Alton J. Parker

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

Amyl nitrite was discovered in 1844 and was found to relax the tiny blood vessels known as capillaries that connect arteries and veins. 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 create a capsule form of the stimulant, which is an inhalant, 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 That approval was withdrawn in 1969 when the FDA found the chemical was being used as a recreational drug.

Marcel Proust was fond of the stimulant amyl nitrite before bedtime because it helped his asthma.