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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.
  • An aged unpleasant apothecary. Coloured etching by M. Darly, 1774.
  • An aged unpleasant apothecary. Coloured etching by M. Darly, 1774.
  • A 'dentiste' extracting the tooth of a large well dressed gentleman. Coloured mezzotint by J. Wilson after himself, 1773.
  • A clergyman conducting a chaotic christening. Colour mezzotint by J. Sympson, 173-, after W. Hogarth.
  • Two physicians in "macaroni" fashions. Etching by J. Johnson after J.W.B. (Bretherton?), 1772.
  • Bagnigge Wells, London: a family group, the Dumplings, on a day out. Mezzotint.
  • Four Georgian gentlemen at their club seriously engaged in smoking. Stipple print by H. Bunbury, c. 1794.
  • Bagnigge Wells, London: a fashionably dressed young couple greeting an acquaintance [an officer?] at a soiree. Mezzotint, 1772, after a painting attributed to J. Sanders.
  • Bonnell Thornton lying ill in bed, consulting three physicians and pointing out their inadequacies. Coloured etching attributed to C. Williams.
  • Bonnell Thornton lying ill in bed, consulting three physicians and pointing out their inadequacies. Coloured etching attributed to C. Williams.
  • An episode in Tristram Shandy: Corporal Trim reading a sermon to Mr. Shandy, Uncle Toby, and Doctor Slop. Etching after L. Sterne.
  • An episode in Tristram Shandy: Doctor Slop, having fallen off his horse, is greeted by Obadiah. Etching after L. Sterne.
  • An episode in Tristram Shandy: Doctor Slop, having fallen off his horse, is greeted by Obadiah. Etching after L. Sterne.
  • A shield containing a group portrait of various doctors and quacks, including Mrs Mapp, Dr. Joshua Ward and John Taylor. Mezzotint after W. Hogarth, 1736.
  • An episode in Tristram Shandy: Dr. Slop being attacked by Susannah with a saucepan, while the nurse holds the baby Tristram Shandy. Etching after L. Sterne.
  • An episode in Tristram Shandy: Dr. Slop, with his wig on fire, angrily gesticulating to Susannah who holds her nose near the wounded baby Tristram Shandy. Coloured etching after H.W. Bunbury after L. Sterne.
  • Georgian gentlemen smoking, drinking and reading newspapers at their club. Coloured aquatint by John Caspar Ziegler after George Moutard Woodward, published by William Holland, 1798.
  • Georgian gentlemen smoking, drinking and reading newspapers at their club. Coloured aquatint by John Caspar Ziegler after George Moutard Woodward, published by William Holland, 1798.
  • A shield containing a group portrait of various doctors and quacks, including Mrs Mapp, Dr. Joshua Ward and John Taylor. Engraving after W. Hogarth, 1736.
  • A shield containing a group portrait of various doctors and quacks, including Mrs Mapp, Dr. Joshua Ward and John Taylor. Etching by W. Hogarth, 1736, after himself.
  • A shield containing a group portrait of various doctors and quacks, including Mrs Mapp, Dr. Joshua Ward and John Taylor. Etching by W. Hogarth, 1736, after himself.
  • A shield containing a group portrait of various doctors and quacks, including Mrs Mapp, Dr. Joshua Ward and John Taylor. Etching by W. Hogarth, 1736, after himself.
  • An episode in Samuel Foote's play The devil upon two sticks: the cobbler Emmanuel Last is examined for entry as a licentiate to the Royal College of Physicians by Dr Hellebore, the president of the college. Mezzotint by J. Finlayson after J. Zoffany, 1769.
  • A shield containing a group portrait of various doctors and quacks, including Mrs Mapp, Dr. Joshua Ward and John Taylor. Etching by W. Hogarth, 1736, after himself.
  • A fierce battle between the supporters of John Brown (Bruno), in favour of treatment with stimulants, and those of F.J.V. Broussais, in favour of bloodletting. Pen drawing.
  • A fierce battle between the supporters of John Brown (Bruno), in favour of treatment with stimulants, and those of F.J.V. Broussais, in favour of bloodletting. Pen drawing.
  • A fierce battle between the supporters of John Brown (Bruno), in favour of treatment with stimulants, and those of F.J.V. Broussais, in favour of bloodletting. Pen drawing.
  • Amputations of arm and leg with diagrams to illustrate how to perform the operations. Engraving, 1743.