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Revision as of 10:48, 30 June 2024 by Coldupnorth (talk | contribs) (→Discovery of Cocaine)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) German chemist (1828–1890)| Friedrich Gaedcke | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 June 1828 |
| Died | 19 September 1890 (1890-09-20) (aged 62) |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | discovering cocaine |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | pharmaceutics |
Friedrich Georg Carl (Friedrich) Gaedcke (5 June 1828 – 19 September 1890) was a German chemist. He was the first person to isolate the cocaine alkaloid in 1855.
Life
Gaedcke worked in a pharmacy in Rostock and studied in Rostock between 1850 and 1851. In 1856, he took over a pharmacy in Dömitz which he ran for 34 years.
Discovery of Cocaine
Working with coca leaves, Gaedcke isolated the cocaine molecule. Gaedcke named the alkaloid “erythroxyline,” and published a description in the journal Archiv der Pharmazie in 1855. He described the alkaloid as being of small crystal molecules with needle-like points on four to six sides. He reported the numbing effects of the molecule on himself following a small tongue test. Gaedcke's research received little attention at the time of its publication but would come to prominence a few years later following further work by Albert Niemann and scientists.
References
- Luch, Andreas (2009-04-03). Molecular, Clinical and Environmental Toxicology. Basel Boston: Springer Science & Business Media. p. 20. ISBN 978-3-7643-8336-7.
- ^ West, Krista (2008). Cocaine and Crack. Infobase Publishing. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-4381-1822-2.
- F. Gaedcke (1855). "Ueber das Erythroxylin, dargestellt aus den Blättern des in Südamerika cultivirten Strauches Erythroxylon Coca Lam". Archiv der Pharmazie. 132 (2): 141–150. doi:10.1002/ardp.18551320208. S2CID 86030231.
- Zaunick R. (1956). "Early history of cocaine isolation: Domitzer pharmacist Friedrich Gaedcke (1828–1890); contribution to Mecklenburg pharmaceutical history". Beitr Gesch Pharm Ihrer Nachbargeb. 7 (2): 5–15. PMID 13395966.
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