In the Arms of Morpheus: The Tragic History of Laudanum, Morphine, and Patent Medicines

by Barbara Hodgson

Book Overview

The follow-up to the widely praised Opium , In The Arms of Morpheus is the shocking story of how a simple but bewitching substance, touted as a miracle drug, enslaved unwitting generations of 19th... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1552975401
• ISBN13: 9781552975404
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.3" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

wonderful read

wonderfully written. comprehensively researched. fascinating. entertaining. scholarly, yet really engaging prose: the sort of book that makes you feel like you are sitting down with the author and listening to them tell you a captivating story about their discoveries rather than merely reading the cold word off the dead page.

Sinister beauty with the power to intoxicate

During the Victorian era, the use of opium and the effect that it had on the imagination of writers was quite profound. Many of the most famous writers, poets, and artists active before and during the Romantic Movement were users of the drug, including Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and Oscar Wilde. This book, through careful research and beautiful illustrations, takes the reader back through a time in human history when opium and its derivatives were as common as aspirin is today and were the base ingredient in many patent medicines. Physicians in both England and America provided opium gum pills and opium penny sticks to patients, while pharmacists sold opium-laced concoctions such as Godfrey's Cordial - containing opium, treacle, water, and spices - directly over the counter as laudanum. This book emphasizes the historical imagery of the drug and repeats numerous anecdotes about its users, demonstrating that even today, opium retains its sinister beauty and power to intoxicate! Curt Rowlett, Author of Labyrinth13

Killer Cures

In the Arms of Morpheus, briefly touches on the history of addiction to Opium, Morphine, Heroine and Laudanum. It seems that the good old days were good for a different reason and unknowingly people bought medicines that contained highly addictive drugs such as Opium. The author goes into a brief yet well presented book of this nasty history one that may make you think twice about your sweet innocent great grandparents.

Hodgson,Separating Fact from fiction and fiction from Dreams

From the author that brought you portrait of a heavenly Demon, arrives this member of Opium history, No there is no Neo in this read. But you just might fall into a different plane of existence "not legally of course.' In The Arms Of Moupheus' is A very balanced factual book about the basic Opiate extracts i.e. morphine, Laudanum, smokeable opium heroine and Codine. With well thought out history exerts but not to extensive, in my collection for Opied history I use it quite a bit and I'm no history major "what I'm trying to say is that it's not all cites: It's very eye opining "I couldn't put it down "from Ads, famous people to some excellent photography. "This is full of grate eye candy." Hodgson has been successful in capturing these moments in there time period, and opened some of the taboos sounded with Opieds. Fun Factual and Fascinating!!!! A must read. EquinoX

The history of laudanum, morphine and patent medicines

In Arms Of Morpheus is the history of laudanum, morphine and patent medicines is revealed from the addictive growth of a drug widely available as an over the counter medicine to treat ailments ranging from boredom to a lack of creativity. Manufacturers claimed all kinds of cures from the use of morphine: In Arms Of Morpheus traces the history of such contentions and includes plenty of ads, photos, cartoons and other embellishments to make for lively general-interest reading.