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Sponsored by Synexus, a recruiter for clinical trials
Sponsored by Synexus,
a recruiter for clinical trials
Clinical studies are by no means a new concept. Somewhere between 605 and 562 BC King Nebuchadnezzar II is reported to have carried out the first clinical study when he ordered that a strict diet of meat and wine be followed for three years. Four children of royal blood convinced Nebuchadnezzar to allow them to exchange bread and water for the required meal. After only ten days those who have switched to bread and water appear more resplendent and well nourished than those who have stuck to wine and meat.
In 1537 Renaissance surgeon Ambroise Parè mixed a concoction of oil of rose, turpentine and egg yolk as a replacement for the commonly used treatment of open wounds. One day after the unintentional study, Parè observes that the wounds treated with the traditional formula are swollen and extremely painful, whilst the wounds treated with the experimental mixture are not at all painful.
While clinical studies have come a long way since the times of Nebuchadnezzar and Parè, their importance and the vital role they play in the future of medicine is no less significant.
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