The Power of the Poppy: Harnessing Nature's Most Dangerous Plant AllyA comprehensive look at the inspiring, healing, and addictive powers of the Opium Poppy and its derivatives throughout history • Covers the history, risks, and benefits of opium, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, and fentanyl • Provides techniques of cultivation, extraction, and safe consumption as well as methods for overcoming addiction and staying “clean” • Profiles 11 famous users, including Thomas de Quincey, William S. Burroughs, Lou Reed, and DJ Screw Few plant allies have a history as long and well-documented as Papaver somniferum, the celebrated and infamous opium poppy. For thousands of years people around the world have been unable to resist the poppy’s siren song of intoxicating pleasure, pain relief, and visionary states--so much so that this potent plant has literally adapted itself to human civilization: in increasing its intoxicating properties, it came to rely solely on humankind for its propagation. From 6,000-year-old poppy seeds found in archaeological digs in Europe to the black tar heroin factories of South America and the modern “War on Drugs,” Kenaz Filan explores the history of this enduring plant and its many derivatives--including opium, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, and fentanyl--as well as its symbiotic relationship with humans as medicine, food, intoxicant, and visionary tool. Profiling 11 famous users including Thomas de Quincey, William S. Burroughs, Lou Reed, and DJ Screw, Filan examines how opium and other poppy derivatives inspired them as well as the high price it exacted for its inspiration. Covering techniques of cultivation, extraction, and safe consumption along with methods for overcoming addiction and staying “clean,” this book offers a sensible approach to the poppy that recognizes the plant not as a crop to be harvested or eradicated but as a living, sentient ally that can offer healing or harm and must be approached with respect and caution. |
Contents
Rome | |
The Islamic World | |
The Return to Europe | |
15001900 | |
The War on Drugs | |
Morphine | |
Eugene ONeill | |
Nelson Algren | |
William S Burroughs | |
Gia Carangi | |
Robert Earl DJ Screw Davis | |
Cultivation | |
Pills Tablets and Capsules | |
Smoking | |
Heroin | |
Kompot | |
Oxycodone | |
Methadone | |
Fentanyl | |
Samuel Taylor Coleridge | |
Thomas de Quincey | |
Insufflation | |
Dependence Addiction and Tolerance | |
Getting Clean and Staying Clean | |
Footnotes | |
Lou Reed | |
About the Author | |
Other editions - View all
The Power of the Poppy: Harnessing Nature’s Most Dangerous Plant Ally Kenaz Filan No preview available - 2011 |
The Power of the Poppy: Harnessing Nature’s Most Dangerous Plant Ally Kenaz Filan No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
accessed April accessed August accessed February accessed March acetaminophen alcohol Algren Alice in Chains alkaloids American analgesic Available Barrett became become began Burroughs capsule Carangi cause Chapter cheese Chinese cocaine codeine Coleridge consumed cough culture Davis death disease DJ Screw doctors dope dose Drug Abuse Drug Policy effects euphoria fentanyl Frankie Gia Carangi glutethimide growing habit Health heroin addicts heroin chic Houston Ibid ibogaine ingesting injection intravenous Islamic junkies kompot later laudanum Layne Staley living Lou Reed medication medicine methadone milligrams morphine narcotics needle exchange Nelson Algren noscapine opiates opioids opium poppy overdose oxycodone OxyContin pain painkillers Parker patients pharmaceutical pharmacists physician pills plant pods police poppy seeds poppy tea popular powerful prescription Press produce purple drank Quincey reported result risk Roman Seattle shooting snorting somniferum substances symptoms syringe syrup tablets Today treatment usage withdrawal York