Barbiturate

Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia. Some are also used as anticonvulsants.

History

• Dec 4, 1863 Barbituric acid is discovered by Belgian researcher Adolf von Baeyer. His discovery came on the day of St. Barbara, so he chose the name "barbiturate" as a combination of St. Barbara and "urea". Another possible explanation is that he named the substance after his girlfriend Barbara.
• 1903 Barbitone, the first medicinal barbiturate, is synthesized from barbituric acid by German scientists Emil Hermann Fischer and Joseph von Mering. It was marketed under the trade name Veronal.
• 1912 Phenobarbital is introduced under the trade name Luminal as a sedative-hypnotic.
• 1950s - 1960s Reports increase about side effects and dependence related to barbiturates.
• 1970 Pentobarbital (II), secobarbital (II), amobarbital (II), butabarbital (III), phenobarbital (IV), and barbital (IV) are all scheduled with the passage of the U.S. Drug Abuse Regulation and Control Act of 1970.
• 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed in Vienna. Designed to regulate amphetamines, barbiturates, and other synthetics, the treaty today regulates amobarbital (III), butalbital (III), cyclobarbital (III), pentobarbital (III), allobarbital (IV), methylphenobarbital (IV), phenobarbital (IV), secbutabarbital (IV), and vinylbital (IV) as scheduled substances.