In the Arms of Morpheus: The Tragic History of Laudanum, Morphine, And Patent Medicines
Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Thomas de Quincy were notorious for  their opium dreams, but who would have thought that (as related  here) Louisa May Alcott, George Washington, and Florence  Nightingale were also habitues of the drug? Although opium's use  spans millennia, doctors in the late 18th and 19th centuries  found it invaluable in combating symptoms of the then-common  plagues of cholera, tuberculosis, and dysentery. Laudanum, a  potent mixture of opium, wine, and spices, became increasingly  widespread, particularly prized for its mind-altering qualities  by artists, writers, and neurasthenic Victorian housewives.  Meanwhile, various patent medicines containing opiates,  including "Soothing Syrup" for teething babies, sold at every  country store. The development of morphine in the 1820s and  heroin in 1898 made opium more concentrated and more addictive.  British novelist and book designer Hodgson follows up her recent  Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon (Chronicle, 1999) with  this history of opium's derivatives. In a creative mixture of  narrative, literary excerpts, photographs, and illustrations,  she portrays both the allure and the danger of addiction. Her  fascinating cultural history is enthusiastically recommended for  public libraries. Kathy Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida Lib.,  St. PetersburgCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.