When picturing the American Old West, one might imagine saloons overflowing with whiskey, but the reality of drugs in the Old West was far more complex and pervasive. Beyond the familiar imagery of liquor, a wide array of powerful substances, including opiates, cocaine, and cannabis, were readily available, legal, and frequently used by both men and women across all social strata. These potent compounds were not hidden vices but openly sold over the counter, prescribed liberally by doctors even for children, and widely present in popular patent medicines and infamous opium dens. The prevalence of these narcotics paints a fascinating and often startling picture of health, recreation, and addiction in a rapidly developing nation.
The Proliferation of Opiates: From Ancient Cures to Widespread Addiction
The history of opiates stretches back millennia, with the opium poppy, known as the “joy plant” by the Sumerians in 3,400 B.C., recognized for its profound pain-relieving and sleep-inducing properties. Its cultivation and use spread along the Silk Road, reaching China by 700 A.D., where opium smoking became commonplace by the 1800s. The first known opiates arrived in America with Samuel Fuller on the Mayflower in 1620, likely in the form of laudanum, an opium/alcohol mixture that served as an effective painkiller, anti-diarrheal, and treatment for various ailments including colds, fevers, and insomnia.
By the American Revolution, laudanum was a medical staple. Historical figures such as Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin, and even Thomas Jefferson utilized it for relief from conditions like gout and chronic diarrhea. Opium itself contains over 25 derivatives, with morphine, named after the Greek god of sleep, being one of the most significant. Isolated in 1803, morphine’s full potential as a painkiller was unlocked with the invention of the hypodermic syringe in the 1850s.
The Civil War and “Soldier’s Disease”
The Civil War marked a dramatic increase in opiate use. Opium and morphine were indispensable painkillers, administered as pills, in laudanum, or as powders on wounds. As syringes became more common in field hospitals, injections of liquid morphine became routine. This widespread application led to a tragic consequence: many soldiers returned home addicted, a condition so prevalent it earned the moniker “Soldier’s Disease.” Morphine was also prescribed for hangovers, alcoholism (believed to be a lesser evil than alcohol addiction), and even during childbirth.
Laudanum, a popular drinkable opium-alcohol concoction, was used to treat headaches, toothaches, heart ailments, insomnia, nerve pain, and “female complaints.” Tragically, it also became a common means of suicide, particularly among disillusioned prostitutes in the Old West, including figures like Sallie Talbot and Ida Vernon. Even more prominent individuals like Eleanor Dumont (Madame Moustache), a celebrated gambler, and Mattie Blalock, common-law wife of Wyatt Earp, were known to have succumbed to or abused laudanum.
Opium Dens and Patent Medicines
The recreational use of opium surged in the 19th century, introduced by Chinese laborers during the California Gold Rush and Transcontinental Railroad construction. Opium smoking, initially a Chinese habit, spread through the underworld in the 1870s, leading to the proliferation of opium dens, often dubbed “Hop Alley,” across the continent, reaching as far as New York City. Opium imports peaked in the 1890s, coinciding with the temperance movement, possibly due to the ease of concealing opiate use compared to alcohol. By 1900, an estimated 250,000 Americans were addicted to opium.
Most Americans didn’t even need an opium den to encounter opiates; they were central ingredients in countless patent medicines. From teething powders for infants to cough syrups and remedies for “female complaints,” these elixirs were ubiquitous. In 1898, Bayer introduced heroin, marketed aggressively as a non-addictive treatment for asthma, coughs, and even a substitute for alcohol and morphine. This deceptive promotion continued until 1912, contributing to further widespread addiction.
Cocaine: The “Wonder Medicine” of the Old West
The coca leaf, an ancient stimulant, has been used since 3000 BC by the Incas to combat fatigue and mountain sickness. Cocaine was first extracted in 1859, leading to products like Angelo Mariani’s Vin Mariani, a coca leaf-infused wine marketed as a vitalizing tonic. By the 1880s, cocaine gained significant medical traction. German army physician Dr. Theodor Aschenbrandt reported its beneficial effects on soldiers’ endurance, catching the attention of the medical community and figures like Sigmund Freud, who promoted it as a cure for depression and impotence.
Cocaine rapidly appeared in patent medicines, lozenges for coughs and toothaches, and was prescribed for indigestion, melancholia, pain, and even morning sickness. It was readily available over the counter in various forms—cigarettes, powders, and even injectable solutions—and widely used as a local anesthetic. In 1885, John Styth Pemberton’s “French Wine Coca,” and later “Coca-Cola,” famously contained coca leaf extract, with Coca-Cola once boasting an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass before its removal in 1903. The pervasive use of cocaine in the Old West highlights a period where its dangers were largely unrecognized or ignored.
Cannabis: From Fiber Crop to Hashish Parlors
Cannabis, or marijuana, has a history dating back to 2727 B.C. in China, where it was considered a legitimate medicine. Its use spread globally, reaching the Western Hemisphere in 1545. In North America, cannabis, primarily as hemp, was a crucial crop for fiber, rope, clothing, and paper. Settlers in Jamestown, Virginia, cultivated it from 1611, and it remained a major crop well into the 1800s, with prominent figures like George Washington growing hemp at Mount Vernon.
Medically, cannabis was recognized in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1850 to 1942 as “Extractum Cannabis,” prescribed for neuralgia, gout, rheumatism, tetanus, and more. Recreational use began to grow, partly fueled by Fitz Hugh Ludlow’s 1857 book, The Hashish Eater, which popularized hashish, leading to hashish candy and private hashish clubs in many American cities. Reports in Scientific American in 1869 acknowledged its use for “intoxicating properties,” and by 1876, illustrations in the Illustrated Police News depicted
