Tag: Opium history

As far back as 3400 B.C.E., ancient Sumerians were cultivating the opium poppy, which they called the 'joy plant,' for its pain-relieving benefits [1.4.8]. This marks the beginning of a long history answering the question: what was the old medicine used for pain?

The use of the opium poppy for pain relief dates back to the Sumerians around 3400 B.C., who referred to the flower as 'hul gil,' the 'joy plant' [1.3.1]. But what is the oldest natural pain relief known to humankind, and what other remedies did our ancestors use?