Summary
Morphine is one of the oldest and most powerful pain relievers. Referred to as an opiate, morphine is one of the main chemicals found in opium, a gooey sap-like substance obtained from the opium poppy. Morphine can produce extraordinary relief from many types of pain, but also produces other effects such as sedation, constipation, lowered pulse and blood pressure, and feelings of extreme pleasure. Morphine and other opiate drugs are often called narcotic drugs, since in high doses they can produce heavy sedation and a sleep- or coma-like state called narcosis. Prolonged use of morphine can result in dependence and addiction, even when the pain that necessitated a prescription for the narcotic has disappeared. This use of prescription narcotic pain relievers for reasons other than pain relief is a growing problem in the United States and elsewhere. Morphine, Second Edition covers the history, uses, and dangers of this addictive drug.
About the Author(s)
M. Foster Olive, Ph.D., received his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of California at San Diego and his Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He was previously a member of the faculty of the Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is currently a professor in the Behavioral Neuroscience division of the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. His research focuses on the neurobiology of addiction, and he has published in numerous academic journals including Psychopharmacology, The Journal of Neuroscience, and Nature Neuroscience. He has also authored several books in Chelsea House's Drugs: The Straight Facts set.