Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
Testing Nicotine Tolerance in Aphids Using an Artificial Diet Experiment
Published on: May 14, 2008
Ibsen's wallet - an insight into the poet's prescriptions
1Legeforskningsinstituttet, og, Universitetet i Oslo.
Background:
In the spring of 2018, the Henrik Ibsen Museum in Skien was preparing for a new exhibition featuring the poet's personal possessions. During this process, they found a wallet containing three prescriptions. What medications were involved, what was the treatment for and could it have been harmful to him?
Material And Method:
We have studied the three prescriptions in light of information regarding Ibsen's health and the medical understanding and practices of the time.
Results And Interpretation:
The prescriptions show that Ibsen used potassium iodide, potassium bromide and uricedin, likely for arteriosclerosis, insomnia and constipation. One of the prescriptions was for Ibsen's wife, Suzannah, for an iodine-based medication in the form of sodium iodide. Ibsen likely started using these medications when Edvard Bull became his doctor in 1903. Given Bull's robust medical knowledge and exceptional, energetic monitoring of Ibsen's health, there is no reason to believe the treatment was harmful.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Antidotes
Specific antidotes operate by inhibiting the enzymes that control biochemical pathways, reducing the production of harmful metabolites.
An example of an antidote is atropine, which counteracts the detrimental effects of cholinesterase inhibitors. It achieves this by deactivating muscarinic receptors,...
01:02Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
01:22Heart Failure Drugs: β-Blockers
01:30Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
01:16Antianginal Drugs: Nitrates and β-Blockers
Organic nitrates, such as nitroglycerin, play a pivotal role. Once metabolized, they liberate nitric oxide, a molecular marvel. Nitric oxide triggers guanylyl cyclase and augments cGMP production. This biochemical cascade orchestrates the relaxation of vascular smooth muscles, ushering in vasodilation and enhancing coronary blood flow. Administered...
01:09Methods for Studying Drug Absorption: In situ
The Doluisio method involves perfusing a prepared segment of a rat's small intestine with a solution of radiolabeled drug and a non-absorbable marker. This helps to differentiate between absorbed and non-absorbed drug concentrations. The intestinal segment is connected at both ends using tubing and syringes,...