Urine, soda pop, guinea pigs — the discovery of lithium in medical history is a rollercoaster! Buckle up and read about the surprising discoveries scientists made.

Uric Acid as the Cornerstone of Disease

In the 19th century, uric acid was believed to be the cause of many diseases. Excess uric acid in the body seemed to scientists to cause migraines, schizophrenia, mania, gout, and diabetes. The “solution” was to dissolve the acid with lithium salts. The approach became widely popular in the medical community.

Danish psychiatrist Frederik Lange noticed sediment in psychiatric patients' urine and incorrectly assumed it was uric acid. Lithium carbonate was a classic treatment for uric acid diseases at the time, and, surprisingly, it worked! Lange treated 35 patients with “melancholic depression” who showed improvement. Sadly, the discovery did not spread beyond Denmark, and the international community had to rediscover lithium later.

Lithium Water

By the time the scientific community rejected uric acid as the cornerstone of diseases, the theory made its way to the general public. “Lithia water”, sold without a prescription, became very popular. The water companies claimed to cure rheumatism and asthma. 

“Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda” made its way to the market in 1929. Later, the name was changed to “7Up.” Lithium citrate was one of the seven ingredients. Lithium stayed in the recipe until the late 1940s, when the FDA restricted lithium in beverages due to several cases of toxicity.

Lithium Rediscovery: Guinea Pig Sacrifice 

Thanks to scientist John Cade, who had almost no scientific training, lithium was rediscovered after World War II. Cade was conducting his research in the abandoned kitchen in a mental hospital where he was treating psychiatric patients. He had no funding or collaborators. In the improvised laboratory, the scientist was trying to find out what substance was causing the disease.

He started injecting urine samples from patients into the bellies of guinea pigs. Experimenting with different substances, Cade added lithium to urine, injected it, and watched guinea pigs become sleepy and calm. 

In fact, guinea pigs received a high dose and showed signs of intoxication.

Meanwhile, Cade started experimenting on himself, injecting different doses of lithium for two weeks. After determining the dosage, Cade moved on to his patients and treated ten of them who had an acute mania. It was a success.

The first patient, WB, had been suffering from mania and depression for 30 years. WB responded to treatment very well and was discharged from the hospital. Reluctantly, this patient became overconfident and stopped taking lithium, which led to his readmission to the hospital six months later. Doctors restored WB’s treatment and released him once again. A few years later, WB died from lithium toxicity. 

Cade proceeded to distribute lithium to patients. From the original experimental group of ten patients, one had been taking lithium for 30 years and died in 1980 at the age of 76. Cade died the same year.

This article mentions lithium citrate and lithium carbonate. Do you want to learn more about lithium salts? Read about lithium ascorbate.

Learn More:

• Healthy People Benefit from Taking Lithium
• Is It Dangerous to Take Lithium While Doing Sports?
• Lithium Is the Safest Mood Stabilizer for Kids

Source:

The Rise of a Legend: Lithium and the Extraordinary Story of Its Discovery