The History Channel

[teniworks]

Apparently, the History channel has become quite raunchy lately or maybe I haven't watched it in a while. It's either about WWII, modern machines or sex in the 20's. Right now, I'm watching this show about the history of drug addiction/use and I never knew that heroin was first used to treat coughing. Did anyone else know this? I know that this is a strange subject but, I really did not know that. People apparently used what are now hardcore drugs to treat insomnia and stomach aches. Forget alka-seltzer and Tylenol PM.:rolleyes:

[Tsmalldon]

Of course, Thats what I use it for all the time........Im using it right now........

Honestly I didnt know that, but whatever doctor decided on that should be fired, although id assume hes already dead.

[PrintDriver]

It isn't a myth that Coca Cola derives its name from the cocaine they used in it when it first came out.

Laudenum (opium) was a sleeping draught.

We used to find old bottles in dumps along the railroad tracks that have 'Cocaine' stamped in the glass. Over the counter stimulant use or some such.

Lots of that stuff going around in the 1800s-early 1900s.

And as for the doctor using Heroin as a cough medicine, there were thousands of medicinal prepartions made during the 1800s that contained any number of combinations of Opium, Heroin, Cocaine, Cannibas, Arsenic, Essense of Wormwood (also known as Absinthe), etc. Each person patented his recipe, hence the term "Patent Medicines". Coca Cola was actually first a patent medicine, a quick pick-me-up tonic containing Cocaine from Coca leaves and Caffeine from the Kola nut. A lot of caffeine too apparently.

There use to be 'soothing' tonics for children containing opium or morphine.
Arsenic and Mercury were used to treat Syphyllis.

And there is a regular pharmacopia of plant material used for things from the proven to the bogus.

[seamas]

The stigma that we have today for certian drug use would be completely alien to someone around 1900 -or even later.

Some of the stigma is indeed due to legitimate education, the large balance of it is from pure propaganda.


I just read a very interesting book about the history of psychedelic mushroom use. What is fascinating is that myths were propagated BOTH by advocates as well as prohibitionists, so much of the "common knowledge" of 'shrooms is complete BS -both pro and con.

Probably not much different than the knowledge of any other drug, legal or illegal.

[jimking]

7-UP originally was a codeine drink. Can you imagine having a broken arm or a tooth ache 50 miles from the doctor 100 years ago in the winter? Thank God there were opium, morphine and herion drinks!:eek:

[Typically]

i saw this on the history channel last night. it was like a 4 hours special. i caught the first hour or so about mostly pot. then they went into other drugs. Hitler was pumped full of methamphetamine 5 times a day and his army was given amphetamines to help them trek through countries faster.

[Jackimalyn]

My grandma was prescribed arsenic for acne and speed to keep her weight down while pregnant (yes... speed while pregnant... and this was just the 50's!)

Kinda makes you think what we're taking right now that my grandkids will call us crazy for...

[Logo-Mechanix]

I think i've seen that one on the history channel. A lot of those cure what ails you potions were drug concotions.

[Red Kittie Kat]

Hey I was prescribed speed as a weight reduction drug only 20 years ago ... that doctor however lost his lic. not long after that ;)

I had a friend who lost a dramatic amount of weight and she told me it was a new "drug" to help and told me the doctor where she got it. Of course I wanted to try it now as well.

... no I didn't know it was speed until another friend went for a prescription (because it worked so well) and she had heart palpatations and I had to take her to the ER. The doctor there couldn't tell what the handwriting was, it was just scribbles. Our prescriptions came in packets directly from the doctor. So, the ER Doc called poison control and found out it was pure speed.

It sure did melt off the pounds tho ... I lost 50 lbs in 4 months. I was so sick when we stopped taking them after the ER incident. It really messed up my body for a while.

This is part of why I blindly trust no one anymore. We are brought up to believe Policemen are good and want to protect us, Pastors, Priests and Ministers are good and want to help us, Doctors are good and want make us feel better when we are sick ..... obviously this isn't always the case.

[Kool]

codeine is still the only cough suppressant that actually works. My wife had bronchitis a few years ago and she couldn't stop coughing no matter what I gave her. Her DR finally gave her some prescription cough syrup with codeine in it and it really did the trick.

[Red Kittie Kat]

That's the only thing that works on my bronchitis too Kool.

[Typically]

me too. man that stuff gets you wonky if you take to much though =]

[Red Kittie Kat]

yeah but wonky is good when you are sick .. it keeps you in bed where you need to be :D