The Ancient Drug Opium

Abstract

The use of papaver somniferum (from the Latin fero ferre = 'to bear/bring' and somnium = 'sleep') as a narcotic, goes back to the 13 th century BC. The works of ancient authors such as Dioscorides, Celsus, Galen, Theophrastus and Pliny the Elder provide us with detailed information about the morphology of the plant, its processing and the administration of the drug. 1 These authors make it clear that opium was mainly employed as anodyne and narcotic but they also documented its use as a drug in the treatment of a variety of ailments, either as one of many ingredients in a medicinal recipe or as the main ingredient. Modern botanical and pharmaceutical analysis of the plant and its active ingredients provide us with some surprising conclusions regarding its effectiveness in the treatment of the medical conditions for which it was prescribed in the 1 st and 2 nd century. The early history of poppyA 775 mm high statuette (Fig. 1) of a Minoan (13 th century BC) goddess with uplifted hands probably provides us with the oldest ancient evidence for poppy and opium. It is known as 'The Poppy Goddess' because it bears on the head three movable pins in the likeness of heads of the sleep-inducing poppy (Kerényi 1976:24; Sakellarakis, 1987:91). It can be seen in the Museum at Herakleion. Greek archaeologists have concluded that:1. The vertical notches in the capsules are more deeply coloured, and relate to the extraction of the juice.2. The Minoan goddess appears to have her eyes closed as though asleep. 1References to the information supplied by these sources will be found throughout this article.2

Poppies as a sleep aid for infants: The “Hypnos” remedy of Cretan folk medicine

“…The white latex is then secreted and coagulates on the surface of the capsule [ 13 ]. Another way of procession according to the distinguished Greek physician and pharmacologist Dioscorides (40–90 AD), required the beating of the capsules together with the leaves, squeezing, pounding in a mortar and then fashioning lozenges; that product named Meconium, was a weaker form of poppies extract [ 14 ] ( Fig. 1 ).…”

“…It is so named due to three movable hairpins of its head, shaped as poppy capsules, called Mekones [ 16 ]. The statue appears to have the eyes closed as though asleep, an indication of the plant’s sedative powers [ 14 ] ( Fig.2 ). Remnants of coals and a tubular vase found at the same site implied the ritual inhalation of opium vapors [ 16 ].…”

“…The soporific properties of Opium poppy and its constituents was mentioned by the philosophers Aristotle (384−322 BC) and Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) [ 14 ], the Roman encyclopaedist Celsus (25 BC –50 AD) and the physicians: Hippocrates (460–377 BC), Heraclides of Tarentum (3rd century BC) [ 17 ] and Dioscorides (10-90 AD) [ 14 ]. Its indication as a treatment for children insomnia was referred to the Egyptian papyrus Ebers (16th century BCE) [ 2 ] and mentioned by the physicians Galen (129–200 AD) [ 14 ], Rhazes (10th century AD) and Avicenna (11th century AD) [ 2 ]. Opium preparations were administered orally (Diosc.4.64.2), applied on the skin or onto the eye (Celsus 6.6.1.H), as a suppository (Diosc.…”

Detection of opium alkaloids in a Cypriot base-ring juglet

“…1a). 2 Opium is obtained from the latex which oozes from unripe poppy capsules when they are scored; 3 striped decoration on some base-ring juglets has been proposed as further evidence to associate the vessels with opium. 2 Ever since Merrillees' publication, base-ring juglets have attracted great interest for tracing opium trade in the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean.…”

“…Over 40 alkaloids are produced by P. somniferum but the five primary alkaloids are morphine (1), codeine (2), thebaine (3), papaverine (4) and noscapine (5). 6,7 Of these, morphine is the most abundant and is also the main source of opium's narcotic effects.…”