cybercat wrote:

> Just as most medicines were (and are) poisons if taken in sufficient
> quantities, opiates are therepeutic in small quantities but deadly in
> larger quantities.

Not always. For example cancer partients often take enormous amounts of
opiates yet it isn't deadly to them. Different uses and peoples tolerance.


> Belladonna was a much-used laxative. Yes, the same stuff that
> surfaced as a powerful hallucinogen in the 1960s. People with
> the mindset "if a little is good then a lot must be even better" got
> into trouble with the stuff. People died from "laxative overdose."

Belladonna was never a laxative, as the action is to _decrease_ gastric
motility. Hence it would slow down the spasms which would cause the
frequent "events". It is also useful to patients with urethral spasms,
such as post surgical patients. All opiates, and many pain meds have the
unintended side effect of causing constipation because of that decreased
mobility.