William Withering
William Withering (* March 17, 1741 in Wellington, Shropshire, † October 6, 1799 in Larches at Birmingham) was a British botanist and physician. He discovered the medicinal effects of digitalis. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " With. ".
Life
Withering studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and worked from 1779 at the Birmingham General Hospital. On the therapeutic action of digitalis in the " dropsy " (English " dropsy " ), he became aware by his own testimony, as he was in 1775 asked for his opinion about a home remedy that successfully used an old herbal competent woman in this disease. Withering found that as the only active substance in the formulation, only the leaves of the Red foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) came into question. From 1775 to 1784 Withering looked at over 160 patients with different forms of dropsy systematically the diuretic ( harnflusssteigernde ) effectiveness of the ingredients of various plant parts of foxglove. This example of careful, unprejudiced and systematic therapeutic trials make Withering the founder of modern clinical pharmacology and ' evidence-based medicine '. He was the first clearly distinguished between therapeutic ( diuresis ) and toxic (vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision ) doses of digitalis. It struck him also that the plant poison in the body of patients enriched, because the effect increased when administered over a long period of time. The correlation between the diuretic effect of digitalis and its effect on cardiac function Withering has not yet recognized. He located the main effect in the kidney, even if it were known effects of digitalis on the beating rate of the heart. Subsequent research has confirmed many of Witherings conclusions.
In addition to his work in medicine, Withering published a book about the British Flora, which was printed in many editions. He also did pioneering work in the determination of fungi.
He discovered named after him Bariummineral Witherite.
In 1785 he was elected as a member ( "Fellow" ) to the Royal Society.
Works
- A botanical arrangement of all the vegetables naturally growing in Great Britain. 1776, numerous other requirements under varying titles.
- An Account of the Foxglove and Some of its Medical Uses with Practical Remarks on Dropsy and other Diseases. In 1785.
Swell
- Robert Zander, Fritz Encke, Günther Buchheim, Siegmund Seybold (eds.): Handbook of Plant Names. 13th edition. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-8001-5042-5.