125 years ago, a physiologist named Sidney Ringer discovered that a solution of saline prepared by his assistant seemed to keep excised rat hearts beating longer than normal saline.
It turns out this is because the assistant was a lazy slob and used London tap water instead of distilled. Good thing, too - the water, being hard, had a substantial amount of Ca2+, which we now appreciate is important in muscle function.
A derivative of the solution (invented only 50 years later) still lives on, Ringer's Lactate.
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So why isn't it called [Assistant's Name]'s Solution?
I didn't know this and it's so amusing. I was searching for some info on Ringer's solution for my practical exams coming up. Great blog!
They would always mention this substance in the TV show Emergency! back in the '70's - good to know what iit is....
My cat gets lactated Ringers twice a week. I got that it contained lactate but never understood what was meant by Ringers. Now I know.