Reading Notes on 'Ten Little Pills: How Plants, Powders, and Pills Reshaped the World'

Chapter Three: Mickey Finn ・ Liebig’s work aimed to demonstrate that nutrition, growth, and life processes themselves were not entirely in God’s hands but originated in chemical changes. ・ After Liebig, most scientists believed life processes could be effectively reduced to a series of chemical reactions. The human body could be progressively deconstructed—step by step, ever more finely—down to the molecular level. From then on, this reductionist approach guided much research into life. Vital force no longer came from God. ・ The various legitimate uses of chloral hydrate—mostly in psychiatric hospitals—were even more significant. ・ People now had hundreds of modified sleeping pills, better relaxants, and an ever-widening array of drugs—criminals routinely slipped such substances into victims’ drinks. Physicians still prescribed chloral hydrate to patients (notably, it featured in the fatal cocktails that killed Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole Smith), though its use has become exceedingly rare. ・ Chemists who came of age in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—those succeeding Liebig and Wöhler—excelled at manipulating molecules that affect the human body: adding atoms to one molecule, removing them from another, tailoring modifications for specific purposes. The more novel chemicals they synthesized, and the more extensively they tested them on humans and animals, the better they understood which compounds improved human health—and which did not. ・ Psychedelics gave rise to what we now call Big Pharma. Chapter Four: From ‘Miracle Cure’ to ‘Notorious Substance’ ・ This miraculous drug became the ‘holy grail’ sought by pharmaceutical researchers. Chemists began studying and modifying the morphine molecule—adding side chains here, removing one or two atoms there—relentlessly searching and experimenting. Their expertise grew steadily, with new advances emerging each year. The decades around 1900 marked chemistry’s golden age—especially organic chemistry, the science devoted to carbon-containing molecules that constitute life, such as proteins, sugars, and fats. Chemists seemed like wizards, capable—apparently at will—of altering nearly every molecule inside the human body. They probed how sugars were synthesized, how food was digested, and how enzymes (biological catalysts for biochemical reactions) functioned. They could shape molecules freely, just as craftsmen shaped wood or metal. They appeared omnipotent. ・ Yet they remained powerless against morphine itself. ・ Heroin-containing elixirs were touted as safe and suitable for all ages—even infants. Heroin was repeatedly added to over-the-counter remedies, advertised as a cure-all: from diabetes and hypertension down to hiccups and female hypersexuality (at least, the latter claim held some basis in reality, since all heroin addicts know heroin suppresses libido). In 1906, the American Medical Association approved heroin for general use—particularly as a substitute for morphine. ・ As heroin spread, physicians quickly discovered several undesirable properties. First, Bayer’s claim that heroin benefited the respiratory system proved false; heroin offered no special efficacy in opening airways. Second, heroin failed to treat morphine addiction—just as morphine fails to treat opioid addiction. Instead, doctors found heroin highly addictive: it was merely another form of morphine. Physicians began seeing increasing numbers of heroin addicts; newspapers reported growing incidents of heroin overdose. In certain respects, heroin differed from morphine—but no fundamental distinction existed between them. Each refinement of opium, each new derivative, seemed only to increase potency while leaving addictive danger utterly unchanged. All opioids—including opium itself, morphine, heroin, and today’s newer synthetic opioids—are captivating drugs: they powerfully relieve pain and induce feelings of happiness and euphoria (at least initially); they are easy to begin using, yet stopping becomes nearly impossible after sustained use.

Solving Global Sustainability Challenges Through Chemistry | Science Summit Chemistry Session #2025 Future Science Awards Week

At a time when the world faces numerous challenges—including resource shortages and environmental pollution—chemistry, as a central science, is playing an irreplaceable role. From October 24–25, the 2025 Future Science Awards Week · Science Summit will be grandly held at the Hong Kong Science Museum. Among its events, the ‘Chemistry Session – Chemistry Empowering Sustainable Development,’ scheduled for October 24, serves not only as a stage for chemistry experts to showcase their research achievements but also as a vivid demonstration of how chemical science serves society and advances sustainable development. From recycling waste polymers to developing novel chiral pharmaceuticals, and from green organic synthesis to efficient chiral molecule synthesis, every expert’s presentation will closely focus on practical applications of chemistry in solving real-world problems and improving human life. Through this dedicated chemistry session, we anticipate witnessing global chemists translate innovative chemical breakthroughs into tangible productivity—providing solutions to global challenges in energy, environment, and health. Xie Zuowei Leads the Thematic Symposium ‘Chemistry Empowering Sustainable Development’ Professor Xie Zuowei, Chair Professor at Southern University of Science and Technology, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academician of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and Member of the Program Committee for the 2025 Future Science Awards Week, serves as Session Chair for the ‘Chemistry Session – Chemistry Empowering Sustainable Development’ symposium. Professor Xie is an organometallic chemist whose research has not only deepened our understanding of reaction mechanisms in organometallic compounds but also provided solid theoretical foundations for technological innovation in related fields. Moreover, he actively promotes international exchange and collaboration in chemistry. As a member of the 2025 Future Science Awards Week Program Committee, he has deeply engaged in event planning—leveraging his professional academic expertise and extensive organizational experience to ensure the summit’s scientific rigor and authoritative standing, thereby building a vital bridge for global chemistry community exchange and cooperation. Tobin J. Marks’ Groundbreaking Catalyst Design Opens New Avenues for a Circular Economy in Waste Polymers Amid worsening global plastic pollution, his research—through uniquely designed catalysts and reaction processes—achieves highly efficient degradation and targeted conversion of waste plastics. This work promises innovative solutions to this global challenge, transforming discarded plastics from waste into valuable resources and reintegrating them into the economic cycle. Professor Tobin J. Marks, Walter P. Murphy Chair Professor of Catalytic Chemistry and Chemical Biological Engineering at Northwestern University, is a leading international figure in catalytic chemistry. He has made outstanding contributions to catalyst design and application, developing a series of highly efficient, stable, and highly selective catalysts through innovative research. Professor Marks will deliver a keynote address titled ‘Mechanism-Informed Catalyst Design and Evolution: Recycling and Upcycling Waste Polymers in a Circular Economy,’ focusing on the recycling and upcycling of waste polymers within circular economy frameworks. This research holds profound significance for environmental protection and sustainable resource utilization, offering new directions and possibilities for building a green, circular economic model. Qi-Lin Zhou: Asymmetric Carbene Insertion into N−H Bonds Enables Efficient Synthesis of Chiral Drugs Chiral amines are widely present in natural products, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals.

Medicines for All Institute Uses Chemistry to Improve Global Health

22 hours ago

The Medicines for All Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University utilizes chemistry innovations to lower drug production costs and improve global access to lifesaving medications. Backed by over $70 million in funding, the project aims to make high-quality pharmaceuticals more affordable worldwide.

cen

2026-10-27

Medicines for All Institute Uses Chemistry to Improve Global Health

Medicines for All Institute Uses Chemistry to Improve Global Health

FAQ