A Brief History of Opium

Over the course of human history there have been countless powerful natural and artificial drugs, but none parallel opium in its mythical status, range of uses, and longevity of interest. Indeed, no other drug has had an economic, political, and social influence comparable to opium and its derivatives. Opium is the oldest drug ever cultivated and actively pursued by the human species it even predates the fermentation of alcohol. The story of opium could fill entire libraries with historical, clinical, and anecdotal information. 

The story of opium is one of both individual and global conflict. It is a story of alleviating pain and inspiring genius, of addiction, escape, and freedom, of contradictions and mystery. Above all, the story of opium is one of constant mutation within the instability and evolution of human consumption and addiction. The story is as relevant today as it was during the great opium wars of the mid-nineteenth century, yet it stretches back into the far reaches of human civilization. 

The details of the earliest cultivation and use of opium for its euphoric effects are highly disputed, as it certainly predates the existence of written languages. Therefore, there are no physical records that date back to the beginnings of opium s use. Another difficulty in pinpointing the earliest use of opium is that it comes from the pod of a specific type of poppy plant called Papaver somniferum. In addition 

Just as the earliest cultivation of opium is disputed, so is the rate and method that spread opium use around the globe. 

According to historical records, around 1500 B.c. the use of opium, as well as its exportation, was beginning to take root. The city of Thebes was so well-known for its poppy fields that it lent its name to the active alkaloid in opium, thebaine. Alkaloids are any of a host of organic compounds, often complex in structure, derived from plants. Many [alkaloids] are useful as medicines and poisons. In medical texts left by the Egyptians, there are more than 700 medicines that contain opium. Under the 

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Booth, Martin. A Brief History of Opium. Available online at http // www.opioids.com/timeline. Accessed June 2,2006. 

In this report, a brief overview of the history of the chemistry and pharmacology of the opium alkaloids will be presented in order to place recent progress in opiate total synthesis in proper perspective. After a brief description of how past, present and possible future developments influenced the development of the NIH opiate total synthesis, some recent progress in this area will be described. 

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