Alkaloids In Napoleon's Buttons

Alkaloids, to many, are solely “some set of chemicals.” Prior to reading the section on various alkaloids in Napoleon’s Buttons, I was one of those people who did not necessarily understand what an alkaloid was and why it was significant in my life. By definition, an alkaloid is “any class of nitrogenous organic compounds of plant origin that have pronounced physiological actions on humans.” Alkaloids are all around us, yet most people have no idea what substances are alkaloids and where they come from. Medicines such as morphine, chemicals in recreational drugs such as the nicotine in tobacco, and the caffeine in the tea and coffee we drink all are alkaloids. In Napoleon’s Buttons, Couteur and Burreson discuss the historical context and the

Specifically, they discuss morphine, nicotine, and caffeine in depth. These compounds have saved lives and destroyed lives as well. Our world would be drastically different if it were not for these compounds, and their significance in life should not be undermined. The first alkaloid discussed by Couteur and Burreson is morphine. As they mentioned, morphine is the most abundant of 24 alkaloids found in the opium poppy plant. Morphine and its derivatives are used as medicines worldwide, and their effects have eased the pain of millions of people. However, morphine, like many drugs and other narcotics, is used recreationally (and illegally if not prescribed) as well. As mentioned in Napoleon’s Buttons, one well-known derivative of morphine is heroin, chemically known as diacetylmorphine1. Heroin, an extremely addictive drug, is the cause of many narcotic overdoses. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the

Nicotine, from the tobacco plant, forms the basis of addiction to smoking and other forms of tobacco use. Like morphine and opioids, there are many dangers associated with the use of nicotine. As stated by Couteur and Burreson, a dose as large as a few milligrams is sufficient to kill an adult in minutes1. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of tobacco causes almost 6 million deaths each year, with 480,000 of those deaths being a result of cigarettes. All of these deaths cannot be attributed to nicotine alone, as cigarettes are packed with other deadly chemicals, but nicotine is the substance that causes addiction, which in turns leads to further use of tobacco. Caffeine is even more freely available than nicotine and morphine. Coffee, tea, and soda all boast amounts of caffeine, promoting the boost of energy to keep people awake and focused. Caffeine, by itself, does not present as harmful effects as the other two alkaloids discussed. However, caffeine addiction is a problem that many face. When trying to quit consuming the readily available stimulant, people may face a variety of symptoms, such as headache and tiredness among others. As detailed in a CNN article, caffeine dependence was classified as a true disorder several years ago by researchers at Johns Hopkins