Laudanum

History

At the 16th century, the Médecin Suisse Paracelse (1493 - 1541) tried out the medical value of the Opium. This one was such (very powerful Analgésique) that it named it Laudanum, of Latin laudare, to rent, or of labdanum, the term for an extract of plant. He did not know his addictives properties.

At the 19th century, laudanum was used in many pathological cases " to relieve the pain… to lead the sleep… to alleviate irritations… to control excessive secretions… to support the system (immunizing)… and like a sudorifique" . Because the pharmacopeia of the time was limited, the drugs derived from opium counted among most effective; thus laudanum was largely prescribed for diseases going of the simple cold to meningitis, while passing by the cardiac diseases, as well in the adult as the child.

The eras Romantic S and Victoriennes were marked by the broad diffusion of laudanum in England, Europe and with the the United States. It was initially a widespread Drogue in the working class, because the laudanum, which was not taxed " Beverage alcoolisé" , was less expensive than a bottle of gin or Vin: it was a medication of legal use. Among the literary personalities dependant on laudanum one can raise: Coleridge, which fought misérablement against its leaning during most of its life of adult; of Quincey; Byron; Mary Shelley, which suffered from violent Hallucination S caused by laudanum; Charles Dickens; Lewis Carroll; Antonin Artaud ; Wilkie Hakes and Baudelaire. There were also political personalities (Wilberforce, Meriwether Lewis) which made use of this drug.

An incalculable number women of the Victorienne era are transfered to prescribe laudanum to relieve of menstrual cramps and latent pains, and used it to arrive at the pale dye associated with the Tuberculose (the paleness was sought by the women at that time). The children's nurses actually gave laudanum to the spoon with the children, of which much died mysteriously, of overdose S.

Literature

The character of Hopkins Oscar in the novel of Peter Carey' S " Oscar and Lucinda" (1988) uses laudanum (at the beginning by Coercition) to dominate its Hydrophobie during its forwarding of Sydney. Moreover, the character of Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein (1831) uses laudanum to help it to fall asleep after the death of his friend, Henry Clerval.

Laudanum also appears in historical fictions. In the series of novels of Aubrey-Maturin (from which the film " was drawn; Master and To order " ), the Surgery N of the Vessel, Stephen Maturin, uses drug in the exercise of its trade, and fights against its clean Addiction with this one.

One also finds laudanum in " The Double" Room; of Baudelaire; indeed, it used about it to relieve the pains which it felt vis-a-vis its Syphilis, thus taking part in the illusion of its room " double".

Thomas De Quincey reports the effects of opium in his major work: " Confessions of an eater of opium anglais". This catch of laudanum aims at the beginning at relieving its pains of stomach but it will quickly finish to be the daily batch of Quincey.

In the film " Discussion with Vampire" adapted famous book of Anne Rice, Claudia uses Laudanum to deaden (and kill) two young children in order to offer them to his " père" Lestat. This last is in its poisoned turn, not by the product but because he drank the blood of deaths.

Laudanum is also the name of a fortified camp which shelters a garrison of legionaries in the albums of Astérix.

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