Article on how antipsychotic medication started and continued

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In 1952, a French surgeon was exploring strategies to reduce surgical shock. He thought that antihistamines might be an effective approach. He noticed, however, that an antihistamine that he was using, chlorpromazine, had a powerful effect on mental state. A psychiatrist, Pierre Denker, heard about these observations and decided to try chlorpromazine in some of his most difficult to manage patients. The results were remarkable.

Past and Present Progress in the Pharmacologic Treatment of Schizophrenia