Drugs In Ancient Egypt

Drug use originated in medicinal treatments for both spiritual and physical ailments. The earliest forms of drugs were all natural, created with blends of plants, animal products, and minerals. Their uses were often stumbled upon by accident. Drugs were also a large part of religion. Addictive, psychoactive substances were used in many religious ceremonies; coca (cocaine plant) leaves were considered sacred and used in worship by the Incas, and Ethiopian priests roasted and boiled coffee beans to stay awake during long nights of prayer. A hallucinogenic agent was a major ingredient in a sacred beverage from ancient India and Zoroastrianism. The red mushroom with white spots commonly illustrated in traditional fairy tales, also known as fly
Chinese Medicine:
Ancient Chinese medicine originated around 3500 B.C.E., according to preserved writings and records. Some active ingredients in herbs used then are now used in modern western medicine. Cannabis was also used to ease pain from surgery.
Egyptian Medicine:
Much of what is known about Egyptian medicine comes from the Ebers papyrus, written around 3000 B.C.E.. It is the most complete medical text from ancient Egypt. The papyrus addressed both mental and physical illnesses, indicating that the Egyptians held them at the same level. Their drugs were mainly herbal, although some incantations were also used as treatments. The Egyptians also utilized and cultivated the poppy plant for opioids. Trade of the opioids flourished under the pharaohs Thutmose IV, Akhenaten, and Tutankhamun.
Indian Medicine: Ancient Indian medicine was practiced by brahmin sages. Their treatments were written in the Vedas, the sacred texts. The Indians used cannabis to treat headaches, dysentery, and venereal disease.
Arabian Medicine: Alchemy began to be used in creating new medical treatments.
Greek
Aristotle was one of the first to note the effects of alcohol withdrawals. Celsus, a Roman physician, stated that dependence on intoxication is a disease. 15th century Calvinist theologians offered explanations for compulsive drinking. Dr. Nicolaes Tulp adapted their models to explain the loss of self-control, and his colleague, Cornelius Bontekoe, applied his explanations to alcohol intake. Dr. Benjamin Rush stated that compulsive drinking is characterized by a loss of self-control, and that the disease is attributable to the drink, not the the drinker. The Christian religion encouraged consumption of alcohol, but condemned overindulgence. As the social view on addiction evolved, drugs such as opium, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine, still raged in the 17th and 18th