- Opium and its derivatives like morphine and heroin have been used medically for thousands of years to relieve pain. In the early 19th century, morphine was isolated from opium and its medical uses grew.
- By the late 19th century, laudanum (an opium tincture) was commonly used and misused as an analgesic, antidiarrheal, and antispasmodic in patent medicines. Its widespread use led to addiction and abuse problems.
- In the 1800s, scientists began to recognize withdrawal symptoms and the potential for dependence and compulsion with long-term opiate use. However, opiates remained a mainstay of medical treatment for pain and other