Lithium Treatment in Clinical Medicine: History, Current Status andFuture Use

Abstract

Lithium treatment was present in the first half of the twentieth century, but little to no attention was given to lithium in psychiatric literature at that time. This noticeable decline in the popularity of lithium could be attributed to the inquiries into lithia water and lithium tablets, which were frequently used in the late 1800s and early 1900s as lithium treatment delivery options. Lithium’s noticeable reappearance began in 1949 when John Cade used lithium to treat maniac patients, hypothesizing their sporadic excitement to be a result of a uric acid condition, which was also preventing normal discharge functioning. Lithium is a versatile drug that can be used in a variety of ways to reduce and prevent symptoms of various disorders. There are some areas of lithium research, however, that seem more promising in terms of yield ground-breaking treatment options for serious and currently incurable illnesses. Though ample research has been conducted to understand lithium’s abilities and effects, more is required to comprehensively assess how lithium works to counteract abnormalities contributing to disorders and diseases. Hematology, as well as many other fields of science, benefit from lithium use and need to continue to observe its capabilities.