Introduction - Opium and Opiates:
An opiate is a drug that is made out of the opium poppy. These drugs are used to treat all sorts
of pain. This might be muscular or skeletal pain, a wound or an injury. At the time of surgeries,
opiates might be used to sedate individual organs or body parts. Opiates are also used for
complete body sedation at times. Opiates are either naturally or artificially derived from the
poppy and most of these are illegal. Some of the drugs are exceptional which are allowed for
purchase on prescription. Opiates if used for recreation or if used in excess, can cause addiction
and therefore only small amounts are given to patients who require them.
Benefits:
Besides treating pain, opiates are also used to treat cough. The derivatives of opium in the form
of prescription drugs include morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone,
fentanyl and meperidine. These drugs can also bring in a sense of euphoria and relief and are
therefore mostly prescribed to psychological patients. People with anxiety disorders, sleep
deprivation and diseases like obsessive compulsive disorder etc are prescribed to use opiates.
In ancient China, a mixture of Cannabis and Opium was also smoked to cure Malaria. However,
if we speak of the plant, opium poppy also yields some of the best glue and paper.
Usage in History:
Opium was at its peak usage in the 1800’s. Opium dens were also established in this time, as
sites to buy and sell opium. Dens were commonly found in China, Southeast Asia, the United
States, and parts of Europe. Opium dens sprang up in San Francisco's Chinatown and spread
eastward to New York. Opium was known to ancient Greek and Roman physicians as a powerful
pain reliever. It was also used to induce sleep and to give relief to the bowels. Opium was even
thought to protect the user from being poisoned. Its pleasurable effects were also noted. In
1803, morphine, the principal ingredient in opium, was extracted from opium resin. Morphine
is ten times more powerful than processed opium, quantity for quantity. Hailed as a miracle
drug, it was widely prescribed by physicians in the mid-1800s. Morphine is one of the most
effective drugs known for the relief of severe pain and remains the standard against which the
effectiveness of new pain relievers are measured.
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