Publications

The discovery of histamine, its physiological role and reversal of its pharmacological effects by antihista- mines takes us on a journey through the origins of mod- ern physiology and the rising understanding of phar- macology at the end of the 19th and the early part of the 20th centuries. This journey, which has been traced in the excellent historical review by Michael Emanuel [Clin Exp Allergy 1999;29:1–11], is populated by some of the greatest scientists of the era, including six Nobel laureates – Bovet, Dale, Ehrlich, Richet, Windaus and Black. In addition, it laid the basis of medicinal chemis- try not only for antihistamines, but also for the discov- ery of a plethora of drugs still in use today.