Opium, the dried juice from poppy capsules, was already known as a painkiller in ancient times. But how many active ingredients were contained in raw opium, and why equal amounts of opium often produced different effects, needed more detailed analysis.
History of morphine
It was not until 1805 that the groundbreaking isolation of the active principle of opium was achieved. Morphine was the sleep-inducing substance initially named after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Later, morphine was given the name morphine.
In his 1777 book “Geschichte der Pflanzengifte” (History of Plant Poisons), Johann Friedrich Gmelin describes the effect of opium as follows: “Through the nerves, the poppy juice acts on the soul. A weak weight puts the mind into a calm and serenity which, as long as this effect lasts, defies even the most violent pain and depressing grief.”
Acids and bases
At the time of the discovery of morphine, only acids were known as herbal agents. Now, when the Paderborn pharmacist’s assistant Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner (1783 – 1841) published his discovery in Trommsdorff’s Journal der Pharmazie and at the same time claimed that morphine was an alkaline base, his findings received no attention. Only later was it recognized that with morphine the first representative of a class of substances was discovered: the alkaloids. Several alkaloids have since been extracted from opium, and their mixing ratio varies depending on their origin, which explains the different effects of the same doses of opium.
Effect of morphine
The most potent component of opium is morphine, a highly effective painkilling anesthetic whose isolation revolutionized medicine, especially surgery. Soon, however, it was discovered that not only opium but also morphine was addictive. However, since this hardly occurs in the dosage required in modern pain relief, morphine is still the first choice for combating severe and chronic ailments.
In his later years, Friedrich Wilhelm Adam Sertürner worked as a pharmacist in Einbeck and Hameln, where he devoted himself to further research on the side. Sertüner died at the age of 58 and was buried in the Bartholomäus Chapel in Einbeck. His tombstone reads, “Through the meritorious discovery of morphine, he worked to the blessing of many sick people.”
