RELEASE: Drug

Drug History

According to American scientist Carl Sagan, agriculture and therefore civilisation began with drugs

Stone age man apparently grew cannabis alongside other crops; Blackfoot Indians grew tobacco; Aborigines grew the psychoactive pituri, and in Neolithic Jericho the first cultivated plants were apparently mandrake, henbane and belladonna.

Excavation of 60,000 year old grave site at Shanidar in Iraq; flowers laid there supposedly for decoration were in fact Ephedra Vulgaris, whose active ingredient ephedrine has amphetamine properties and is used now in OTC medicines such as Sudafed, and also in 'herbal ecstasy'.

Opium cultivated from about 6,000 years ago in Turkey and Afghanistan, and also in Sumeria, Spain and Southern France. Opium poppy seeds found inside 7,000 year old religious artefact in Spain.

Egyptians first brewed wine and beer 5,500 years ago and also used the lotus flower, as a form of Viagra and a panacea against disease.

The mystery of the Egyptian 'cocaine mummies': the mummified body of a woman was excavated in the 19th Century and contained large quantities of both cocaine and nicotine, despite these substances apparently not being brought West until centuries later. Either an ancient trade link between Egypt and America or these drugs originally grew in Egypt.

Wine making part of Chinese culture before 2,000 BC. Also alcohol (beer and wine) used in Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, then Greece and Rome.

Origins of 'performance-enhancing' drugs or anabolic steroids: athletes in the ancient Olympics would consume sheep's or dogs testicles to give them an edge! (Anabolic steroids developed much later in 1927 when Fred Koch at Chicago University extracted testosterone from bull's testicles.)

In the rites of Eleusis in ancient Greece, 'kykeon' was drunk, brewed from barley contaminated with ergot, which produced hallucinations similar to LSD.

Top ten drugs used in Ancient Rome:

Opium---pain relief, poison, suicide, pleasure.
Mandragora or Mandrake---delirium, madness, soporific, anaesthetic.
Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade---delirium, sedation, paralysis.
Henbane---sedative, hallucinogenic.
Thorn Apple---delirium
Hemlock---sedative, narcotic, poison.
Aconite---painkiller, slows heart rate.
Cannabis
Alcohol
Mushrooms.
Opium was on sale from shops openly in Ancient Rome.

traders and spread through Persia, India, China, North Africa, and Spain, then into middle of Europe in 10th and 11th centuries.

Fly Agaric mushrooms one of the oldest hallucinogens, used in ancient India as part of sacred cult. Peyote cactus in Mexico also ancient and powerful hallucinogen, used ceremonially and medicinally from 1st Century BC. 24 different species of sacred mushrooms in Mexico dating back 3,000 years.

In the Middle Ages (476-1400) alcohol very popular, particularly with clergy! But other drugs also being cultivated, associated with witchcraft, henbane, belladonna and mandrake. Also cannabis became notorious when 13th Century Venetian traveller Marco Polo brought tales of Persian ruler Hasan, who drugged followers with hashish and then sent them out to murder his enemies.

1440-1750 was the age of discovery in Europe and this included expanding the choices of available drugs.

Beer and wine very popular during this period though leaders of Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and John Calvin preached moderation, and the Baptists advocated abstinence. In 17th and 18th centuries spirits became popular resulting in gin epidemic during industrial revolution in England, when gin became the drink of the poor.

American colonies involved in rum trade where rum was bartered for slaves. Whiskey then replaced rum as most popular drink after Irish and Scottish settlers introduced it.

Tobacco was introduced to England by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1586 and quickly became a fad; by 1641, 7,000 smoke shops in London alone. In a few decades smoking spread across all social classes in Europe.

In late 1600s snuff, made from powdered tobacco, began in France and spread through Europe also.

During bubonic plague in 1665 tobacco thought to be a healthy protection against it and Eton schoolboys told to smoke every morning to 'disinfect' themselves! Tobacco also began to be taxed for the first time. Did not stop its popularity though; spread more quickly than any other drug in history.

Chocolate, coffee, tea In 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors added sugar and hot water to the Aztec cacao beans and invented hot chocolate, not known to other Europeans until 18th century.

Coffee originated in Ethiopia in the 600s and spread to Arab Muslim countries where alcohol prohibited. In 1511 the governor of Mecca ordered coffee houses closed due to dissenting talk in them, but this ban proved unenforceable. Coffee then spread to Italy then northward, getting mixed popularity ('a vile and worthless foreign novelty' was one comment) . In 1675 came to London; King Charles 11 later closed coffee houses for causing rebellious talk, as in Mecca.

Tea first used in China in 2737 BC and came to Europe in 1610 via Dutch traders. Was taxed from mid 1700s causing many problems of smuggling and rebellion e.g. Boston Tea Party.

Opium epidemic; from 17th c entury under Ming dynasty until 19th century tens of millions of Chinese became opium addicts. Crossed every social class.

Chinese tried to pass edicts but the British East India company monopolised prosperous opium trade. Became a highly charged moral issue (Geoffrey Harding-'Constructing Addiction as a moral failing' looks at this moral crusade and how it provided a model of addiction.).

During 18th and 19th centuries chemists were interested in isolating psychoactive ingredients.

Laudanum, a cordial containing opium, was developed by Thomas Sydenham back in 1660s and became very popular in 18th and 19th centuries especially with such poets and writers as Coleridge, de Quincy, Keats etc. Another variation was Dovers powder, invented by Thomas Dover in early 18th century containing opium, salt-petre, tartar, ipocacuana and white wine. Apparently a cure for gout though many people died.

Dr Collis Brown's Chlorodyne also developed at this time, which survives to this day.

In 1806 German pharmacist Friedrich Serturner isolated morphine from opium. In 1874 British chemist C.R. Alder Wright working in St Mary's hospital in London isolated diacetylmorphine a.k.a. heroin. But German Heinrich Dreser claimed to have created it later in 1897. He did create aspirin though, but thought there was no future for it and heroin was a much better bet!

Meanwhile tobacco addiction continued; cigarettes arrived in last half of 19th century. By 1913 Americans were smoking 15 billion cigarettes a year.

Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda: American soft drink marketed as hangover cure and containing lithium, used for manic depressives. Went on sale 1929, renamed 7 UP Lithiated Lemon Soda, then just 7 UP in 1936. The Lithium was removed in 1950.

Also: strange things to get high with:

Nutmeg: used in 15th and 16th centuries by sailors for euphoria and sedation.
Lettuce: contains opiates, even the most normal lettuce.
Bananas: allegedly you can smoke the skins.
Toads: another hippy tale but one species, Bufo Alvarius does contain hallucinogens. You can lick your toad or milk it.
Scorpions:In the temporary absence of heroin in Pakistan in 2001 due to allied attack against Taliban, locals dried the stingers from scorpions tails in the sun, ground them up and smoked them.
Dung: A few years ago in Malaysia, due to shortages of heroin and cannabis, locals sniffed cow dung! Back in 1810 the Caledonian Horticultural Society offered a prize to the person who could extract the most 'soporific medicine.í


DRUGS THE LAW HUMAN RIGHTS HOME DONATE OUR SERVICES PUBLICATIONS ABOUT RELEASE BUST CARD HELPLINES CONTACT US SHOP NEWS LINKS MEDIA CENTER LEGAL MANUAL VACANCIES CONFERENCES PRIVACY DISCLAIMER	Drug History According to American scientist Carl Sagan, agriculture and therefore civilisation began with drugs Stone age man apparently grew cannabis alongside other crops; Blackfoot Indians grew tobacco; Aborigines grew the psychoactive pituri, and in Neolithic Jericho the first cultivated plants were apparently mandrake, henbane and belladonna. Excavation of 60,000 year old grave site at Shanidar in Iraq; flowers laid there supposedly for decoration were in fact Ephedra Vulgaris, whose active ingredient ephedrine has amphetamine properties and is used now in OTC medicines such as Sudafed, and also in 'herbal ecstasy'. Opium cultivated from about 6,000 years ago in Turkey and Afghanistan, and also in Sumeria, Spain and Southern France. Opium poppy seeds found inside 7,000 year old religious artefact in Spain. Egyptians first brewed wine and beer 5,500 years ago and also used the lotus flower, as a form of Viagra and a panacea against disease. The mystery of the Egyptian 'cocaine mummies': the mummified body of a woman was excavated in the 19th Century and contained large quantities of both cocaine and nicotine, despite these substances apparently not being brought West until centuries later. Either an ancient trade link between Egypt and America or these drugs originally grew in Egypt. Wine making part of Chinese culture before 2,000 BC. Also alcohol (beer and wine) used in Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, then Greece and Rome. Origins of 'performance-enhancing' drugs or anabolic steroids: athletes in the ancient Olympics would consume sheep's or dogs testicles to give them an edge! (Anabolic steroids developed much later in 1927 when Fred Koch at Chicago University extracted testosterone from bull's testicles.) In the rites of Eleusis in ancient Greece, 'kykeon' was drunk, brewed from barley contaminated with ergot, which produced hallucinations similar to LSD. Top ten drugs used in Ancient Rome: Opium---pain relief, poison, suicide, pleasure. Mandragora or Mandrake---delirium, madness, soporific, anaesthetic. Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade---delirium, sedation, paralysis. Henbane---sedative, hallucinogenic. Thorn Apple---delirium Hemlock---sedative, narcotic, poison. Aconite---painkiller, slows heart rate. Cannabis Alcohol Mushrooms. Opium was on sale from shops openly in Ancient Rome. traders and spread through Persia, India, China, North Africa, and Spain, then into middle of Europe in 10th and 11th centuries. Fly Agaric mushrooms one of the oldest hallucinogens, used in ancient India as part of sacred cult. Peyote cactus in Mexico also ancient and powerful hallucinogen, used ceremonially and medicinally from 1st Century BC. 24 different species of sacred mushrooms in Mexico dating back 3,000 years. In the Middle Ages (476-1400) alcohol very popular, particularly with clergy! But other drugs also being cultivated, associated with witchcraft, henbane, belladonna and mandrake. Also cannabis became notorious when 13th Century Venetian traveller Marco Polo brought tales of Persian ruler Hasan, who drugged followers with hashish and then sent them out to murder his enemies. 1440-1750 was the age of discovery in Europe and this included expanding the choices of available drugs. Beer and wine very popular during this period though leaders of Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and John Calvin preached moderation, and the Baptists advocated abstinence. In 17th and 18th centuries spirits became popular resulting in gin epidemic during industrial revolution in England, when gin became the drink of the poor. American colonies involved in rum trade where rum was bartered for slaves. Whiskey then replaced rum as most popular drink after Irish and Scottish settlers introduced it. Tobacco was introduced to England by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1586 and quickly became a fad; by 1641, 7,000 smoke shops in London alone. In a few decades smoking spread across all social classes in Europe. In late 1600s snuff, made from powdered tobacco, began in France and spread through Europe also. During bubonic plague in 1665 tobacco thought to be a healthy protection against it and Eton schoolboys told to smoke every morning to 'disinfect' themselves! Tobacco also began to be taxed for the first time. Did not stop its popularity though; spread more quickly than any other drug in history. Chocolate, coffee, tea In 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors added sugar and hot water to the Aztec cacao beans and invented hot chocolate, not known to other Europeans until 18th century. Coffee originated in Ethiopia in the 600s and spread to Arab Muslim countries where alcohol prohibited. In 1511 the governor of Mecca ordered coffee houses closed due to dissenting talk in them, but this ban proved unenforceable. Coffee then spread to Italy then northward, getting mixed popularity ('a vile and worthless foreign novelty' was one comment) . In 1675 came to London; King Charles 11 later closed coffee houses for causing rebellious talk, as in Mecca. Tea first used in China in 2737 BC and came to Europe in 1610 via Dutch traders. Was taxed from mid 1700s causing many problems of smuggling and rebellion e.g. Boston Tea Party. Opium epidemic; from 17th c entury under Ming dynasty until 19th century tens of millions of Chinese became opium addicts. Crossed every social class. Chinese tried to pass edicts but the British East India company monopolised prosperous opium trade. Became a highly charged moral issue (Geoffrey Harding-'Constructing Addiction as a moral failing' looks at this moral crusade and how it provided a model of addiction.). During 18th and 19th centuries chemists were interested in isolating psychoactive ingredients. Laudanum, a cordial containing opium, was developed by Thomas Sydenham back in 1660s and became very popular in 18th and 19th centuries especially with such poets and writers as Coleridge, de Quincy, Keats etc. Another variation was Dovers powder, invented by Thomas Dover in early 18th century containing opium, salt-petre, tartar, ipocacuana and white wine. Apparently a cure for gout though many people died. Dr Collis Brown's Chlorodyne also developed at this time, which survives to this day. In 1806 German pharmacist Friedrich Serturner isolated morphine from opium. In 1874 British chemist C.R. Alder Wright working in St Mary's hospital in London isolated diacetylmorphine a.k.a. heroin. But German Heinrich Dreser claimed to have created it later in 1897. He did create aspirin though, but thought there was no future for it and heroin was a much better bet! Meanwhile tobacco addiction continued; cigarettes arrived in last half of 19th century. By 1913 Americans were smoking 15 billion cigarettes a year. Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda: American soft drink marketed as hangover cure and containing lithium, used for manic depressives. Went on sale 1929, renamed 7 UP Lithiated Lemon Soda, then just 7 UP in 1936. The Lithium was removed in 1950. Also: strange things to get high with: Nutmeg: used in 15th and 16th centuries by sailors for euphoria and sedation. Lettuce: contains opiates, even the most normal lettuce. Bananas: allegedly you can smoke the skins. Toads: another hippy tale but one species, Bufo Alvarius does contain hallucinogens. You can lick your toad or milk it. Scorpions:In the temporary absence of heroin in Pakistan in 2001 due to allied attack against Taliban, locals dried the stingers from scorpions tails in the sun, ground them up and smoked them. Dung: A few years ago in Malaysia, due to shortages of heroin and cannabis, locals sniffed cow dung! Back in 1810 the Caledonian Horticultural Society offered a prize to the person who could extract the most 'soporific medicine.í References: Drugs: a Users Guide. Haskins M. Edbury Press 2003 Consuming Habits: drugs in history and Anthropology Routledge 1995 Drugs and Narcotics in History Cambridge University Press 1995	DRUG FACTS 2CB 2CI alcohol amphetamines cannabis cocaine crack DMT ecstasy GHB heroin ketamine lsd methadone mushrooms nitrites salvia solvents steroids

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