Introduction to the History of Drugs

A drug is a substance that, when introduced to the body, produces some non-nutritional physiological effect. This includes medicinal drugs as well as recreational drugs, and they take many forms. Focusing predominately on medicinal drugs, what is the history of our relationship with these substances? How did the ancients attempt to cure disease? How do we do it now? How has this changed over the millennia? This is a fascinating story, that traces human thought from the Stone Age all the way to the modern pharmaceutical industry. Let's learn together, about the history of drugs!

Script by Vittorio Farina

Check out "Is This Wi-Fi Organic?", my book on disarming pseudoscience!

[azrieljale]

Medics today:
"Noooo, dont smoke weed, its gonna make you stoopid"

Medics in 1800s:
"Yeah, you got ghosts in your blood, you should do heroin about it"

[SA-pizm]

Now do a scientific episode with you trying all the drugs.

For science

[ChinoyVibes]

Hello Professor Dave, I would like to thank you for your videos. They are very helpful. Continue to make more videos.

[zak]

Looking forward to this wonderful series.

[LupaDracolis]

I love how you explain things in such a simple, easy-to-understand way, without sounding like you're dumbing anything down for your audience. That said, I was a little disappointed to hear you talk about average life expectancy without explaining that one big reason why it was so low was because of all the infant and child mortality, rather than people who lived to adulthood only living until 40 or so.

[FantasticHermitCrab]

Hey Dave, just wanted to say thank you for all that you've done! Your videos have helped inform and educate people around the world, myself included. Thank you so much for your generous work and for your scholarly zeal! Not all heroes wear capes... But some rock an epic beard ❤️

[dinofirechief]

I was expecting a tighter focus from the title, but the breadth of what is to be covered has got me really excited. Thanks Professor!

[rickc-___]

Thank you for helping me with my research Professor Dave you have made my day. 🙂

[biadiciero]

I'm brazilian and I'm completely in love with your channel! Can't stop watching it! Congrats!

[nachfullbarertrank]

"US Congress rules that pizza is a vegetable"

[tylerblackburn]

I couldn't be happier to see your name pop up when I search a new topic ever since I found you last week from your GlobeBusters response. You're a new favorite take all of my subs Dr.Sir

[Guidus]

im super stoked for this series. your content looks slicker than ever.

[Nivola]

Prof Dave this series is a fantastic idea and to start it with those charts on life expectancy is very important. I was showing to some of my family member the effects of science discoveries ( quantum physics and microelectronics) on our lives and life quality trying to give them a sense of respect for real science and those Giants on whose shoulders we have built our modern lifestyle, i will pass to them this video and encourage them to follow the whole series. From Singapore thank you Prof Dave.🙏🏻👍🇸🇬

[aeronm]

I have visited the Pharmacy museum in Basel Switzerland recently, it was very interesting and I start searching in this area. Then I found your videos. It’s exactly what I want to know. Thank you very much indeed to make these kind of high quality videos.

[glennpearson]

Great introduction! So many nifty cliff-hangers! I'm really looking forward to this series, Professor Dave.

[rKAL-EL]

2nd time around this series is still just as good, if not better. I really hope you do another historical deep dive into some other topic, like trade or warfare. It would be awesome to see a history of sciences too, although you cover a ton of it in this series and that could be too broad of a subject. Still, I’d pay a dollar to see that.

[uTube]

And my family and friends wonder why I'm addicted to YouTube. The main drug...Professor Dave. My mind is a sponge..Dr. Dave is the liquid it soaks up.

[rebeccaemcomedy]

Thanks for starting out with the definition of a drug. Lately been seeing people make distinctions between psychedelics, plant medicines, and drugs... and it’s all drugs y’all

[danielmaczak]

Great idea Dave! This is one of my favorite subjects and I am looking forward to learning more about it. Thank you!

[en.copedawg]

. You explain that very well! So easy, even a Caveman could understand it! You really do break it down easy to understand, Sesame Street style, THANKS!