From the History and Archives Collection
Although our understanding of opioid addiction has expanded considerably over the past decades, archival evidence indicates historical awareness of the habit-forming capabilities of opioid-derived drugs. The fourth edition of Gould’s 30000 Medical Words Pronounced and Defined (1907, see Figure 1) recognizes the dangers of “morphin,” defining the terms “morphinomania,” as “a morbid desire for morphin,” and “morphinism” as “the morbid state produced by the excessive use of morphin.” A similar acknowledgment appears in an emergency drug kit manufactured by Wyeth during the mid-20th century. The emergency vials containing morphine and meperidine both bear labels cautioning, “Warning - May be Habit-Forming” (see figure 2).
Figure 1.
30000 Medical Words Pronounced and Defined, 1907
Figure 2.
Emergency Vials