Apothecary
2700 BC: The Chinese “Shen-nung Pen-tsao Ching” is a compendium of medicinal plants that was written by the Emperor Shen Nung (or Shennong), who is credited as the founder of Chinese herbal medicine. The book describes 365 medications, which include dried parts of medicinal plants, many of which are still used today.
Sumeria
2600 BC: The oldest known prescriptions are recorded on Sumerian cuneiform clay tablets. The Sumerians also cultivated opium poppies as early as 3400 BC, although opium poppy seeds have also been found in much older Neolithic sites.
Egypt
1500 BC: The Ancient Egyptians are notorious for their advanced chemical and pharmacological knowledge. The Ebers Papyrus is one of the oldest preserved medical documents. It has over 700 plant species and drugs used for therapy.
India
1000-500 BC: The Sushruta Samhita is one of the foundational texts of Ayurveda, or Indian traditional medicine. The surviving text contains descriptions of 1,120 illnesses, 700 medicinal plants, including safety, efficacy, dosage and benefit.
460- 370 BC: Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine, founded a school of medicine that focused on treating the causes of disease rather than just its symptoms. The works of Hippocrates contain 300 medicinal plants classified by physiological action.
Dioclis
375 BC- 295 BC: Diocles of Carystus is one of the best-known early pharmacists of ancient Greece. He is a member of the rhizotomoi, a branch of medical experts on the use medicinal plants. He is considered to be the source for all Greek pharmacotherapeutic treatises between the time of Theophrastus and Dioscorides.
371-287 BC: Theophrastus was a disciple of Aristotle and is considered the Father of Botany. His books “De Causis Plantarium” and “De Historia Plantarium” were the first attempts to organize and classify plants in Greece. These books provided physicians with a rough taxonomy and detailed information on 500 medicinal plants and herbal concoctions.
77 AD: De Materia Medica is written by Pedanius Dioscorides, Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist, who is considered the Father of Pharmacognosy (branch of knowledge concerned with medicinal drugs obtained from plants or other natural sources).
De Materia Medica forms the basis for knowledge of medicines for the next 1,500 years and is considered one of the most influential herbal books in history. It is the first extensive pharmacopeia, which includes about a thousand natural product drugs (mostly plant-based), 4,740 medicinal usages for drugs, and 360 medical properties (such as antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, stimulant).
23-79 AD: Pliny the Elder, who travelled throughout Germany and Spain, wrote about approximately 1000 medicinal plants in his book Historia naturalis. Pliny’s and Dioscorides’ works incorporated all knowledge of medicinal plants at the time.
First Drugstores: Baghdad
754 AD: The first drugstores are established in the ancient city of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. By the 9th century, these pharmacies were state-regulated.
1100-1200s: Apothecaries begin to appear in Europe. In 1221, the oldest known pharmacy is set up in Florence, Italy. In 1240, the Roman Emperor Frederic II issued a decree that the physician’s and the apothecary’s professions were separated.
Modern Day Medicine
Aspirin
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