PS280 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Peyote, Alcohol By Volume, Standard Drink
Document Summary
Mead, an alcoholic beverage naturally formed by the fermentation of honey, was probably the first alcohol that humans consumed. The ancient egyptians were known for their drinking, and wine was extensively used by the hebrews. Opium derivatives were once widely used in asian cultures, as well as in ancient greece and rome. Therapeutically, they were taken to relieve pain or induce sleep; however, the euphoria that these drugs produced resulted in their widespread use to enhance pleasure. In the andes, for thousands of years, native populations occasionally chewed the leaf of the coca plant to relieve fatigue and increase endurance. The flower of the peyote cactus has been long used by tribes in south and central. The chemical contained in this flower was valued for it"s ability to alter consciousness and results in hallucinations similar to those caused by lsd. Effects of substance abuse were particularly grim as the europeans colonized north and.
