Benzylmorphine
Encyclopedia
Benzylmorphine is a semi-synthetic opiate narcotic
introduced to the international market in 1896 and that of the United States very shortly thereafter. It is much like codeine
, containing a benzyl group attached to the morphine
molecule just as the methyl group creates codeine and the ethyl group creates ethylmorphine
or dionine (used as a generic name for that drug just as peronine is for benzylmorphine). It is about 90 per cent as strong as codeine by weight.
Benzylmorphine is used in much the same way as codeine
and ethylmorphine
, primarily as a moderate strength analgesic
, for eye surgery as a 1 to 2 per cent solution, and as a cough suppressant. It was available in the United States prior to 1914 and was still used until the 1960s, but fell into disuse once alternative opiate derivatives became preferred by doctors (i.e. hydrocodone
as an analgesic and codeine
as a cough suppressant) Benzylmorphine is now a Schedule I Controlled Substance in the USA and is regulated internationally under UN drug conventions.
Benzylmorphine is an active metabolite of the opioid analgesic myrophine
, formed in the liver. It has a metabolic fate similar to that of codeine.
Benzylmorphine is used as the hydrochloride (free base conversion ratio 0.91) and methylsulphonate(0.80) and has a US DEA Administrative Controlled Substance Control Number of 9052.
Narcotic
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...
introduced to the international market in 1896 and that of the United States very shortly thereafter. It is much like codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
, containing a benzyl group attached to the morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
molecule just as the methyl group creates codeine and the ethyl group creates ethylmorphine
Ethylmorphine
Ethylmorphine is an opiate narcotic analgesic .Ethylmorphine was invented in Germany at Merck in 1884 and was used as a weaker alternative to heroin for all indications. Chemically, ethylmorphine is a morphine molecule with a -25 group substituted for the aromatic 3- group...
or dionine (used as a generic name for that drug just as peronine is for benzylmorphine). It is about 90 per cent as strong as codeine by weight.
Benzylmorphine is used in much the same way as codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
and ethylmorphine
Ethylmorphine
Ethylmorphine is an opiate narcotic analgesic .Ethylmorphine was invented in Germany at Merck in 1884 and was used as a weaker alternative to heroin for all indications. Chemically, ethylmorphine is a morphine molecule with a -25 group substituted for the aromatic 3- group...
, primarily as a moderate strength analgesic
Analgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
, for eye surgery as a 1 to 2 per cent solution, and as a cough suppressant. It was available in the United States prior to 1914 and was still used until the 1960s, but fell into disuse once alternative opiate derivatives became preferred by doctors (i.e. hydrocodone
Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone or dihydrocodeinone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from either of two naturally occurring opiates: codeine and thebaine. It is an orally active narcotic analgesic and antitussive...
as an analgesic and codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
as a cough suppressant) Benzylmorphine is now a Schedule I Controlled Substance in the USA and is regulated internationally under UN drug conventions.
Benzylmorphine is an active metabolite of the opioid analgesic myrophine
Myrophine
Myrophine is an opiate analogue that was developed in 1952. It is a derivative of morphine.Myrophine is substituted with a 3-benzyl group and a 6-myristyl chain. It is metabolised to form benzylmorphine and then further to morphine, and so is a long-acting prodrug for morphine, but with a slow...
, formed in the liver. It has a metabolic fate similar to that of codeine.
Benzylmorphine is used as the hydrochloride (free base conversion ratio 0.91) and methylsulphonate(0.80) and has a US DEA Administrative Controlled Substance Control Number of 9052.