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What is Morphine?

Morphine is another drug derived from opium, though this one is used in far more legal and medical procedures for pain relief in a number of situations when compared to heroin. Even so, as an opiate the drug is highly addictive and regular users will build up a tolerance to it. The effects of morphine have been studied in great detail and at great length through the years, and it has been ascertained that there is no better pain killer in existence, be it man made or natural - even though that is the case, it is still a controlled substance and is illegal to possess without a licence or prior permission in many countries.

Morphine was discovered in 1804 and on the invention of hypodermic needles was employed in all manner of pain relief. By 1874 chemistry had progressed to the point that heroin was successfully derived from morphine - using a number of different tests and seeing the progress of subjects, scientific studies have shown that the only difference between heroin and morphine is the speed at which each drug gets to work - heroin is almost twice as potent as morphine, affecting the brain in a much shorter amount of time.

Because of the similarities between the two drugs, heroin addicts are often known to turn to morphine as their 'fall back' choice when they can't get a hold of any junk. It is also possible for patients administered a great deal of morphine during treatment - over a long period of time - to develop an addiction to the substance, and there have been verified stories of people exiting hospitals with a drug addiction. Thankfully, however, these stories are found to be very rarely true.

Again, owing to the similarities between the drugs, morphine addicts experience comparable withdrawal symptoms to heroin addicts - restlessness, aching muscles and bones, sweats, fevers, elevated blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, insomnia and all of the other indicators associated with heroin withdrawal.

Morphine is used around the world - where available - in hospital treatment, and is employed by the military, with medics carrying injectors of morphine ready for use on wounded soldiers.