Anton Freiherr von Störck

Anton von Störck was an Austrian physician (February 21, 1731 – February 11, 1803) who was a native of Saulgau in Upper Swabia.

Both of Störck's parents died when he was young, and he spent his early years as an orphan in a Viennese poorhouse. He studied medicine under Gerard van Swieten in Vienna, and received his degree in 1757. He rose through the academic ranks at the University of Vienna, and would later become deacon of the medical faculty and rector at the University. In 1767 he treated empress Maria Theresa of Austria for smallpox, and after her recovery he became her personal physician.

Störck is remembered for his clinical research of various herbs, and their associated toxicity and medicinal properties. His studies are considered to be the pioneering work of experimental pharmacology and his method can be regarded as forming a blueprint for the clinical trials of modern medicine. He was convinced that plants regarded as poisonous still had medicinal applications if employed in carefully controlled quantities. Störck was particularly interested in the medical possibilities of plants such as hemlock, henbane, jimsonweed and autumn crocus. His experiments with these plants involved a three-step process; initially used on animals, followed by a personal trial, and finally given to his patients, all the while maintaining a "sliding-scale" approach to determine the optimum dosage.

In 1758, Störck became 'first physician' to the Vienna urban institute for the poor. From 1764 he was physician to Emperor Franz I. Stephan of Frankfurt am Maine and the Dukes Joseph and Leopold. He was a member of numerous European scientific societies and was made a Baron in 1775. His brother Matthias, also a doctor, became 'body physician' to the Grand Duke of Toskana and was also made a Baron in 1779. Störck's numerous Latin medical tracts, detailing his experiments into the therapeutic effects of poisonous plants, excited great interest and were translated into German, French, English, Dutch and Portuguese, rapidly becoming influential medical texts throughout Europe.[1] Berthold Seemann named Elaeocarpus storckii in his honour.