Chapter One
Pharmaceutical Medicine as a Medical
Specialty
Michael D. Young
Celltech Chiroscience PLC, Slough, UK
Medicine is an art that has been practiced since
time immemorial. The use of herbs and natural
medicaments to relieve pain or to aid the sick in
coping with their afflictions has been a part of all
societies. In the Western world, medicine has developed
at least since the time of the Greeks and
Romans-the Hippocratic oath reminds us of this
nearly 2500 year history. However, the progress of
medicine has been very different from that of many
other arts within society. It has come of age after an
incredibly long maturation period. As a function
capable of offering a successful treatment for an
human ailment, medicine is very much a development
of the last 100-150 years. Indeed, the major
advances have come in the last 50-75 years.
The role of physicians in society has changed
over the centuries. It may have reached its nadir
during the early renaissance, when the general
attitude was, as Shakespeare said, 'Trust n ... read full excerpt from Principles and Practice of Pharmaceutical Medicine ebook
