PHAR 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Shennong, Ebers Papyrus, Ma Huan

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Course: PHAR 100
• Professor: Jeanne Mulder William Racz

Document Summary

380 bc theopharstus: (opium obtained from poppy ower) 1803 serturner isolated morphine from opium and found pain relieving capabilities. Opium: 50% codeine (used for pain relief - tylenol), 10% morphine (relieves intense pain) Ebers papyrus: books of drug use for med students in 1550 bc. True info on use of drugs (purgatives for bowel movements, recommend drug senna - still used now) Emperor shen nung classi ed all drugs to taste. Drug ma huan classi ed as medium drug for cough, u, fever. Ephedrine extracted from ma huang to treat asthma. As poison: indigenous of amazon dipped arrows in it, caused paralysis and death in prey. As drug: used by anesthesiests, small dose = muscle relaxation. Ergot: poisonous fungus that grows on head of rye. In middle ages it was ground w/rye into bread = epidemics. E ects of poison: hallucinations, convulsions, constriction of blood vessels to extremities, contraction of uterus (useful in hastening labour)