Pierre-Joseph Leroux
Pierre-Joseph Leroux (born March 25, 1795 in Vitry-le-François , † May 20, 1870 ) was a French pharmacist and chemist .
Leroux came from a respected family in Vitry-le-François and, after studying pharmacy, had a pharmacy there in 1829 until it was sold in 1850.
In 1829 he succeeded in isolating salicin from willow bark extract, which had long before been considered an antipyretic. At about the same time, Johann Andreas Buchner and an Italian pharmacist (Fantana) succeeded in doing this in 1825. The latter, however, was probably not pure salicin. Leroux announced his success to the Académie des Sciences. Initially, however, it did not lead to the successful development of a drug, as the substance tasted too bitter and irritated the stomach and throat. This only happened at the end of the 19th century with the modification of salicylic acid .
Web links
- Olivier Lafont: Du saule à l'aspirine , Revue d'Histoire de la Pharmacie, Volume 354, 2007, pp. 209-216
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Leroux, Pierre-Joseph |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French pharmacist and chemist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 25, 1795 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vitry-le-François |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 20, 1870 |