George Rieveschl, the man who most changed my life without ever having been in the unfortunate position of having to meet me, has died at the age of 91. May he rest in eternal piece, in full knowledge that he saved a life or two (or a million), and improved the quality of life for the rest of us who live amid pollen, dust, and dander.
Rieveschl was the chemical engineer responsible for inventing
beta-dimethylaminoethylbenzhydryl ether hydrochloride -- better known by the brand name he gave it: Benadryl. This invention is what makes it possible for me to eat most foods, to drink most beverages, and then to share my moldy, dusty, fusty old house with three cats and buzillions of books and all those tubes of paints and bottles of inks.
According to the NYT obit, Rieveschl started his life intending to be a commercial artist, but found he could not make a career of it. There's a lot of that going around. I'm grateful he got himself into chemistry. His accomplishments are nothing to sneeze at.
HT: Patterico
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