Narcotic
The term narcotic (pronounced /nɑrˈkɒtɨk/) originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with sleep-inducing properties. It has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin. The term is, today, imprecisely defined and typically has negative connotations.[1] In a legal context, a narcotic drug is simply one that is totally prohibited, or one that is used in violation of strict governmental regulation, such as cocaine and marijuana. From a pharmacological standpoint, it is a vague and ineffectual term.[2] On the other hand, the legal usage of the word does provide a convenient shorthand term, useful in contexts where the legal status of a drug is considered more pertinent than its pharmacological action.
Contents
History
The term "narcotic" is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that numb or deaden, causing loss of feeling or paralysis. It is based on the Greek word ναρκωσις (narcosis), the term used by Hippocrates for the process of numbing or the numbed state. Galen listed mandrake root, altercus (eclata).[3] seeds, and poppy juice (opium) as the chief examples.[4][5] “Narcotic” is a term derived from the Greek word narke, meaning "stupor". It originally referred to any substance that relieved pain, dulled the senses, or induced sleep.[6] Now, the term is used in a number of ways. Some people define narcotics as substances that bind at opiate receptors (cellular membrane proteins activated by substances like heroin or morphine) while others refer to any illicit substance as a narcotic. From a legal perspective, narcotic refers to opium, opium derivatives, and their semi-synthetic substitutes.[7] Though in U.S. law, due to its numbing properties, cocaine is also considered a narcotic.
See also
References
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- Pharmer.org A non-profit site providing detailed descriptions of most narcotic analgesics
- List of drugs, some of which are classified as "narcotics," in the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Not all of the classified ones are chemically narcotic, as described on the top of this pageda:Narkotikum
de:Narkotikum et:Uimasti el:Ναρκωτικά es:Narcótico fr:Narcotique ko:마약 id:Narkotika it:Narcotico lv:Narkotika ja:麻薬 no:Narkotikum pl:Narkotyk pt:Narcótico ru:Наркотики sk:Narkotikum sv:Narkotika th:สิ่งเสพติด uk:Наркотик
zh:麻醉药品- ↑ Julien, Robert M. A Primer of Drug Action. 11th edition. Claire D. Advokat, Joseph E. Comaty, eds. New York: Worth Publishers: 2008. page 537.
- ↑ Julien, Robert M. A Primer of Drug Action.
- ↑ J. Richard Stracke (1974). The Laud Herbal Glossary. Rodopi. ISBN 9789062034970. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ↑ Francis Edmund Anstie (1865). Stimulants and Narcotics: their mutual relations. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
- ↑ "De Furore, cap VI" (in Latin).
- ↑ Julien, Robert M. See A Primer of Drug Action full citation above.
- ↑ http://drug-rehab-referral.org/drug_rehab_narcotics.html
