Jonathan Pereira

Jonathan Pereira FRS (22 May 1804, in London – 20 January 1853) was a pharmacologist, author of the Elements of Materia Medica, a standard work.

After years of research he acquired an extensive knowledge of the history of origin, morphology and histology of crude drugs where he was later appointed professor of materia medica at the London Hospital.

His book on Materia Medica was the first great English work on Pharmacology and he was foremost in putting the knowledge and use of drugs on a scientific footing.

It was here that he referred to the study of crude drugs under the name pharmacognosy instead of materia medica in what appeared to be the first time in which it was used, when in fact it was introduced by Seydler in 1817.

In his memory a marble bust was erected in the London Hospital and the Pharmaceutical Society founded the Pereira Medal and a scholarship fund with his name.