33 The Development of Human

Medicines Control in Europe

from Classical Times

to the Year 2000

1

John P. Griffin

33.1 The evolution of human

medicines control from a

national to an international

perspective

‘The past shapes the present’. It is this that justifies
the study of history, as without it we cannot truly
appreciate the present or shape the future.

From classical times to the end
of the eighteenth century

To few belongs the privilege of being credited with
the invention of a medicinal formulation that
endured the test of time for 2000 years. Belong it
does, however, to Mithridates VIth, King of
Pontus, surnamed Eupator (Geddie and Geddie,
1926). He succeeded to the throne about 120BC
as a boy of 13 years, had received a Greek educa-
tion, and it was claimed that he could speak 22
languages. He subdued the tribes who bordered on

the Euxine as far as the Crimea and made incur-

sions into Cappadocia and Bithynia, which were

then in the Roman sphere of influence. In the First

Mithridatic War, he defeated the Romans and occu-

pied Asia Minor, but in 85BChe was defeated by

Flavius Fimbria and compelled to make peace with

Sulla, giving up all his conquests in Asia Minor,

surrendering 70 war galleys and paying 2000

talents in reparations. In the Second Mithridatic

War, which endured from 83 to 81BC, Mithridates

was wholly successful.

In the Third Mithridatic War, 74–64BC, Mithri-

dates VI was finally defeated on the banks of the

Euphrates by Pompey the Great. New schemes of

vengeance by Mithridates upon the Roman Repub-

lic were frustrated by his son’s rebellion in 63BC.

When he found himself under siege by his own son,

he killed his wives and concubines and then com-

mitted suicide.

Pontusaboundedinmedicinalplants,andMithri-

dates acquired considerable knowledge of them.

Like every despot of that period, Mithridates lived

in fear of being assassinated by poisoning, in con-

sequence of which he sought the universal antidote

toallpoisons. Mithridatesproceededalongasimple

line of reasoning. Having investigated the powers

of a number of single ingredients, which he found

to be the antidote to various venoms and poisons

Principles and Practice of Pharmaceutical Medicine, 2nd Edition Edited by L. D. Edwards, A. J. Fletcher, A. W. Fox and P. D. Stonier
#2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd ISBN: 978-0-470-09313-9

(^1) This chapter is an adapted and expanded update of the chapter
on drug regulation in Europe, published in Griffin JP, O’Grady
J, D’Arcy PF (eds). 1998. Textbook of Pharmaceutical
Medicine, 3rd edn. The Queen’s University of Belfast Press:
Belfast. The author retains sole copyrights on this chapter.