Thorns

Thorns Hermann (Hermann Thorns, 1859-1931), a world-renowned German pharmaceutical scientist. In 1884 he graduated from the University of Jena with the title of 'apothecary' (Apotheker). From 1889 he was the technical director of the pharmaceutical factory 'Riedel'. From 1896 he was a professor at the University of Berlin. Through the efforts of Thorns, the Berlin University Pharmaceutical Institute was created and built, from which many scientific works and a number of major pharmacists emerged. The works of the Institute were regularly published from 1904 under the title: 'Arbeiten aus dem Pharmazeutischen Institut der Universitat Berlin'. Thorns served as vice-president of the German Chemical Society, a member of the State Health Council, and a member of 35 pharmaceutical societies. Of Thorns' works, the most significant are methods for testing pharmaceutical preparations and food substances, as well as research in the field of medicinal plant chemistry. Thorns' principal works: 'Grundzüge der pharmazeutischen und medizinischen Chemie' (9th ed., B., 1931); 'Die Arzneimittel der organischen Chemie' (B., 1894); 'Einführung in die Lebensmittelchemie' (B., 1899); 'Realenzyklopädie der gesammten Pharmazie' (B., 1914); 'Handbuch der praktischen und wissenschaftlichen Pharmazie' (Vol. I-VI, B.-Wien, 1924-29). In both of his last manuals, Thorns sought to create comprehensive works summarizing the achievements of science and technology in all areas. Thorns was a fervent supporter and remarkable propagandist of rational drug therapy, using agents with completely definite, pre-calculated effects. In recent years, Thorns devoted much attention to the history of pharmacy.