Heroin - First synthesized from morphine in 1874, heroin was not extensively used in medicine until the beginning of this century. Commercial production of the new pain remedy was first started in 1898. While it received widespread acceptance from the medical profession, physicians remained unaware of its potential for addiction for years. The first comprehensive control of heroin in the United States was established with the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914.
Pure heroin is a white powder with a bitter taste.
Most illicit heroin is a powder which may vary in color from white to dark brown because of impurities left from the manufacturing process or the presence of additives. Pure heroin is rarely sold on the street. The remainder could be sugars, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. Traditionally the purity of heroin in a bag has ranged from one to ten percent. For more information on Publishers Group documents and training materials, go here . .