Laudanum, an opium tincture, explained: from 1600s medicine to schedule II drug
The gist
Laudanum, a tincture of about 10% powdered opium in alcohol, was listed in the London Pharmacopeia in 1618.
It was sold cheaply in patent medicines and given to children before being classed a schedule II drug.
How it unfolded
- 1618Laudanum, a tincture of powdered opium (10% by weight) in alcohol, was listed in the London Pharmacopeia.
- 1676Laudanum was promoted as a remedy for various conditions from as early as this year; Thomas Sydenham published Medical Observations.
- 1753Linnaeus first classified opium in Genera Plantarum, while George Young's A Treatise on Opium argued that "opium is a poison by which great numbers are daily destroyed."
Key terms
- tincture
- An extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol, used in medicine.
- opium
- A dried latex from opium poppy seed capsules containing morphine and other alkaloids.
Source: Wikipedia