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Book Synopsis
In 1948, when 'Mrs. G.,' hospitalized with debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, became the first person to receive a mysterious new compound -- cortisone -- her physicians were awestruck by her transformation from enervated to energized. After eighteen years of biochemical research, the most intensively hunted biological agent of all time had finally been isolated, identified, synthesized, and put to the test. And it worked. But the discovery of a long-sought 'magic bullet' came at an unanticipated cost in the form of strange side effects. This fascinating history recounts the discovery of cortisone and pulls the curtain back on the peculiar cast of characters responsible for its advent, including two enigmatic scientists, Edward Kendall and Philip Hench, who went on to receive the Nobel Prize. The book also explores the key role the Mayo Clinic played in fostering cortisone's development, and looks at drugs that owe their heritage to the so-called 'King of Steroids.'

The Quest for Cortisone

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    A Paperback / softback by Thom Rooke

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      Publisher: Michigan State University Press
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 30/04/2012
      ISBN13: 9781611860337, 978-1611860337
      ISBN10: 1611860334
      Also in:
      History of medicine

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      In 1948, when 'Mrs. G.,' hospitalized with debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, became the first person to receive a mysterious new compound -- cortisone -- her physicians were awestruck by her transformation from enervated to energized. After eighteen years of biochemical research, the most intensively hunted biological agent of all time had finally been isolated, identified, synthesized, and put to the test. And it worked. But the discovery of a long-sought 'magic bullet' came at an unanticipated cost in the form of strange side effects. This fascinating history recounts the discovery of cortisone and pulls the curtain back on the peculiar cast of characters responsible for its advent, including two enigmatic scientists, Edward Kendall and Philip Hench, who went on to receive the Nobel Prize. The book also explores the key role the Mayo Clinic played in fostering cortisone's development, and looks at drugs that owe their heritage to the so-called 'King of Steroids.'

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