Medical uses in the past of the poppy plant

The medicinal use for poppies in the past have been for a variety of ailments, the opium from these plants have been used in tonics and tinctures to alleviate headaches, to relieve pain, as a hypnotic be used even during surgery.

In ancient Egypt the poppy seed was revered and was found to be used for headaches, as an anesthetic and four insomnia. The use of poppy was so extensive in ancient Egypt it was even used in preparations for Egyptian Pharaohs to travel to the next world in their burial chambers.

There has also been evidence found indicating the use of poppy to relieve suffering in Mesopotamia dating it too between of 5000 BC and 4000 BC. Both Homer and Hippocrates are known to have used it in treating medical ailments. Dioscorides who has been credited with many of the writings about ancient medicine stated using too much opium can kill.

During this time the addictive effects of the opium were not known, even had these early physicians known how destructive the poppy and opium could be they still would have used it. They would have used this drug simply because the only medications that they had available were plant medicines and an opium was used for so many different ailments. Opium was even used during Victorian times as the sleep remedy and for other ailments such as headaches and pain in the form of laudanum.