Drugs in prehistory: chemical analysis of ancient human hair.

Concern about drug abuse in modern populations has led to the development of specific methods for identification of cocaine, opiates and cannabis in human hair. Drug use in prehistory can provide indirect evidence of interpopulational contact and social stratification. This paper reports drug evaluation in nineteen ancient hair samples from archaeological sites in northern Chile. Each sample was tested for the presence of traces of cocaine, opiates and cannabis, in order to establish a standard methodology for studies of drug use among prehistoric groups. Although results are negative, this absence of evidence could be due to two main causes: (1) the individuals evaluated did not use any drugs, which does not mean that other members of their cultural group did, or (2) the wide range of known drugs studied did not consider some group specific drugs, derived from local or imported plants, thus meaning that a greater drug range must be tested. In any case, our study confirms that drug testing in prehistoric samples is viable. However, in order to determine what kind of substances were used in prehistoric times new patterns that incorporate all drugs which are not part of the western pharmacopeia must be created. Finally, a methodology for the study of drug use among prehistoric groups using ancient hair samples is described.

Los opioides en la anestesia endovenosa total / The opioids in total intravenous anhestesia

En este artículo se traza una corta historia sobre el opio y sus alcaloides. Se ha examinado el fascinante tema de los péptidos endógenos, morfínicos y encefalinas, y de los receptores específicos para ellos, sus localizaciones y efectos analgésicos o no. Finalmente se ha hecho hincapié en la utilización clínica de la morfina y los morfínicos sintéticos existentes en el mercado, sus efectos analgésicos, el estrés anestésico quirúrgico y sus interacciones con otras drogas coadyuvantes: hipnóticas, anestésicas y también aquéllas con efectos cardiológicos como los bloqueantes beta y los cálcicos. Se describen las técnicas más apropiadas para aprovechar sus propiedades de acuerdo a su farmacodinamia y farmacocinesia. El autor expresa algunas opiniones derivadas de su experiencia en el uso de los opioides en altas dosis. (AU)

Los opioides en la anestesia endovenosa total / The opioids in total intravenous anhestesia

En este artículo se traza una corta historia sobre el opio y sus alcaloides. Se ha examinado el fascinante tema de los péptidos endógenos, morfínicos y encefalinas, y de los receptores específicos para ellos, sus localizaciones y efectos analgésicos o no. Finalmente se ha hecho hincapié en la utilización clínica de la morfina y los morfínicos sintéticos existentes en el mercado, sus efectos analgésicos, el estrés anestésico quirúrgico y sus interacciones con otras drogas coadyuvantes: hipnóticas, anestésicas y también aquéllas con efectos cardiológicos como los bloqueantes beta y los cálcicos. Se describen las técnicas más apropiadas para aprovechar sus propiedades de acuerdo a su farmacodinamia y farmacocinesia. El autor expresa algunas opiniones derivadas de su experiencia en el uso de los opioides en altas dosis.

Visåo histórica sobre o uso de drogas: passado e presente; Rio de Janeiro e Såo Paulo / Historical profile of drug consumption: past and present; Rio de Janeiro and Såo Paulo

Os autores traçam um perfil histórico sobre o uso de opiáceos e cocaína, incluindo informaçöes sobre as cidades de Säo Paulo e Rio de Janeiro, ao longo dos dois últimos séculos. Os dados mostram que nos últimos 200 anos estas drogas gozavam de grande prestígio sendo livremente comercializadas, inclusive no Brasil. Resultados de pesquisas recentes em segmentos populacionais específicos (estudantes de 1§ e 2§ graus e menino(as) em situaçäo de rua) das cidades de Säo Paulo e Rio de Janeiro, bem como dados estatísticos de internaçöes psiquiátricas por dependência e apreensöes de drogas pela Polícia Federal, mostram que a cidade de Säo Paulo tem todos os indicadores mostrando um maior consumo (e problemas) de cocaína. No entanto, em franca contradiçäo com estes achados estatísticos, os meios de divulgaçäo brasileiros consideram o Rio de Janeiro como a capital do vício de cocaína

La odontología ante las adicciones (1a. parte) / Dentistry before addictions (first part)

Se intenta una aproximación general al tema de las adicciones. Se enfatiza especialmente por qué la drogadicción adquiere

La odontología ante las adicciones (1a. parte) / Dentistry before addictions (first part)

Se intenta una aproximación general al tema de las adicciones. Se enfatiza especialmente por qué la drogadicción adquiere

[Dragées bengué with cocaine. Historic review of legislation concerning cocaine]. / Dragées Bengué met Cocaïne. Geschiedkundig overzicht van de wettelijke bepalingen met betrekking tot de cocaïne.

The Bengué sugar-coated pills with menthol and cocaine, followed by the "B.M.C. pills" (with borax, methanol and cocaine) were delivered freely at the chemist's shop. The fact that nobody seemed shocked by the free delivery of this dope does not result only from the circumstance that it was allowed by law, but also because, in our countries, in the XIXth century, there were as good as no cases of cocaine mania. Owing to personal experiments, it became known in wide social circles that cocaine was not only an anesthetic and pain-killing remedy, but also an intoxicating drug that can quickly lead to addiction. Physicians began to search for means of eliminating the plague of addiction: a first International Opium-meeting was held in Shanghai in 1909. After that time, international meetings were held in The Hague (1912) and Geneva (1924 and 1925). Strangely enough, we find that in the promulgated laws an exception is made for pharmaceutical products which contain less than 0.2% morphine or less than 0.1% cocaine. When the medical world began to devote more attention to the danger of cocaine mania, the pharmaceutical and the chemical world became alarmed. A synthetic substitute was searched for and found; it should be less toxic and less addicting. The producers of the BMC pills eagerly adopted the new drugs. They replaced cocaine by amylocaine. The name of the pills was changed into BMA pills (borax-menthol-amylocaine). The coat of the pills remained the same and not one single patient ever noticed the substitution!

Transcultural use of narcotic water lilies in ancient Egyptian and Maya drug ritual.

Comparisons are made between ancient ritual uses of the flowers of Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae) in Maya and Egyptian civilizations. Recurrent motifs encountered in the art of both of these ancient civilizations suggests that the role fo the water lily was that of a narcotic (psychodysleptic) used to mediate ecstasis among a priestly caste. Relevant literature is reviewed as are chemical data. Elements in the complex belief systems of these two civilizations need to be reinterpreted in view of the use of two water lilies as ritual narcotics. The species implicated are Nymphaea caerulea Sav., in Egypt, and N. ampla DC., among the Maya.