Bovet, boh VAY, Daniel (1907-1992), a Swiss-born Italian pharmacologist, discovered the first antihistamine (drug that relieves the effects of allergic reactions), and developed many similar chemical formulas that provided the basis for modern antihistamines. He also made important discoveries relating to the synthesis of antihistamines and other compounds that inhibit the action of certain body substances--especially their action on the vascular system and the skeletal muscles. Bovet was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine.