Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum (LINN) Papaveraceae) Properties Page

Opium Poppy / Papaver somniferum

(LINN) N.O. Papaveraceae
Names	History	Constituents	Uses

Opium poppy Mawseed White Poppy or, (var),Papaver Album	Poppies were first cultivated in Britain in the 17th c.by Mr. John Ball, of Williton. Cultivation experiments also in France and Germany. British Pharmacopoeia states that opium used officially must come from poppies grown in Asia Minor. 11th c. : An Arabic physician, Mesue, made a cough treatment known as Syrupus de Meconio Mesuae. The name somniferum means sleep - inducing red, purple or white flowers	At least 25 alkaloids comprising: morphine (0.1 to 0.3%), codeine papverine narcotine meconic acid (5% with morphine) thebaine narceine Irhoedine (latex) 25% alkaloid content 2% morphine (Oil) (to 60%) lecithin, mucilage sugar wax calcium and magnesium salts sulphuric acid from its ash starch tannin oxalic acid fat.	hypnotic, sedative, narcotic, pain relief relief of diarrhoea, pain killer infusion from powdered capsule once used for sprains or bruises, expectorant, diaphoretic, syrup of poppy, veterinary: for pain and spasm,NB: opium and morphine are not calmative or hypnotic for animals.

Contra-Indications

By prescription only. If swallowed, stomach must be pumped and washed with potassium permanganate + the administration of nitrites and small doses of atropine hypodermically to maintain cardiac action.

Also strychnine used hypodermically and artificial respiration. To prevent coma apply caffeine and stimulant enemata.

^N.B. When opium was a smoke for sale on the streets of Toronto, they used to say one could actually die if minutely overdosing. Dealers advised using a thumbs worth, or a lump the size of the pad of your thumb, resulting in a lot of difficulties for users. Are there still opium smokers? It was popular in Victorian times, but it is so dangerous.

Although my books do not say so, Heroin comes from the Opium Poppy.

Heroin is highly habituative, but actually has no deleterious side effects which could impair ones' health, except death from overdosing (common, I believe) and starvation or other violence from ripping oneself and others off for the cost of street heroin.

The narcotic was legalized for hospital use (by prescription) in some countries,and remains controvertial.

Tincture of Opium, or Laudanum

3 oz opium

equal parts distilled water and alcohol

Decoction of Poppy

bruise fresh capsules of poppy and soak in distilled water.

For external use on painful areas.

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Opium Poppy / Papaver somniferum

(LINN) N.O. Papaveraceae

Names

History

Constituents

Uses

Opium poppy Mawseed White Poppy or, (var),Papaver Album

hypnotic, sedative, narcotic, pain relief relief of diarrhoea, pain killer infusion from powdered capsule once used for sprains or bruises, expectorant, diaphoretic, syrup of poppy, veterinary: for pain and spasm,NB: opium and morphine are not calmative or hypnotic for animals.