Friedrich Sertürner

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 (19 June 1783, Neuhaus - 20 February 1841) was a German pharmacist, who discovered morphine in 1804.

Biography

He was born on 19 June 1783 in Neuhaus (now part of Paderborn).

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.

Further reading

• Klockgether-Radke, AP (May 2002). "F. W. Sertürner and the discovery of morphine. 200 years of pain therapy with opioids [F. W. Sertürner and the discovery of morphine. 200 years of pain therapy with opioids]" (in German). Anasthesiologie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin, Schmerztherapie : AINS 37 (5): 244–9. doi:10.1055/s-2002-30132. ISSN 0939-2661. PMID 12015680. 
• Lassner, J (1993). "Sertürner and the discovery of morphine [Sertürner and the discovery of morphine]" (in French). Cahiers d'anesthesiologie 41 (5): 549–53. ISSN 0007-9685. PMID 8258096. 
• Goerig, M; Schulte Am Esch, J (Dec 1991). "Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner--on the 150th anniversary of the death of the discoverer of morphine [Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner--on the 150th anniversary of the death of the discoverer of morphine]" (in German). Anasthesiologie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin, Schmerztherapie : AINS 26 (8): 492–8. doi:10.1055/s-2007-1000624. ISSN 0939-2661. PMID 1786314. 
• Schmitz, R (1985). "Friedrich Wilhelm Sertürner and the discovery of morphine". Pharmacy in history 27 (2): 61–74. ISSN 0031-7047. PMID 11611724. 
• Holtkamp, P (Sep 1984). "A great researcher known as a cheat (Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner) [A great researcher known as a cheat (Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner)]" (in German). Quintessenz Journal 14 (9): 831–2. ISSN 0033-6599. PMID 6395179. 
• Friedrich, C; Seidlein, HJ (May 1984). "The history of pharmaceutical science. 12. The importance of the discovery of morphine in the development of pharmaceutical science [The history of pharmaceutical science. 12. The importance of the discovery of morphine in the development of pharmaceutical science]" (in German). Die Pharmazie 39 (5): 340–5. ISSN 0031-7144. PMID 6382346. 
• Kempler, K (Jul 1983). "Beginnings of alkaloid research (Friedrich Wilhelm Sertürner) [Beginnings of alkaloid research (Friedrich Wilhelm Sertürner)]" (in Hungarian). Orvosi hetilap 124 (30): 1821–5. ISSN 0030-6002. PMID 6353312. 
• Doenicke, A (Jun 1983). "On the 200th birthday of Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner [On the 200th birthday of Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner]" (in German). Der Anaesthesist 32 (6): 239–41. ISSN 0003-2417. PMID 6351662. 
• Halmai, J (May 1966). "The inventor of morphine. (F. W. Sertürner) [The inventor of morphine. (F. W. Sertürner)]" (in Hungarian). Orvosi hetilap 107 (19): 895–7. ISSN 0030-6002. PMID 5326676. 
• Weiser, M (Oct 1956). "Discovery of morphium 150 years ago. [Discovery of morphium 150 years ago]" (in German). Medizinische Monatsschrift 10 (10): 694–5. ISSN 0025-8474. PMID 13386906.