George Rieveschl (1916–2007)
During the course of attempting to find a muscle relaxant in the early 1940s, George Rieveschl, chemistry professor at the University of Cincinnati, synthesized diphenhydramine. In 1943, he took himself and his new compound to Parke-Davis, then the oldest and largest pharmaceutical company in the United States, who marketed it as Benadryl in 1946. Sensing an extremely lucrative potential market for antihistamines, Benadryl was joined in the marketplace by tripelennamine (Pyribenzamine), methapyrilene (Histadyl), and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), among others, by 1950.
As a class of drugs, antihistamines proved to be highly effective for the treatment of allergic disorders and hives. In short order, many of these drugs were promoted for motion sickness, morning sickness, and itching when applied to the skin. But more exciting news poured in. According to a 1949 article in Reader’s Digest, the “best health news of the year” was the dramatic announcement that antihistamines could prevent and cure the common cold. The public response to the ensuing multidimensional promotional campaign was enthusiastic, and individuals with vested financial and scientific interests tended to overlook the shortcomings of the studies leading to these conclusions. More critical tests and analysis of the older results revealed that antihistamines were no more effective than placebos and, at best, only provided symptomatic relief of runny noses. Nevertheless, most products intended to treat symptoms of the common cold contain an antihistamine ingredient.
Benadryl is a highly effective drug for treating allergies and is still used for that purpose, but relief is accompanied by a considerable degree of drowsiness. This downside has transformed diphenhydramine into the most widely used nonprescription sleep-aid drug. However, not all allergy sufferers have insomnia; the appearance of Claritin in 1993 addressed this consideration.
SEE ALSO Neo-Antergan (1944), Placebos (1955), Claritin (1993).
The most common pollen allergy is allergic rhinitis (hay fever), which occurs when pollen spores are inhaled, causing the release of histamine and other chemicals in susceptible individuals. Antihistamines, such as Benadryl, block the effects of histamine.