Opium was known and frequently used in Roman society. Medical practice recognized its usefulness as an analgesic, soporific, anti-tussic or anti-diarrheic agent, as well as other currently unsupported uses with quasi-magical properties. It was additionally used as an ingredient in antidotes, panaceas and poisons. The authors present a non-exhaustive compilation of opium use according to medical...

J. G. Pughe, Esq., Officiating Sub-Deputy Opium Agent of Ally gunge, Sew an, To E. N. Farquharson, Esq., Opium Agent of Behctr. Dated ls< February, 18G1. Sir,?Before making oyer charge of this office, I would, in continuation of my letter to your address, No. 37 of 28th June last, beg to place on record two statements shewing the rates of mortality, causes of death, and ages of the deceased amo...

Background: Studies have shown that Iran has a high rate of opiate abuse and the most prevalently used is opium. This study was aimed to evaluate risk factors in patients with acute opium intoxication who referred to Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2011.Methods: A total number of 383 patients with acute opium overdose, who were referred to the Emergency Department of Loghman Hakim Hosp...

OBJECTIVES Drug dependence as a chronic disorder is reversible over time and has a cost burden for individuals, families, and society. An individual who has stopped taking drugs for a long time may start taking drugs again. The variables affecting the reuse of drugs are not well known. Therefore a study of the factors that increase the length of time away from drugs is essential. METHODS This...

Sik,?With reference to the article by Colonel Chopra in your March number on ' Drug addiction in India and its treatment the value of lecithin in the treatment of opium addicts does not appear to have been assessed at its proper value. When attending the Ninth Congress of the Far Eastern Association of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at Nanking, one of the things which struck me most was the grea...

BACKGROUND Impact of substance abuse on outcome of hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a frequent question. Available studies show disagreements over its impact, thus we performed this study to find a clear answer. METHODS In a cross sectional study, 304 patients (include 152 consecutive opium dependents and equal number of independents) with acute MI admitted to co...

Both UNODC and U.S. surveys of opium poppy cultivation indicated a significant increase in cultivation and potential production in 2007, and production and export of synthetic drugs (amphetamine-type stimulants, crystal methamphetamine and Ketamine) from Burma continued unabated. (Note: 2008 UNODC Cultivation Report statistics were not available by our printing deadline.) The significant downwa...

BACKGROUND Opium is an addictive agent and one of the most common narcotics With great challenges of intraoperative hemodynamic instabilities. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to assess the effects of clonidine on intraoperative blood loss in patients with and without opium addiction in femoral fracture surgeries. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a randomized clinical trial, 160 candidates for ele...

Background: The rate of cardiovascular diseases in developing countries is approximately 60% and it is still has an increasing trend. The clinical effectiveness of aspirin in preventing cardiovascular events has been well proven. Although aspirin is an effective and inexpensive drug, its consumption is not equally beneficial for all patients. Many factors can be affective on the efficacy of ant...

The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is one of mankind's oldest medicinal plants. Opium poppy today is the commercial source of the narcotic analgesics morphine and codeine. Along with these two morphinans, opium poppy produces approximately eighty alkaloids belonging to various tetrahydrobenzylisoquinoline-derived classes. It has been known for over a century that morphinan alkaloids accumulat...