24. Friedrich Wilhelm
German chemist, Friedrich Wilhelm was the first to isolate what he believed to be an alkaloid that served as the active ingredient in opium. Utilizing a process that involved 52 steps and ammonia to isolate the property, he was able to separate the crystals he would eventually call morphine.
At first, Wilhelm experimented with stray dogs, some he put to sleep, some were put into a more “permanent” status. However, he eventually moved on to clinical trials using himself and three friends. All four ingested 90 milligrams of morphine (which is actually ten times the recommended dose today). Wilhelm quickly induced vomiting, and everyone lived, leading to what would turn into the most popular pain relief drug used today.