Alton J. Parker

Alton J. Parker (1879-1927), an English chemist or pharmacist, was the creator of the amyl nitrite capsule, commonly known as a "popper."

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Amyl nitrite was discovered in 1844 and was found to relax the capillary blood vessels. In 1867, Thomas Lauder Brunton, a medical student in Scotland, found the drug helped relieve angina by increasing blood flow to the heart. Parker was the first pharmacist to produce amyl nitrite in capsule form for inhalation, sometime just before the First World War.

Nitroglycerine was found to have a dilating effect similar to amyl nitrite. Although both can still be prescribed for angina, nitroglycerine is much more commonly prescribed because it is more easily administered and has fewer side effects.

A prescription was required for amyl nitrite until the early 1960s when the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved it for over-the-counter sale. That approval was withdrawn in 1969 when the FDA discovered that it was being used as a recreational drug.