Louis Lewin

Louis Lewin (born in Tuchel, West Prussia, November 9, 1850; died December 1, 1929 in Berlin) was a German pharmacologist. In 1886, he published the first methodical analysis of the Peyote cactus, which was originally named Anhalonium lewinii in his honor.

He received his education at the gymnasium and the University of Berlin (M.D. 1876). The two years following his graduation he spent at Munich, in the laboratories of von Voit and Pettenkofer. Returning to Berlin in 1878, he became assistant at the pharmacological institute of the university, and in 1881 he was admitted to the medical faculty as Privatdozent. In 1897 he was finally appointed professor.

In Berlin, a street and the nearby underground train station were named in his honor.

Drug classification

One of Lewin's most enduring tasks was to create a system of classification of psychoactive drugs and plants based on their pharmacologic action. His original categories were:

• Inebriantia (Inebriants such as alcohol or ether)
• Exitantia (Stimulants such as Khat or Amphetamine)
• Euphorica (Euphoriants and Narcotics such as Heroin)
• Hypnotica (Tranquilizers such as Kava)
• Phantastica (Hallucinogens or Entheogens such as Peyote or Ayahuasca)

Works

Lewin was a prolific writer. Among his many essays may be mentioned:

• "Über Morphium-Intoxication" -- On Morphium intoxication (in "Deutsche Zeitschrift für Praktische Medizin", 1874)
• "Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Wirkungen des Aconitin auf das Herz" -- Experimental analysis on the effects of Aconitine on the heart (in "Centralblatt für die Medizinische Wissenschaft", 1875)
• "Über die Verwertung des Alkohols in fieberhaften Krankheiten" -- On the application of alcohol with feverish maladies (in "Deutsches Archiv für Klinische Medizin", 1876)
• "Über maximale Dosen der Arzneimittel" -- On maximum doses of medicaments (in "Transactions of the International Medical Congress", 1887)
• "Über allgemeine Hautvergiftung durch Petroleum" -- On the broadly exzema caused by petroleum (in Rudolf Virchow's "Archiv,", 1888)
• "Über Anhalonium Lewinii und andere Cacteen" -- On Anhalonium lewinii and other cacti (in "Archiv für Experimentelle Pathologie und Pharmakologie", 1894)
• "Die Behandlung der Lepra" -- The treatment of leprosy (in "Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift", 1898)
• "Die Untersuchungen von Blutflecken" -- Analysis of hemangioma (in "Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift", 1899)
• "Die Vergiftungen in Betrieben" -- Intoxications at business (in "Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift", 1890)

Lewin is also the author of the following books:

• "Die Nebenwirkungen der Arzneimittellehre" -- Adverse reactions of pharmacology (Berlin, 1881)
• "Lehrbuch der Toxicologie" -- Textbook of toxicology (Vienna, 1885)
• "Über Piper Methysticum (Kawa Kawa)" -- On Piper methysticum (Berlin, 1886)
• "Über Areca Catechu, Chavica Betle, und das Betelkauen" -- On Areca catechu, Piper betle and the chewing of Betel leaves (Stuttgart, 1889)
• "Die Fruchtabtreibung durch Gifte und andere Mittel" -- Abortion by poisons and other remedies (Berlin)

External links

• Lois Lewin on the Jewish Encyclopedia

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Jewish Encyclopedia. 1901–1906.