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The teaching of pharmacology and toxicology for medical students started in Norway 180 years ago, in 1814, when the first Norwegian medical school was founded in Kristiania (Oslo). The first professors, however, had to teach other medical disciplines in addition to pharmacology: Nils Berner Sørensen taught pathology and therapy, Fredrik Holst and Ernst Ferdinand Lochmann taught hygiene. 100 years ago, in 1894, Poul Edvard Poulsson was appointed professor in pharmacology and toxicology only. Poulsson became the founder of pharmacology in Norway and of the Department of Pharmacology. In particular, he became known for his textbook of pharmacology. The first edition appeared in 1905, and the textbook was later translated to several languages. The article reviews the early history of pharmacology in Norway, based on the biographies of the professors mentioned above and of their successors, Klaus Hansen and Jacob Molland. The Department of Pharmacology was reorganized in 1966. The most recent period is reviewed only briefly. The present status of the department and of pharmacology are emphasized.

The ability of naloxone to inhibit the fast development of tolerance to morphine was examined in the guinea-pig ileum preparation. Dose-response curves were obtained either non-cumulatively with morphine alone or cumulatively with morphine alone and in combination with different concentrations of naloxone. We present some theoretical considerations concerning the competitive interaction between agonist and antagonist on a receptor. According to these theories, it is possible to perform dose-response experiments for an agonist in combination with different concentrations of antagonist and extrapolate to the dose-response curve for agonist alone and to the dissociation constant for the antagonist. EC50 values for morphine alone obtained either non-cumulatively or by extrapolation are almost identical and are significantly lower than those obtained cumulatively. The results indicate that tolerance develops very quickly when dose-response curves are obtained cumulatively with morphine alone and that low concentrations of naloxone counteract the development of tolerance.