Rasori, Borda and the Theory of Stimolo and Controstimolo

Abstract

Brown's thought represented one of the most succesfull medical systems which arose in the XVIIIth century, as a consequence of vitalism and as a reaction to the inadequacy of hippocratic-galenic medicine. Giovanni Rasori was a strong supporter of Brown's theories in Italy and creator of the sceintific movement which was, then, called Rasorism. A fundamental point of Rasori's therapeutic thought was represented by the dynamic action of drugs, so that a pharmacological experimentation became necessary, for medical practice. Siro Borda, who was a follower and a personal friend of Rasori, made experiments on 150 substances to identify their dynamic action and, finally, he classified them in three groups: stimolanti, controstimolanti, eterocliti. This last class comprehended all the pharmacological substances of uncertain or not yet determined nature.