Matthieu Orfila

…was first systematized by Matthieu Orfila (1787–1853) in the 19th century. Traditionally, the toxicologist’s functions have been to identify poisons and to search for antidotes and other means of treating toxic injuries. An area related to the ancient practice of toxicology, forensic toxicology, dealing with the criminal use of poisons,…

…however, that the Spanish physician Matthieu Orfila, who attended to Louis XVIII, correlated the chemistry of a toxin with the biological effects it produces in a poisoned individual. Both concepts continue to be fundamental to an understanding of modern toxicology.