Tranquilizers and Opiates

Question 1

Identifying traits of indian snakeroot

Answer 1

evergreen shrub, contains reserpine

Question 2

What does reserpine treat?

Answer 2

chronic psychoses (schizophrenia) and hypertension, and was promoted as a tranquilizer for anxiety

Question 3

Identifying traits of kava

Answer 3

shrub, native to South pacific islands, a cultigen

Question 4

Where was kava domesticated first?

Answer 4

Vanuatu

Question 5

What is kava used for?

Answer 5

socially relaxing body and mind, and medicinally to induce sleep, relieve pain, treat anxiety and insomnia; treating rheumatism, menstrual problems, venereal diseases, and tuberculosis

Question 6

What part of kava contains the active principles?

Answer 6

the rootstock

Question 7

What are the various compounds called in kava?

Answer 7

kavalactones (like kavain)

Question 8

What effects do whole extracts of kava have?

Answer 8

hypnotic-sedative, analgesic, and psychotropic effects

Question 9

Identifying traits of opium poppy

Answer 9

annual plant, member of poppy family, native to Asia

Question 10

What is claimed to be the world’s oldest narcotic?

Answer 10

opium, based on Sumerian tablets

Question 11

Who summarized the medicinal use of opium poppy?

Answer 11

Galen

Question 12

Who popularized opium use in Renaissance Europe and developed laudanum?

Answer 12

Paracelsus

Question 13

What was opium mainly used for?

Answer 13

pain relief

Question 14

What culture introduced opium to India and China?

Answer 14

Arabic traders

Question 15

How many opium wars were there in China?

Answer 15

two

Question 16

What are examples of opiate alkaloids?

Answer 16

morphine, noscapine, papaverine, thebaine (the papa no mo)

Question 17

How do the opiate alkaloids work?

Answer 17

reduce brain arousal to pain stimulation, depress respiratory and heart rates, impair digestion

Question 18

What does the term ‘soldier’s disease’ refer to?

Answer 18

addiction to morphine

Question 19

What is the result of boiling morphine with acetic acid?

Answer 19

diacetylmorphine (a semi-synthetic), aka heroin

Question 20

Facts on methadone

Answer 20

used for overcoming heroin addiction, less crazy than heroin

Question 21

Facts on codeine

Answer 21

derived from morphine or thebaine; analgesic, used as cough suppressant; potentially addictive

Question 22

Facts on oxycodone

Answer 22

derived from thebaine; used for extreme cases needing pain relief (cancer)

Question 23

Facts on fentanyl

Answer 23

50-100 times more potent than morphine; pain relief

Question 24

What is the ‘Golden Triangle’?

Answer 24

Where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet

Question 25

Where does the majority of opium production occur?

Answer 25

Afghanistan, Golden Triangle

Question 26

What is codeine sometimes combined with?

Answer 26

ASA tablets (acetylsalicylic acid)