Morphine Research Paper

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Morphine, codeine and heroin are all derived from the same plant, the opium poppy. The opium drugs have been used for medicinal and recreational use for centuries. In the 1700s opium was mixed into an alcohol solution to help with pain relief as they are a strong depressant. This mixture would be used for helping soldiers with wounds or for the numbing of pain during surgery. Opium was in very high demand and the British Empire controlled the opium fields in India. Britain traded the opium to China for exchange for tea leaves that could only be grown in China. Because of the highly addictive nature of opiuates the people of China got addicted. To combat the addiction the emperor started to burn the boats that sent the opium which started the …show more content…

He first tested the white yellow mixture on dogs which killed them. He continued his test on himself and found that the drug acted as a depressant that slowed breathing and help relieve pain and induce sleepiness, side effects included nausea, hallucinations and constipation. Saunter named the drug after Morpheus the Greek god of dreams. During the American civil war many of the soldiers were given morphine to help reduce the pain of their injuries. As a result thousands of soldiers came home after the war addicted to the drug. Morphine today is used in many different situations as a pain killer. This would include surgery and, cancer treatment (to relieve pain), it is used because it is very cost effective and is tolerated by patients. However patients are usually given the option to use different pain killers to avoid get addicted to morphine with the result of feeling more pain. Many people throughout the world have been given morphine as prescribed by a doctor but keep renewing the prescription because they are addicted. Morphine can be given as tablets because morphine melts at 255°C or through an IV as 1 gram of morphine will dissolve into 5L of water. It has no odor and is white when in pure

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