The pharmacology books used in teaching have changed considerably since late-nineteenth century. A professor of School of Pharmacy of Ouro Preto, Jovelino Mineiro, conceived the Curso de Pharmacologia (1925-1926), the first of its kind published in Brazil. To demonstrate its historical significance, we compared Mineiro’s compendium with Farmacologia, by Penildon Silva (2010), and with the first Brazilian Pharmacopeia (1926). Penildon Silva and Fuchs & Wannmacher are the most adopted Brazilian authors for teaching nowadays. Concerning the first Brazilian Pharmacopeia, it was possible to observe that Mineiro’s work may have been conceived to supply the lack of regulatory guidelines in Brazil at the time.