It was not only the first alkaloid to be extracted from opium, but the first ever alkaloid to be isolated from any plant. Thus he became the first person to isolate the active ingredient associated with a medicinal plant or herb.

In the years following, he investigated the effects of morphine. However, it only became widely used after 1815. In 1809, Sertürner opened his first own pharmacy in Einbeck. In 1822, he bought the main pharmacy in Hamelin (Rathaus Apotheke), where he worked until his death in 1841.

[edit] References

• Klockgether-Radke, A P (2002), “[F. W. Sertürner and the discovery of morphine. 200 years of pain therapy with opioids]”, Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin, Schmerztherapie : AINS 37 (5): 244-9, 2002 May, PMID:12015680, doi:10.1055/s-2002-30132, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12015680> 
• Lassner, J (1993), “[Sertürner and the discovery of morphine]”, Cahiers d'anesthésiologie 41 (5): 549-53, 1993, PMID:8258096, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8258096> 
• Goerig, M & Schulte am Esch, J (1991), “[Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner--on the 150th anniversary of the death of the discoverer of morphine]”, Anästhesiologie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin, Schmerztherapie : AINS 26 (8): 492-8, 1991 Dec, PMID:1786314, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1786314> 
• Schmitz, R (1985), “Friedrich Wilhelm Sertürner and the discovery of morphine.”, Pharmacy in history 27 (2): 61-74, 1985, PMID:11611724, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11611724> 
• Holtkamp, P (1984), “[A great researcher known as a cheat (Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner)]”, Quintessenz Journal 14 (9): 831-2, 1984 Sep, PMID:6395179, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6395179> 
• Friedrich, C & Seidlein, H J (1984), “[The history of pharmaceutical science. 12. The importance of the discovery of morphine in the development of pharmaceutical science]”, Pharmazie 39 (5): 340-5, 1984 May, PMID:6382346, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6382346> 
• Kempler, K (1983), “[Beginnings of alkaloid research (Friedrich Wilhelm Sertürner)]”, Orvosi hetilap 124 (30): 1821-5, 1983 Jul 24, PMID:6353312, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6353312> 
• Doenicke, A (1983), “[On the 200th birthday of Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner]”, Der Anaesthesist 32 (6): 239-41, 1983 Jun, PMID:6351662, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6351662> 
• Halmai, J (1966), “[The inventor of morphine. (F. W. Sertürner)]”, Orvosi hetilap 107 (19): 895-7, 1966 May 8, PMID:5326676, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5326676> 
• WEISER, M (1956), “[Discovery of morphium 150 years ago.]”, Medizinische Monatsschrift 10 (10): 694-5, 1956 Oct, PMID:13386906, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13386906>