Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with May 16.

Events

1898 – Bayer registered “Heroin” as a trade mark (DE 31650) for diacetylmorphine, and marketed it internationally as a “heroic” cough suppressant as a non-addictive morphine substitute. Bayer launched an aggressive campaign in 12 languages and shipped to 23 countries by the end of the year. Production was ceased in 1913 after reports of widespread addiction.

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Births

1903 – Norman Rupert Barrett (1903-1979), Australian-born British cardiothoracic surgeon; described Barrett oesophagus (1948-1970) and Barrett’s Technique (Pulmonary Hydatid Cysts, 1947)

1922 – William Benjamin Schwartz (1922-2009), American nephrologist; described Schwartz–Bartter syndrome (1957) (SIADH)

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Deaths

1841 – Marie Anne Victoire Boivin (1773-1841), French midwife; designed the Bivalve Vaginal Speculum (1825), and Boivin Intropelvimeter (Intro-pelvimètre de Boivin)

1900 – Walter Putnam Blount (1900-1992) American Orthopedic Surgeon; described Blount disease (osteochondrosis deformans tibiae or infantile tibia vara)

1943 – James Stephen Ewing (1866-1943), American pathologist; pioneer in the field of cancer research, described Ewing Sarcoma (1921)

2011 – Alan Judah Rubin (1923-2011), American obstetrician and gynecologist; described Rubin Manoeuvre (1964)

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Further reading

• Dreser H. Pharmakologrisches über einigte Morphiaderivate. Therapeutische Monatshefte 1898; 12: 509-512
• Wetterau J. 125. Jahrestag: Als Heroin noch ein „heroisches“ Arzneimittel war. Faszination Chemie. 2022
• Aspirin. Die wohl bekannteste Marke in der Medizin. DPMA