Drugs On The Page

In the early modern Atlantic World, pharmacopoeias—official lists of medicaments and medicinal preparations published by municipal, national, or imperial governments—organized the world of healing goods, giving rise to new and valuable medical commodities such as cinchona bark, guaiacum, and ipecac. Pharmacopoeias and related texts, developed by governments and official medical bodies as a means to standardize therapeutic practice, were particularly important to scientific and colonial enterprises. They served, in part, as tools for making sense of encounters with a diversity of peoples, places, and things provoked by the commercial and colonial expansion of early modern Europe. Drugs on the Page explores practices of recording, organizing, and transmitting information about medicinal substances by artisans, colonial officials, indigenous peoples, and others who, unlike European pharmacists and physicians, rarely had a recognized role in the production of official texts and medicines. Drawing on examples across various national and imperial contexts, contributors to this volume offer new and valuable insights into the entangled histories of knowledge resulting from interactions and negotiations between Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans from 1500 to 1850.

Drugs, Addiction, and the Brain explores the molecular, cellular, and neurocircuitry systems in the brain that are responsible for drug addiction. Common neurobiological elements are emphasized that provide novel insights into how the brain mediates the acute rewarding effects of drugs of abuse and how it changes during the transition from initial drug use to compulsive drug use and addiction. The book provides a detailed overview of the pathophysiology of the disease. The information provided will be useful for neuroscientists in the field of addiction, drug abuse treatment providers, and undergraduate and postgraduate students who are interested in learning the diverse effects of drugs of abuse on the brain. Full-color circuitry diagrams of brain regions implicated in each stage of the addiction cycle Actual data figures from original sources illustrating key concepts and findings Introduction to basic neuropharmacology terms and concepts Introduction to numerous animal models used to study diverse aspects of drug use. Thorough review of extant work on the neurobiology of addiction

“A beautiful and well-researched historical guide to significant drugs” from the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Prescription Drugs (Library Journal). Throughout history, humans everywhere have searched for remedies to heal our bodies and minds. Covering everything from ancient herbs to cutting-edge chemicals, this book in the hugely popular Milestones series looks at 250 of the most important moments in the development of life-altering, life-saving, and sometimes life-endangering pharmaceuticals. Illustrated entries feature ancient drugs like alcohol, opium, and hemlock; the smallpox and the polio vaccines; homeopathic cures; and controversial medical treatments like ether, amphetamines, and Xanax—while shining a light on the scientists, doctors, and companies who brought them to us. “These true tales of discovery in The Drug Book by Michael C. Gerald might change the way you think about your medicine.” —The Healthy “An excellent starting point for student researchers and is very browsable for the general reader.” —Booklist

“Hart’s argument that we need to drastically revise our current view of illegal drugs is both powerful and timely . . . when it comes to the legacy of this country’s war on drugs, we should all share his outrage.” —The New York Times Book Review From one of the world's foremost experts on the subject, a powerful argument that the greatest damage from drugs flows from their being illegal, and a hopeful reckoning with the possibility of their use as part of a responsible and happy life Dr. Carl L. Hart, Ziff Professor at Columbia University and former chair of the Department of Psychology, is one of the world's preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body. Dr. Hart is open about the fact that he uses drugs himself, in a happy balance with the rest of his full and productive life as a researcher and professor, husband, father, and friend. In Drug Use for Grown-Ups, he draws on decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use--not drugs themselves--have been a tremendous scourge on America, not least in reinforcing this country's enduring structural racism. Dr. Hart did not always have this view. He came of age in one of Miami's most troubled neighborhoods at a time when many ills were being laid at the door of crack cocaine. His initial work as a researcher was aimed at proving that drug use caused bad outcomes. But one problem kept cropping up: the evidence from his research did not support his hypothesis. From inside the massively well-funded research arm of the American war on drugs, he saw how the facts did not support the ideology. The truth was dismissed and distorted in order to keep fear and outrage stoked, the funds rolling in, and Black and brown bodies behind bars. Drug Use for Grown-Ups will be controversial, to be sure: the propaganda war, Dr. Hart argues, has been tremendously effective. Imagine if the only subject of any discussion about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes. Drug Use for Grown-Ups offers a radically different vision: when used responsibly, drugs can enrich and enhance our lives. We have a long way to go, but the vital conversation this book will generate is an extraordinarily important step.

Synthesis of Best-Seller Drugs is a key reference guide for all those involved with the design, development, and use of the best-selling drugs. Designed for ease of use, this book provides detailed information on the most popular drugs, using a practical layout arranged according to drug type. Each chapter reviews the main drugs in each of nearly 40 key therapeutic areas, also examining their classification, novel structural features, models of action, and synthesis. Of high interest to all those who work in the captivating areas of biologically active compounds and medicinal drug synthesis, in particular medicinal chemists, biochemists, and pharmacologists, the book aims to support current research efforts, while also encouraging future developments in this important field. Describes methods of synthesis, bioactivity and related drugs in key therapeutic areas Reviews the main drugs in each of nearly 40 key therapeutic areas, also examining their classification, novel structural features, models of action, and more Presents a practical layout designed for use as a quick reference tool by those working in drug design, development and implementation

Annotation Attitudes towards crime, criminals, and rehabilitation have shifted considerably, yet the idea that there is a causal link between drug adiction and crime prevails.

Adverse Reactions to Drugs, Second Edition focuses on the problems posed by the adverse responses to drugs, as well as drug interactions, dosage, and drug metabolism. The publication first tackles adverse reactions and factors which predispose to adverse drug reactions. Topics include dose adjustment, overdose, renal failure, cumulation, side effects, drug allergy, cumulative overdose, and delayed effects. The text then ponders on drug interactions, including renal excretion, drug metabolism, mutual toxicity, and interactions affecting transport to site of action. The manuscript examines adverse reactions in dental practice, drugs used in pregnancy, the neonate, and lactation, and problems for the pharmaceutical industry before marketing a new drug. Discussions focus on ethical problems of drug studies in man, pregnancy, hemorrhage, oxygen toxicity, chloramphenicol, drugs and lactation, drugs used in dental practice, and local anesthetics. The book then elaborates on monitoring adverse reactions to drugs and the therapeutic audit and drug regulatory bodies and their problems. The publication is a valuable source of data for doctors and dentists wanting to focus on research on the adverse reaction to drugs.