PHARMACY IN MEDIEVAL ISLAM AND THE HISTORY OF DRUG ADDICTION

Abstract

DRUG ADDIcTIoN, especially through the use of poppy (Papaver somniferum Linn.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa Linn.), is the main concern of this paper. Although the use of these two plants in medieval Islam was extensive, yet little has been written on this timely subject by historians of medicine and pharmacology. Consulting con- temporary original sources, it is my hope to sketch a history of their spread and consumption and the social, economic, political and medical consequences of their misuse. Other drugs of addiction," which were also in wide use then, will not be dealt with in detail.