What is crystalline sulfanilamide and its dual legacy in medicine?
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4 min read
In 1937, the deaths of more than 100 people from a toxic liquid preparation known as “Elixir Sulfanilamide” led to the passage of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in the United States. While this tragedy forever marked its history, the crystalline sulfanilamide powder from which the compound was derived was a life-saving wonder drug that ushered in the antibiotic era.
