David Israel Macht (February 14, 1882 – October 14, 1961) was a

pharmacologist Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...

and Doctor of

Hebrew Literature Hebrew literature consists of ancient, medieval, and modern writings in the Hebrew language. It is one of the primary forms of Jewish literature, though there have been cases of literature written in Hebrew by non-Jews. Hebrew literature was pro ...

, responsible for many contributions to pharmacology during the first half of the 20th century. Born in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

in 1882, Macht moved to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

in 1892, age 10. He was awarded a bachelor's and a medical degree by

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

in 1905, and took postgraduate courses in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. He returned to America in 1909 to join the teaching staff at Johns Hopkins. He rose to the position of assistant professor, lecturing in

pharmacology Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...

from 1912 to 1932. His grandson, Kenneth Lasson, would later report that at that time Johns Hopkins had a faculty quota limiting the number of Jewish staff that could proceed to full faculty. In 1928 Macht received the first degree of advanced research awarded at Yeshiva College, New York, being made Doctor of

. From 1933 to 1941 he served as visiting professor of general

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

at Yeshiva College. From 1944 Macht was a consultant in pharmacology at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore until he suffered a stroke in 1957. He died four years later at the same hospital. Currently, Johns Hopkins honors Dr. Macht via the David I. Macht award.

Contributions to medicine

Macht published over 900 scientific studies, and three books. He introduced a number of new methods of treatment of diseases. His contributions include: *Discovered the use of

ephedrine Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is often used to prevent low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred treatment. It is of unclear benefit in ...

as a substitute for

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

. *Distinguished the sedative effect of

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a analgesic, pain medication, and is also commonly used recreational drug, recreationally, or to make ...

and

codeine Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is also commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, ''Papaver somniferum''. It is typically use ...

on the respiratory system from the stimulant effect of other

narcotic The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...

drugs. *Proved

X-rays An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 Picometre, picometers to 10 Nanometre, nanometers, corresponding to frequency, ...

of varying

wavelengths In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats. It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, tr ...

produced different biological effects. *Developed a cure for

pemphigus Pemphigus ( or ) is a rare group of blistering autoimmune diseases that affect the skin and mucous membranes. The name is derived from the Greek root ''pemphix'', meaning "pustule". In pemphigus, autoantibodies form against desmoglein, whi ...

using "deep" X-Rays. *Studies of the thromboplastic (blood clotting) effects of various agents, including

antibodies An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...

. *Extensive

research Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...

into the pharmacology of blood and spinal fluid of psychotic patients. *Research into the pharmacological applications of cobra

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

. The term "

psychopharmacology Psychopharmacology (from Greek grc, ψῡχή, psȳkhē, breath, life, soul, label=none; grc, φάρμακον, pharmakon, drug, label=none; and grc, -λογία, -logia, label=none) is the scientific study of the effects drugs have on m ...

" (the branch of science concerned with the way drugs affect the mind and behaviour) was coined by Macht in 1920.

Phytopharmacology

Macht was known for his pioneering use of a technique he termed ''

phytopharmacology Phytopharmacology is the study and practice of eradicating plant pathology originated from the ''Verbandes Deutscher Pflanzenärzte'' (1928–1939), (German Plant Physicians Society), headed by Otto Appel, known as the ''Organiser of German Plant ...

'' which involved measuring the effects of drugs on plants. Macht's specific technique was to measure the growth rate of ''

Lupinus albus ''Lupinus albus'', commonly known as the white lupin or field lupine, is a member of the genus '' Lupinus'' in the family Fabaceae. It is a traditional pulse cultivated in the Mediterranean region. Description The white lupin is annual, mo ...

'' seedlings when dosed with a test substance, and compare this against a

control group In the design of experiments, hypotheses are applied to experimental units in a treatment group. In comparative experiments, members of a control group receive a standard treatment, a placebo, or no treatment at all. There may be more than one tr ...

of undosed seeds. The relative length of

root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...

growth would determine what he called the ''phytotoxic index'', and provide a measure of the

toxicity Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

of the substance to the plants. Macht applied his technique of phytopharmacology to a variety of substances, including the

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

of people suffering from medical conditions. In 1930, he reported it could be used to demonstrate the presence of

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

and menotoxin (a toxin thought to be present in the blood of menstruating women). He felt the technique could aid in the

differential diagnosis In healthcare, a differential diagnosis (abbreviated DDx) is a method of analysis of a patient's history and physical examination to arrive at the correct diagnosis. It involves distinguishing a particular disease or condition from others that p ...

pernicious anemia Pernicious anemia is a type of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, a disease in which not enough red blood cells are produced due to the malabsorption of vitamin B12. Malabsorption in pernicious anemia results from the lack or loss of intrinsic fa ...

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

and other conditions. At the time of his death it was reported that his technique could serve as an indicator of mental illness, since "''the blood of persons suffering from certain types of mental illness acts as a poison on species of the European bean''". The use of phytopharmacology as a predictor of toxicity to humans was mainly restricted to the work of Macht and Macht's work was published in the journal ''Science''. Currently, toxicity testing is mostly performed on animal subjects (both live animals and animal tissues), and the detection of individual toxins is performed with

mass spectrometry Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that is used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are presented as a ''mass spectrum'', a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. Mass spectrometry is use ...

. While Macht used the term phytopharmacology to refer to the effects of drugs on plants, the term is now only used to refer to the pharmacological usages of plants as medicine.

Medicine in the Bible

Macht was an

Orthodox Jew Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on ...

and a Doctor of Hebrew Literature, and he frequently advocated the position that there was a harmonious relationship between religion and science. He studied medical and other descriptions in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

and the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

, and published many papers that claimed to show that these were accurate descriptions of diseases or treatments. Such papers include: * "A Pharmacological Appreciation of References to Alcohol in the Hebrew Bible", (1929). In which he compared the effects of

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

mentioned in the Bible with current medical understanding and concluded "''the Book of Books is in complete accord with the most modern and advanced experimental data on the subject''". * "An Experimental Pharmacological Appreciation of Leviticus XI and Deuteronomy XIV" (1953). In which Macht used his phytopharmacology technique on samples of both Levitically clean and unclean animals, and showed a markedly higher phytotoxic index for the unclean meats and the correlation was 100%. * "A pharmacological appreciation of a biblical reference to mass poisoning, II Kings IV".

Books

* ''The Holy Incense. A Botanical, Pharmacological, Psychological, and Archaeological Appreciation of the Bible'', 1928, Waverly Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD * ''Bones and Verdure. An Appreciation of Science in Biblical Expressions'', 1943, H.G. Roebuck and Son, Baltimore, MD. * ''The Heart and Blood in the Bible'', 1951, Boone Press, Baltimore, MD

References

JewishTimes.com
Kenneth Lasson's account of discrimination at Johns Hopkins. # Macht, D.I
Experimental and Clinical Study of Cobra Venom as an Analgesic
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1936 January; 22(1): 61–71 # Macht, D.I
Phytopharmacological reactions of normal, toxic and atoxic sera
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1936 June; 22(6) 384–389: # New York Times; Oct 16th, 1961, pg. 29. # Cecil Roth, ''Macht, David'', Encyclopaedia Judaica, pg. 674 # Macht, D.I., ''A Pharmacological Appreciation of References to Alcohol in the Hebrew Bible'', The Scientific Monthly, 1929, pg 163-176 # Macht, D.I., (1953)
“An Experimental Pharmacological Appreciation of Leviticus XI and Deuteronomy XIV,”
Bulletin of the History of Medicine. 27. 444-450 {{DEFAULTSORT:Macht, David 1882 births 1961 deaths American Orthodox Jews American people of Russian-Jewish descent American pharmacologists Scientists from Baltimore Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States