opium

Explains how individual drugs or group of drugs works in both therapeutic and non-therapeutic conditions along with information about the use and abuse of specific drugs and drug policies in the United States.

Chronicles the history of the opium drug and discusses how it has affected the world's cultures and economies, why it is still widely used, and how religious authorities react to the use of the drug.

Traces the history of laudanum, focusing on how the drug was touted as a miracle drug during the nineteenth century, causing writers, artists, and everyday citizens to become addicted to it.