Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Lithium: The Very First

Although you may not believe it, but Lithium was the one of the first prescription medications created. Around the 19th century, it was thought to cure gout, however, the amount it would take to dissolve uric crystals is toxic to humans. Throughout the 1870's, it's use changed to treating mania disorders such as bipolar disorder, and manic depression. Later it was used in an attempt to replace dietary salts (sodium chloride), but due to the fact that it caused death it was put aside.
It wasn't until 1949 when John Cade, an Australian psychiatrist, that in low doses it could still be used as a way to treat manic disorders. In 2009, a recent discovery by Japanese scientists revealed a low dose in a populations regular drinking water prompted lower suicide rates because of the mood boost it gives.

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