| Term Paper Title | Opium |
| # of Words | 1156 |
| # of Pages (250 words per page double spaced) | 4.62 |
Opium
Codeine derivative of opium. It is a white crystalline solid, slightly soluble in water and soluble in organic solvents. When heated, it first loses water and then melts at 315° F. Chemically a methyl ether of morphine, codeine has similar physiological effects but to a lesser degree, particularly because it is less habit-forming. It is used to reduce pain and to suppress coughing.
Analgesic, class of drugs that relieve pain without causing loss of consciousness. The drugs range from the narcotic opium derivatives morphine and codeine (see Opium) to a wide range of nonnarcotics such as aspirin, acetaminophe the last entering the nonprescription category in the United States in 1984. External analgesics include such drugs as hydrocortisone. Anesthetics in low doses, or local anesthetics such as benzocaine, are also analgesic in function.
Narcotics affect the central nervous system, are addictive, and are used only for severe pain.. The nonnarcotics act by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins in the body. Aspirin is a good anti-inflammatory but can irritate the stomach, whereas acetaminophen is less effective against inflammation. Ibuprofen is also an anti-inflammatory, but it can irritate the stomach, as well as aggravate high blood pressure and damage the kidneys. With the discovery of natural opiate receptors in the brain, and of hormones such as endorphins and enkephalins that link to them, research has been devoted to ways in which these systems could be made to ease pain.
morphine, which was isolated and chemically analyzed by the German apothecary F. W. A. Setürner between 1805 and 1817. Other narcotics used in the U.S. are meperidine Demerol), codeine, and propoxyphene (trade name Darvon). Heroin, synthesized from morphine, is a potent analgesic, but its use is forbidden in the U.S. Some of the newer synthetic compounds are 1000 to 10,000 times more potent than morphine.
In addition to their painkilling properties, the narcotic analgesics cause a profound feeling of well-being (euphoria). It is this feeling that is in part responsible for the psychological drive of certain persons to obtain and self-administer these drugs. When taken chronically in large doses, the narcotics have the capacity to induce tolerance (whereby a larger and larger dose is required by the body to achieve the same effect), and ultimately psychological and physical dependence, or addiction. In this respect they are similar to the barbiturates and to alcohol. These properties make the medical use of narcotics extremely difficult and have led to strict regulation of the prescription and dispensing of this class of drugs. Even so, they are widely abused. See Drug Dependence.
The mode of action of the narcotic analgesics is still not fully understood. Recent research has determined that specific regions of the brain and spinal cord have an affinity for binding opiates, and the binding sites in the brain are in the same general areas where pain centers are believed to be. This research has also succeeded in isolating compounds, called enkephalins, that are produced in the body to reduce pain; the compounds consist of five amino acids. Apparently they can depress neurons throughout the central nervous system. They belong to a group of larger compounds called endorphins, consisting of many amino acids, that have also been isolated in the body and that are produced by the pituitary gland. Administration of endorphins, including the enkephalins, results in effects similar to those produced by opiates.
The discovery of a class of compounds that ...Read entire document
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