The First U.S. Opiate Crisis: The Civil War and the Opium Eaters

History does have a way of repeating itself--at least in broad strokes. In this episode we'll discuss the first opiate crisis the U.S. ever suffered and do a bit of comparison to modern times. From opium, to morphine, to heroin, these substances have been a part of civilization for much longer than most realize. If you or someone you know may be struggling with opiates or other addictive substances, SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) has a confidential 24/7, 365 hotline to call to start finding help: 1–800–662–HELP (4357) ------- Sources: Thomas DeQuincy https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/the-man-who-invented-the-drug-memoir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_De_Quincey Confessions of an English Opium Eater Book https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/DeQuincey_Confessions_and_Suspiria_1850.pdf Successful Treatment of Opium Eaters. The New England journal of medicine. 1853;48:77-77. https://go.exlibris.link/MQmYF19P Other: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-story-americas-19th-century-opiate-addiction-180967673/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Narcotics_Tax_Act https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002204267500500201?journalCode=joda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium https://www.dea.gov/factsheets https://www.ohsu.edu/historical-collections-archives/theres-cure-historic-medicines-and-cure-alls-america https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_den https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperance_movement https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history.html Support the show ----- PHPod Merch Store (CLOSED) ----- Podcast Linktree (social media links / reviews / ratings) ----- #medicine #medicalhistory #history #historypodcast