ADHD - An Illustrated historical overview

N agayoshi Nagai (1845–1929) was born in Tokushima, Japan, the son of a doctor, and commenced studying medicine at the Dutch Medical School of Nagasaki in 1864. He continued his studies in Tokyo and Berlin, and stud- ied chemistry in the laboratory of A.W. Hofmann (1819–1892). He lived in Ber- lin from 1871–1886, and was married to Therese Schumacher who spent the rest of her life with him in Japan. Nagai isolated ephedrine from the plant Ephedra vulgaris in 1885 and recognized it to be the active compo- nent of the plant. Later, he synthesized methamphetamine from ephedrine. Nagai was a staunch supporter of sci- entific and cultural exchange between Germany and Japan, and the first pres- ident of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan . From Japan Nagayoshi Nagai in 1917. From Lepenies and Chiaki, 2000. Formula of ephedrine, drawn by Nagayoshi Nagai. From Lepenies and Chiaki, 2000.