title: Pharmacists Adolf Schall and Ernst Ratzlaff and the synthesis of tabun-like compounds: a brief history.
abstract: The history of the synthesis of organophosphate inhibitors of cholinesterase starting with the synthesis of tetraethyl-pyrophosphate by Moschnin(e) and de Clermont and leading to the recognition about half a century later of the toxicity of the phosphor ester by Lange and von Krueger has been told in great detail previously. An almost parallel history -described originally by Bo Holmstedt--exists for organophosphonate inhibitors of cholinesterase starting with the synthesis (1898) in Rostock of diethylamido-ethoxy-phosphoryl-cyanide by the pharmacist Adolph Schall (1870-1957), a graduate student of August Michaelis (1847-1916), the re-examination of the chemical structure of the Schall compound (1903) by Michaelis, recognition (1937) of the toxicity of class by Gerhard Schrader (1903-1990) and confirmation (1951) of the structure by Bo Holmstedt (1919-2002). This short report attempts to shed some light on the life of the pharmacists and chemists involved in the synthesis of the first P-CN organophosphonate inhibitor of cholinesterase, focusing on the two less known pharmacists, the graduate students of Professor Michaelis Adolph Schall and Ernst Ratzlaff (1870-1948).
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Petroianu
mesh_terms: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000266:history*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000266:history*; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D010755:Organophosphates; C009374:tabun