During the Regency, while Morphine and Heroin were not yet discovered, they already knew of the normal Opium, be it in form of Laudanum (?) or in cough medicine or whatever, used for adults and children alike.
I do wonder how likely was it that upper class men and lady´s, like Darcy and Co, were addicted to Opium after an illness? The drug is highly addictive after all, when I understand it right just a few times consumating it, would have someone already psychologically addicted (and being physically addicted would follow a bit later).... it changed the brain in a way, that the brain cannot feel pleassure anylonger without opium, even after withdrawel the brain never truly recovers again. So if it was in all kind of "everyday" medicines... wouldn´t many people be addicted, especially if they already got the drug during childhood?
Jaimy
I do wonder how likely was it that upper class men and lady´s, like Darcy and Co, were addicted to Opium after an illness? The drug is highly addictive after all, when I understand it right just a few times consumating it, would have someone already psychologically addicted (and being physically addicted would follow a bit later).... it changed the brain in a way, that the brain cannot feel pleassure anylonger without opium, even after withdrawel the brain never truly recovers again. So if it was in all kind of "everyday" medicines... wouldn´t many people be addicted, especially if they already got the drug during childhood?
Jaimy