Morphine

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Steven Sauber
Nate Stunek
Lindsay Peterson
Justin Hoffman
Eric Olson

Morphine

History

During the middle ages, Arabic medicine practitioners used and recognized opium as a way of pain relief. The German pharmacist F.W.A. Serturner first abstracted opium poppy from an unripe seed pod in 1803. Serturner named this drug after the god of dreams, Morpheus. Morphine was used extensively to help reduce pain from war injuries during the American Civil War. In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act called for correct labeling of patent medicines. "The Harrison Narcotics Act (1914) prohibited possession of narcotics unless properly prescribed by a physician."⁶

How Morphine is extracted

Morphine is extracted from the poppy plant, Papaver Somniterum. These plants can be found and extracted in Turkey, Mexico, South East Asia, China, and India. Ten days after the fully matured poppy plants bloom, lacerations can be made in the pills allowing a cloudy liquid to leak out. Soon after, the soft, milky fluid is scraped off and pressed into cakes until it dries. The dried opium consists of approximately 10% pure morphine, which is then extracted in a pure form and brown in color. The other 90 % of the dried substance is used for alternative uses or thrown away.

Structure

Morphine C₁₇H₁₉O₃N

Figure 1.1 Morphine

Morphine can be found in many forms including: flocculent crystals, white powder, and cubical clusters of crystals. Extensive scientific research has concluded that the pKa of morphine is 7.9, yielding a generally basic substance. Morphine is extremely soluble in water compared to other pain-killers, and less soluble in alcohol.

How it works to block pain

Morphine is an analgesic which is used to relieve pain. Morphine acts directly on the central nervous system (CNS). "Another effect is on the smooth muscle and glandular secretions of the respiratory and gastro-intestinal tract."⁵ It works on many receptors, established in the CNS. "Opioids" refers to drugs that act on the receptors in the nervous tissue. Morphine is one of several natural occurring opioids. "Morphine works on receptors in the cell membranes. These are protein-lipid molecules that alter their shape when stimulated to effect molecular changes within cells. There are thought to be three types of receptors that respond to opioids, mu, kappa and lambda. Morphine acts mainly on mu receptors,"³ and provides pain relief and respiratory depression. Morphine relieves pain by preventing the release of acetylcholine, a white crystalline derivative of choline released on the ends of nerve fibers in the somatic nervous system. Enkephalin (an endorphin that has opiate qualities occurring in the brain and spinal cord) "molecules are released from a nerve cell and bind to analgesic receptor sites on the nerve cell sending the impulse. The binding of enkephalin or morphine-like drugs changes the shape of the nerve sending the impulse,"⁵ to the cell to prevent it from releasing acetylcholine. During anesthesia, morphine acts to lower the release of stimuli from the body.

Uses and Side Effects

Morphine is clearly recognized as a chemical compound used for relieving pain, but also has many practical uses and side effects. Some common side effects upon the use of morphine include decreasing one’s hunger, inhibiting the cough reflex, producing constipation, and it may lower one’s sex drive. Some studies show that it may also interfere with the menstrual cycle. Another major side effect of morphine is that it is highly addictive and the tolerance for this drug develops rapidly, as well as physical and psychological dependence, develops very rapidly. Withdrawal from morphine can cause many side effects including, headaches, upset stomach, tearing, chills, and profuse sweating that can last up to three days.

Conclusion

Today, morphine is generally used for medicinal purposes for minimizing severe pain, suppressing a bad cough, and is sometimes administered to patients prior to surgeries and operations. Currently, morphine can be distributed in various forms including pills, suppositories, injections, and inhaled in gaseous form.

Bibliography

¹Goldstein, Avram. Addiction from Biology to Drug Policy. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc, 2001. 157-158.

²Jones, A.. Morphine. 25 Sep. 2005 <\[1]>.

³Dr. Kestin, I. "Morphine." World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists 6.3 (1993): 1-2.

⁴Narconon of Southern Califorinia. Morphine Effects. 25 Sep 2005 <http://www.morphineaddiction.com/m-effects.htm>.

⁵Ophardt, Charles E. Narcotic Analgesic Drugs. 25 Sep. 2005 <\[2]>.

⁶The Columbia Encyclopedia. 25 Sep 2005 <\[3].>.

⁷Walker, Wikkiam O. III. Drug Control in the Americas. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1981. 13.

⁸Weill, Paul B. The Structure of Morphine. 25 Sep. 2005 <\[4]>.