Customer Reviews

Oxy

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

its a excellent book on the alkaloids of papaver somniferum. its intented for those chemistry types in a way, not for someone who is interested in just growing the poppy. shows you how to extract thebaine, morphine and make heroin. elaborate extraction process for making oxycodone from the main precursor thebaine. a good book!!!

I am a chronic pain patient who has found it nearly impossible to be treated for my problem by conventional M.D.s. They somehow think it is virtuous to be twisted by pain on a day to day basis rather than partake of the evil poppy. I found the chemistry cited in the book to be sound, but was taken aback by the anti-drug rant. Surely there must be better, less biased literature out there.

I have to wonder if the publisher insisted the anti-drug rants be inserted in the book as a pre-condition to publishing. I wouldn't be surprised.

The title of the book OXY is a misgnomer, because the book talks about all opium alkaloids, not just the semisynthetic narcotic Oxycodone (OxyContin TM-Purdue).
The good: this book is an excellent revue of the opiate literature and includes the original pharmacologic and organic chemistry papers with their cited references. Also, there are various DEA and USDA reports on cultivation of poppies, the Golden Triangle of Laos, Myamar, China, Vietnam, etc. where illicit opium, morphine, and heroin are produced, as well as all the backyard processes of producing heroin.
The bad: the introduction and opening chapter perpetuates some of the common myths about opiates, such as attributing "soldiers disease" (civil-war veterans hooked on opiates) to heroin. Heroin wasn't synthsized until 1873 and was only commercially distributed by Bayer in the 1890s. Also, the author referes to opiates as "poisons" which is a bit of hysteria.
The ugly: in the first chapter there is a bit of ranting about "script doctors" and medicare fraud that has no place in the book. Indications for the use of the narcotics are mentioned, but without citing medical research or offering medical credentials by the author.
But in summary, despite the bad and the ugly, this is an excellent book if you are an organic chemist, pharmacist, chemical engineer, practioner, pain patient, or heroin user to educate yourself about opiates. THIS BOOK NOR THIS REVIEW ADVOCATES THE USE, ABUSE, POSSESSION, MANUFACTURE, etc. etc. of the substances, plants, precursor chemicals, or laboratory apparatus mentioned in the book, most of which are illegal in the U.S.

The title basically says it all. The book is alot of information but very little is put together to teach a single thing.

So far this book has proven to have immense insight into the current and historical usage of narcotics (opium derived) pharmaceuticals in the US. It also discusses the problems they caused in society as well as the positive outcomes they produce.
A great read for anyone interested in drug history, drug formulas and exactly what pain relieving narcotic does what for the human body.
Good book

OXY stands for OxyCodone (narcotic agonist) easily created from Garden Poppies and varieties of Oriental Poppies. United States consumes 90% of the world's supply of oxycodone, placing a strain on the essential precursor (thebaine) of oxycodone & naltrexone; narcotic antagonist. Many countries have considered increasing the cultivation of Oriental Poppies in the event of terrorist attack, meteor strike, plague, drought or other natural disaster. Hundreds of Papaver species/alkaloids described & referenced. DEA and global drug intelligence.

OXY; GLOBAL NARCOTICS PRODUCTION; Thebaine from Oriental Poppies; OXYCODONE; Pharmacology of Oxycodone; Preparation of Oxycodone from Thebaine; ETORPHINE; Process of Purifying Oripavines; Thebaine Extraction and Purification; Extraction of Crude Thebaine from Dried Seed Capsules. MORPHINE Extraction from Opium; A Process for the Extraction of Alkaloids from Poppy Straw and/or Capsules; Morphine from Codeine; The Opium Poppy and Other Poppies by Charles C. Fulton; THE OPIUM POPPY; Distinction of the opium poppy from other commonly cultivated poppies; The closest relatives of Papaver somniferum; OTHER POPPIES; Principal species of poppies in American horticulture; Opium alkaloids, and characteristic opium products which occur in other plants; The alkaloidal constituents of some poppies; Opium Poppy Cultivation and Heroin Processing in Southeast Asia. Cultivation Methods; Opium Harvesting. Extraction of Morphine from Opium; Morphine to Heroin. Packed with references, photos, graphs, charts; extractions and chemistry in both English and German. An asset to the survivalist, student or anyone interested in the facts. 6 x 9; 246 pgs.; illustrated;UV laminated 4 color covers.