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  • Papaver somniferum L. Papaveraceae Opium Poppy Distribution: Asia minor, but has been dated to 5000BC in Spanish caves. Now grows almost everywhere. The oldest medicine in continuous use, described in the Ebers' papyrus (1550 BC), called Meconium, Laudanum, Paregoric and syrup of poppies. Culpeper (1650) on Meconium '...the juyce of English Poppies boyled till it be thick' and 'I am of the opinion that Opium is nothing else but the juyce of poppies growing in hotter countries, for such Opium as Authors talk of comes from Utopia.[he means an imaginary land, I suspect]’]. He cautions 'Syrups of Poppies provoke sleep, but in that I desire they may be used with a great deal of caution and wariness...' and warns in particular about giving syrup of poppies to children to get them to sleep. The alkaloids in the sap include: Morphine 12% - affects ?-opioid receptors in the brain and causes happiness, sleepiness, pain relief, suppresses cough and causes constipation. Codeine 3% – mild opiate actions – converted to morphine in the body. Papaverine, relaxes smooth muscle spasm in arteries of heart and brain, and also for intestinal spasm, migraine and erectile dysfunction. Not analgesic. Thebaine mildly analgesic, stimulatory, is made into oxycodone and oxymorphone which are analgesics, and naloxone for treatment of opiate overdose – ?-opioid receptor competitive antagonist – it displaces morphine from ?-opioid receptors, and constipation caused by opiates. Protopine – analgesic, antihistamine so relieves pain of inflammation. Noscapine – anti-tussive (anti-cough). In 2006 the world production of opium was 6,610 metric tons, in 1906 it was over 30,000 tons when 25% of Chinese males were regular users. The Opium wars of the end of the 19th century were caused by Britain selling huge quantities of Opium to China to restore the balance of payments deficit. Laudanum: 10mg of morphine (as opium) per ml. Paregoric: camphorated opium tincture. 0.4mg morphine per ml. Gee’s Linctus: up to 60 mg in a bottle. J Collis Browne’s chlorodyne: cannabis, morphine, alcohol etc. Kaolin and Morph. - up to 60 mg in a bottle. Dover’s Powders – contained Ipecacuana and morphine. Heroin is made from morphine, but converted back into morphine in the body (Oakeley, 2012). One gram of poppy seeds contains 0.250mgm of morphine, and while one poppy seed bagel will make a urine test positive for morphine for a week, one would need 30-40 bagels to have any discernible effect. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Papaver somniferum L. Papaveraceae Opium Poppy Distribution: Asia minor, but has been dated to 5000BC in Spanish caves. Now grows almost everywhere. The oldest medicine in continuous use, described in the Ebers' papyrus (1550 BC), called Meconium, Laudanum, Paregoric and syrup of poppies. Culpeper (1650) on Meconium '...the juyce of English Poppies boyled till it be thick' and 'I am of the opinion that Opium is nothing else but the juyce of poppies growing in hotter countries, for such Opium as Authors talk of comes from Utopia [he means an imaginary land, I suspect]’. He cautions 'Syrups of Poppies provoke sleep, but in that I desire they may be used with a great deal of caution and wariness...' and warns in particular about giving syrup of poppies to children to get them to sleep. The alkaloids in the sap include: Morphine 12% - affects ?-opioid receptors in the brain and causes happiness, sleepiness, pain relief, suppresses cough and causes constipation. Codeine 3% – mild opiate actions – converted to morphine in the body. Papaverine, relaxes smooth muscle spasm in arteries of heart and brain, and also for intestinal spasm, migraine and erectile dysfunction. Not analgesic. Thebaine mildly analgesic, stimulatory, is made into oxycodone and oxymorphone which are analgesics, and naloxone for treatment of opiate overdose – ?-opioid receptor competitive antagonist – it displaces morphine from ?-opioid receptors, and reverses the constipation caused by opiates. Protopine – analgesic, antihistamine so relieves pain of inflammation. Noscapine – anti-tussive (anti-cough). In 2006 the world production of opium was 6,610 metric tons, in 1906 it was over 30,000 tons when 25% of Chinese males were regular users. The Opium wars of the end of the 19th century were caused by Britain selling huge quantities of Opium to China to restore the balance of payments deficit. Laudanum: 10mg of morphine (as opium) per ml. Paregoric: camphorated opium tincture. 0.4mg morphine per ml. Gee’s Linctus: up to 60 mg in a bottle. J Collis Browne’s chlorodyne: cannabis, morphine, alcohol etc. Kaolin and Morph. - up to 60 mg in a bottle. Dover’s Powders – contained Ipecacuana and morphine. Heroin is made from morphine, but converted back into morphine in the body (Oakeley, 2012). One gram of poppy seeds contains 0.250mgm of morphine, and while one poppy seed bagel will make a urine test positive for morphine for a week, one would need 30-40 bagels to have any discernible effect. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Dracophyllum verticillatum: flowering stem with floral segments. Engraving by C.T. Warren, c.1800, after J. Piron.
  • Three grass flower-heads. Intaglio nature print, 19th century.
  • Meadow rice grass (Microlæna stipoides, Br.): plant with floral segments. Lithograph, c. 1880, after J. Buchanan.
  • Alpine rice grass (Ehrharta colensoi Hook f.): plant with floral segments. Lithograph, c. 1880, after J. Buchanan.
  • A cup fungus (Peziza species): five fruiting bodies. Watercolour by C. Bucknall, 1894.
  • An unidentified fungus: two fruiting bodies on wood, both life sized and enlarged. Watercolour by M. Webber, 1889.
  • Fifteen different species of lichen. Coloured etching by J. Pass, c. 1813.
  • Quillwort (Isoetes echinospora): entire plant with spores and floral segments. Coloured lithograph by W. Fitch, c. 1863, after himself.
  • Twelve different species of lichen. Coloured etching by J. Pass, c. 1813.
  • Dryandra nivea: flowering stem with floral segments. Engraving by T. Sparrow, c.1800, after P. J. Redouté.
  • Rose campion (Lychnis fulgens): flowering stem and floral segments. Coloured lithograph by Burggraaff, c. 1830, after G. Severeyns.
  • A flowering cactus, possibly a night-flowering cactus (Epiphyllum species). Coloured etching, c. 1815.
  • Palm fruits. Colour aquatint by L. Garibbo, c. 1817, after C. Bozzolini.
  • Hog fennel (Peucedanum officinale) and eight types of cup fungi (Peziza species). Coloured engraving by J. Pass, c. 1823.
  • Five fungi, including two Boletus species, with anatomical detail. Coloured etching by J. Pass, c. 1809, after J. Ihle.
  • A fungus (Agaricus lobatus?): three fruiting bodies. Watercolour by R. Baker, 1888.
  • A fungus (Agaricus radicatus?): two fruiting bodies. Watercolour, 1896.
  • A fungus (Ramaria aurea): fruiting body. Watercolour by C. Bucknall, 1890.
  • A bracket fungus (Coriolus versicolor): fruiting bodies growing on wood. Watercolour by A. Wheeler, 1889.
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey: Miss North's museum. Wood engraving by Hill.
  • Plums and custard fungus (Tricholomopsis rutilans): two fruiting bodies. Watercolour, 1892.
  • A bracket fungus (Coriolus versicolor): group of fruiting bodies. Watercolour.
  • A bracket fungus (Polyporus squamosus): group of fruiting bodies. Watercolour.
  • Parasol mushrooms (Lepiota procera): two fruiting bodies. Watercolour.
  • An earth-star fungus (Geastrum fornicatum): four fruiting bodies. Watercolour by R. Baker, 1895.
  • A fungus (Mycena pura): two fruiting bodies. Watercolour, 1885.
  • Plums and custard fungus (Tricholomopsis rutilans): five fruiting bodies. Watercolour by E. Wheeler, 1893.
  • Plums and custard fungus (Tricholomopsis rutilans): two fruiting bodies. Watercolour, 1892.