Etomidate [R-1-(1-ethylphenyl)imidazole-5-ethyl ester] (Figure 1) is a unique drug used for induction of general anesthesia and sedation. The first report on etomidate was published in 1965 as one of several dozen arylalkyl imidazole-5-carboxylate esters1 synthesized by Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a division of Ortho-McNeil-Jannsen Pharmaceuticals, Titusville, New Jersey, USA). Initially developed as anti-fungal agents, the potent hypnotic activity of several compounds was observed during animal testing, and several compounds, including etomidate, appeared significantly safer than barbiturates.
A Japanese chemist first synthesized methamphetamine—also called meth, crank, crystal meth or speed—from another stimulant in 1893. Methamphetamine was used early on as a medical treatment for narcolepsy, asthma and as a weight-loss drug. During World War II, the Allies and Axis powers both used the drug to keep troops awake. After the war, meth use increased dramatically, even after it was outlawed by the United States in 1970.