OpiumThough few challenge the efficacy of opium as a pain reliever during its 7,000-year history, today it is feared more than revered. This book reviews its storied history and pharmacology in nontechnical terms, providing useful “harm reduction” information for those experimenting with the drug or its derivatives. |
Common terms and phrases
19th Century acetylcholine agonist agonist-antagonist alcohol alkaloids alkaloids in opium amount of opium analgesic autonomic nervous system benzylisoquinolines blood pressure body body's brain cause chemicals China Chinese codeine cough suppressant create cultivation definition depression detox diarrhea Dilaudid dopamine doses dried poppies effect of opium endorphins euphoria example feel Fentanyl flower found in opium genus germinate gram growing harvesting heroin Hill Tribe hydrocodone illegal illicit important ingested injection Laudanum licit opium medicine Methadone morphine morphine yield muscle natural opioids nausea neurotransmitters norepinephrin Noscapine opioid receptor opium addiction opium alkaloids opium dreams Opium Poppy opium produced opium users overdose Oxycodone pain reliever Papaver Papaverine person phine plant pods poppy family poppy tea potent respiration result roughly Schedule seed companies seedpod similar sleep smoking opium soil somniferum species stimulate subfamily substance Sumarians synthetic opioid thebaine tion toxic true poppy United usually