Ichimusai wrote:
>> On Sat, 17 Jul 1999 17:00:47 GMT "Jeffrey P. Utz, M.D."
> <utzj at auhs.edu> posted to alt.atheism an article about Re: Your Heart
> - Your Brain - Your Life - Don't Waste 'em . . . with ID
> <3F2k3.979$db.201669 at news1.epix.net>.
>> : Rev Chuck wrote in message <378EE7ED.789E at -REMOVE_THIS>> : Morphine is a great drug. It is a great cough suppressent, stops diarrhea
> : and stops pain. OF course, it has the addictive side effects as well as
> : resp. depression. However, in the early days of this century and before, it
> : was about all the good medicine that was available.
Morphine acts on two separate threshold levels. Pain relief is
accomplished by administering sufficient drug to cross the lower,
physical threshold. This level may be held to indefinitely for
as long as the recipient needs it. If the higher, psychic threshold
is never crossed, addiction never occurs. Just enough, no more,
and all's fine. And the threshold gap is wide enough to guarantee
safety.
In English hospitals, oral morphine, part of what used to be called
"Brompton's cocktail" (containing also camphor, cocaine, and heroin)
has been given to thousands of patients while _unmasking_ but a few
hundred addicts. Licit morphine has NEVER created even a single addict.
NEVER. Fear of addiction is NOT an excuse to withhold the drug from
those who need it.
> That and certain antibiotics like penicillin, can you imagine the
> world without it?
Or cocaine. It's invaluable for sight-saving eye surgery.
> I believe that a related substance known as ephedrine is used in
> modern cough supressants.
The related pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is the most common OTC ingredient
for _anything_ sold in the United States. Ephedrine itself is a
curious drug. It differs from methamphetamine by substitution, IIRC,
of an oxygen atom for a water molecule. Cooking speed from ephedrine
is alleged to be one of the easiest organic syntheses.
> --
> Ichimusai #769.
> SPAM/UCE/UBE will be dealt with.
> Verba volent, scripta manent.
> Use PGP! E-mail <krikkit-pgp at algonet.se> for public key.
--
Nothing says you're insane like prayer.
Rev Chuck, Alt.Atheism #203, Ordained Reverend, ULC, 17 March, 1997.
Remove -REMOVE_THIS- from address to respond.
