When did the use of petrochemicals for medicinal purposes become wide spread?

 ChatGPT said:

The United States began using petrochemicals for medicinal treatment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the earliest and most notable examples was the development of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) by Bayer in 1899, though its origins trace back to coal tar derivatives, an early petrochemical source.

By the early 20th century, petroleum-derived compounds became more common in medicine. The pharmaceutical industry saw rapid advancements in the 1930s and 1940s with the synthesis of sulfa drugs (sulfonamides) and the mass production of penicillin, which relied on petrochemical-based solvents. The post-World War II boom further expanded petrochemical applications in drug manufacturing, leading to the widespread production of synthetic vitamins, hormones, and analgesics.

Today, many pharmaceuticals, including pain relievers, antibiotics, and chemotherapy drugs, are derived from petrochemical processes.

How much influence did John D. Rockefeller have in the development of petrochemicals?

ChatGPT said:

John D. Rockefeller had a massive influence on the development of petrochemicals, even if indirectly, through his dominance of the oil industry with Standard Oil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

His company’s refining innovations and aggressive business tactics helped establish petroleum as a dominant industrial resource, laying the foundation for the petrochemical industry.

Here’s how Rockefeller influenced petrochemical development:

1. Monopolizing and Standardizing Oil Production – By controlling nearly 90% of U.S. oil refining at its peak, Standard Oil ensured a consistent and cheap supply of petroleum products, which later fueled petrochemical innovations.
2. Refining Innovations – Standard Oil advanced refining techniques, improving kerosene and gasoline production. By refining crude oil more efficiently, byproducts like benzene and toluene (key petrochemicals) became available for later medical and industrial uses.
3. Fueling Chemical Research – While Rockefeller himself was not a scientist, his empire’s cheap and abundant petroleum enabled chemical companies (like Bayer and DuPont) to explore synthetic chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, plastics, and dyes.
4. Breaking Standard Oil, Boosting Innovation – The 1911 antitrust breakup of Standard Oil led to new companies (like Exxon, Chevron, and Mobil) that aggressively expanded into petrochemical research, directly contributing to synthetic medicines, fertilizers, and plastics.

While Rockefeller’s primary focus was fueling industries with oil, his empire’s dominance made petrochemicals widely available, shaping the pharmaceutical and industrial revolutions of the 20th century.

Were doctors coerced into using petrochemicals in the early 19th century?

ChatGPT said:

In the early 19th century, petrochemicals were not yet a major part of medicine, as most treatments relied on natural remedies, herbal medicine, and compounds derived from plants and minerals.

However, by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the rise of the pharmaceutical industry—fueled by petrochemical derivatives—did see a shift in medical practice.

While “coercion” may not be the exact term, several factors strongly influenced doctors to adopt petrochemical-based medicines:

1. The Flexner Report (1910) – Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation, this report reshaped American medical education, favoring allopathic (modern, science-based) medicine over homeopathy and herbal remedies. As a result, medical schools increasingly emphasized pharmaceuticals, many of which were derived from petrochemicals.
2. Corporate Influence – Companies like Bayer, DuPont, and later Big Pharma corporations heavily marketed synthetic drugs to doctors, pushing them as superior to traditional remedies. This was facilitated through medical journals, free samples, and financial incentives.
3. Regulation and Standardization – The establishment of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) led to tighter controls on medicine, favoring patented, laboratory-produced drugs (often petrochemical-based) over traditional herbal remedies, which were harder to regulate and monetize.
4. Economic Pressures – As pharmaceutical companies grew in power, they influenced medical institutions and practitioners. Doctors who aligned with modern pharmaceutical-based medicine had more career opportunities, funding, and professional acceptance.

While doctors were not forced to use petrochemical-based medicines, a combination of medical education reform, corporate lobbying, and regulatory shifts made it increasingly difficult to practice medicine without them. This transition laid the foundation for the modern pharmaceutical industry, which remains heavily dependent on petrochemicals today.

Does this sound familiar to what has now occurred with COVID? “Nothing new under the sun”