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Dyes, Drugs, and Psychosis
Manage episode 424240745 series 1584
In 1856, Henry Perkin's attempt to synthesize quinine led to something very different: a vibrant purple dye. Perkin’s mauve revolutionized the fashion industry when Queen Victoria wore a dress of the color to her daughter's wedding. And in an ironic twist, synthetic fabric dyes ultimately led to synthetic drugs, including the first antipsychotic. This drug, known by its trade name Thorazine, was a gamechanger. “Nobody thought there could be a drug that would treat schizophrenia effectively,” says sociologist Andrew Scull, “and then suddenly there was.” In this episode we explore the enduring relationship between dyes and drugs, and the role that mistakes and serendipity still play in drug development.
Credits
Host: Alexis Pedrick Executive Producer: Mariel Carr Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez Associate Producer: Sarah Kaplan Audio Engineer: Jonathan Pfeffer “Color Theme” composed by Jonathan Pfeffer. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.
Note to Our ListenersWe are aware of an issue with certain podcast players displaying the incorrect length for the episode. We're looking into it and hope to have the matter resolved soon. In the meantime, the actual run time of the episode is the length displayed in the feed before pressing play. We apologize for the inconvenience.
349 episodes
Manage episode 424240745 series 1584
In 1856, Henry Perkin's attempt to synthesize quinine led to something very different: a vibrant purple dye. Perkin’s mauve revolutionized the fashion industry when Queen Victoria wore a dress of the color to her daughter's wedding. And in an ironic twist, synthetic fabric dyes ultimately led to synthetic drugs, including the first antipsychotic. This drug, known by its trade name Thorazine, was a gamechanger. “Nobody thought there could be a drug that would treat schizophrenia effectively,” says sociologist Andrew Scull, “and then suddenly there was.” In this episode we explore the enduring relationship between dyes and drugs, and the role that mistakes and serendipity still play in drug development.
Credits
Host: Alexis Pedrick Executive Producer: Mariel Carr Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez Associate Producer: Sarah Kaplan Audio Engineer: Jonathan Pfeffer “Color Theme” composed by Jonathan Pfeffer. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.
Note to Our ListenersWe are aware of an issue with certain podcast players displaying the incorrect length for the episode. We're looking into it and hope to have the matter resolved soon. In the meantime, the actual run time of the episode is the length displayed in the feed before pressing play. We apologize for the inconvenience.
349 episodes
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