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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.
  • The Church of England educational institution, Bolton. Wood engraving by C.D. Laing, 1853, after R.H. Potter.
  • Corpus Christi College, Cambridge: New Court. Line engraving, 1826.
  • Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Coloured aquatint, 1824.
  • Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Line engraving by E.F. McCabe, 1824, after R.B. Harraden.
  • King's College, Cambridge. Line engraving by R.W. Smart, 1827, after R.B. Harraden.
  • The fellows' garden, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Line engraving by J. Le Keux, 1841, after F. Mackenzie.
  • The fellows' garden, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Line engraving by J. Le Keux, 1841, after F. Mackenzie.
  • Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Line engraving by J. Le Keux, 1841, after J.A. Bell.
  • Clare College, Cambridge: view from the Backs. Line engraving by J. Le Keux after J.A. Bell.
  • King's College Chapel, Cambridge. Line engraving by R.W. Smart, 1826, after R.B. Harraden.
  • Avenue leading to the College Green with St. Augustine's Church and Cathedral, Bristol. Line engraving by F.R. Hay, 1830, after W.H. Bartlett.
  • Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge: Caius Court towards the Gate of Honour. Line engraving by J. & H.S. Storer.
  • Emmanuel College, Cambridge: Front Court, showing the facade of the Chapel. Line engraving by E.F. McCabe, 1824, after R.B. Harraden.
  • Brighton College, Brighton. Wood engraving, 1849.
  • Gonville and Caius College chapel, Cambridge. Line engraving by J. Le Keux, 1841, after J.A. Bell.
  • The Exeter Diocesan Training College. Wood engraving by W.E. Hodgkin after R. Barrow after J. Hayward.
  • King's College Chapel, Cambridge. Line engraving.
  • King's College Chapel, Cambridge: interior. Lithograph.
  • The front and back views of the Training institution, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. Wood engraving by C.D. Laing, 1851, after Clarke.
  • Corpus Christi college and the street life outside, Cambridge. Line engraving by J. Le Keux after F. Mackenzie.
  • King's College Chapel, east range of the Old Schools and Senate house, Cambridge. Line engraving.
  • Bromley college and grounds, Kent. Line engraving.
  • Framlington College, Suffolk. Wood engraving by Walmsley, 1864, after F. Peck.
  • Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Etching by A. Brunet Lebaines, 1879.
  • King's College Chapel, Cambridge: interior. Line engraving by J. Le Keux after F. Mackenzie.
  • Clare College, Cambridge: east and south ranges. Line engraving by J. Le Keux, 1842, after F. Mackenzie.
  • Addiscomb College and grounds, Croydon, Surrey. Line engraving by H. Wallis after E. Pritchett.
  • The Alms houses (formerly Priests' College), Cobham, Kent: floor plans. Transfer lithograph by J.R. Jobbins, 1858, after F.T. Dollman.