63mm. Silver. Signed F.M.T.
Pharmaceutical Society Of Great Britain, William Martindale memorial medal. Obverse with bust of Martindale, reverse named within legend 'Sydney Smith - 1908'.
Some light reverse scratches otherwise Extremely Fine, attractively toned and housed in fitted case of issue. Rare.
Sydney Smith (27th Sept 1886 - 23rd May 1962), Chemist, was most well-known for Digoxin, a medication used to treat various heart conditions and one of the oldest medications used in the field of cardiology. In 1930, Digoxin was first isolated by Dr. Sydney Smith from the foxglove plant, Digitalis lanata. Initially, the Digoxin was purified by dissolving the dried plant material in acetone and boiling the solution in chloroform. The solution was then reacted with acetic acid and small amount of ferric chloride and sulfuric acid (Keller reaction). Digoxin was distinguishable from other glucosides by the olive-green coloured solution produced from this reaction, completely free of red. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines and in 2020, it was the 237th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.