When British pharmacologist Stewart Adams and his workfellow John Nicholson commence tinkering with various drug compound in the 1950s , they were hoping to derive up with a curative for rheumatic arthritis — something with the anti - inflammatory effects of Empirin , but without the endangerment of hypersensitive reaction or internal haemorrhage .
Though they never incisively cured rheumy arthritis , they did deliver the goods in germinate a nonsteroidal anti - seditious drug ( NSAID ) that greatly reduce pain of all kinds . In 1966 , they patent their creative activity , which was first known as2-(4 - isobutylphenyl ) propionic acidand later renamedibuprofen . While in the first place approved as a prescription medicine drug in the UK , it soon became clear ibuprofen was safer and more efficacious than other painful sensation fireman . It eventually hit the market as an over - the - counter medicinal drug .
During that meter , Adams deport one last offhanded experiment with the drug , which pack place far outside the science lab and demand only a single participant : himself .
In 1971 , Adams arrive in Moscow to speak at a pharmacology conference and spent the nighttime before his scheduled appearance tossing back shots of vodka at a reception with the other attendees . When he awoke the next first light , he was greeted with a hammer headache . So , as Smithsonian.comreports , Adams thresh back 600 milligrams of ibuprofen .
“ That was testing the drug in anger , if you like , ” AdamstoldThe Telegraphin 2007 . “ But I hoped it really could mould conjuration . ”
As anyone who has ever been in that situation can probably predict , the ibuprofendidwork trick on Adams ’s hangover . After that , according toThe Washington Post , the pharmaceutical companionship Adams crop for began promote the drug as a general analgesic , and people started to falter upon its use as a miracle hangover cure .
“ It ’s funny now , ” Adams toldThe Telegraph . “ But over the years so many people have separate me that ibuprofen really works for them , and did I have sex it was so in force for hangover ? Of course , I had to admit I did . ”
[ h / tSmithsonian.com ]
