Tag: Laudanum

According to a 19th-century report, approximately two-thirds of those addicted to medicinal opiates were female. The tragic story of Mattie Earp, common-law wife of Wyatt Earp, is a stark example of this, as historical accounts and the 1993 film *Tombstone* confirm **what was Mattie Earp addicted to**: the powerful opiate tincture, laudanum. Her dependency, fueled by personal hardship and the medical practices of her time, led to a fatal overdose in 1888.

Over 400,000 soldiers reportedly became addicted to opium or its derivatives during and after the American Civil War, underscoring the widespread and largely unregulated nature of what drugs did people use in the 1800s. This era was marked by the pervasive use of powerful, often addictive, substances for common ailments, a reality far removed from modern pharmacological standards.

Once a widely available patent medicine in the United States, paregoric was reclassified as a controlled substance in 1970. It is now a Schedule III narcotic and cannot be purchased over-the-counter. The brand name has been discontinued, and while generic versions may exist by prescription, the drug is seldom prescribed today due to abuse potential and the availability of safer, more effective alternatives.

Originally invented in 1848 by Dr. J. Collis Browne to treat cholera in India, Chlorodyne became one of the most famous patent medicines in the British Isles [1.7.1, 1.4.1]. This article explores the question: **what is Chlorodyne used for** and examines its controversial history.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, millions of doses of an old black liquid medicine were consumed across America and Europe. The most famous version was Black Draught, a patent medicine used primarily as a potent laxative.

The desire to alleviate pain is as old as humanity itself. When considering **what is the old fashioned pain killer**, two prominent sources emerge from history: the opium poppy and the bark of the willow tree, giving rise to powerful opioids and the precursor to aspirin, respectively.