Opioids
Opioids are a class of drugs that are found in the opium poppy plant, which is known to have various effects on the brain such as the relief of pain.
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Meritaton, daughter of Akhenaton, offering narcotic plants to his husband Semenkhare
EgyptianMuseum, Cairo, (A-P LECA. La médecine Égyptienne au temps des Pharaons, pl. X)
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Historically, the poppy plant is known to have already been cultivated in the ancient civilizations of Persia, Egypt and Mesopotamia in 4000 BC. Actually, opium is an extract of the exudate derived from the seeds of the poppy plant, which was, already back then, inhaled or given through punctures in the skin with the aim to subject the patient to analgesia, but also respiratory depression or death depending on the dosage. Regarding the composition of opium, it is a cocktail made of sugars, proteins, fats, water, plant wax and numerous alkaloids, most notably morphine, codeine and noscapine.
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Opium Poppy Plant
Today, many prescription opioids are used to block pain signals between the brain and the body, hence acting as painkillers. Some famous opioids are typically heroin, fentanyl and morphine. In addition to controlling pain, opioids can make people feel relaxed, happy and ‘high’, and is highly addictive.
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