Drugged wine (pre-industrial setting)

efreysson · Nov 22, 2010

How's that for an old fantasy story classic, eh?

Anyway, I basically need to know what kind of sedative can be slipped into a person's food or drink in a pre-industrial setting, and how it works. Would the subject notice something was wrong, or just quietly pass out? How long would the effects last and would there be some way to counter them?

mgencleyn · Nov 22, 2010

This is a toughy. Can you give me a year date?

GeorgeK · Nov 22, 2010

laudanum

Deleted member 42 · Nov 22, 2010

In pre-eighteenth century, it was essentially the same thing as laudenaum, but was called "tincture of opium."

There were also sweetmeats, candies to Yanks, made with syrup, dried ground fruit, spices and hashish, served with wine, often at middle-Eastern brothels, after which the customer could be conveniently, leisurely robbed, and dumped somewhere far from the brothel.

JimmyB27 · Nov 23, 2010

efreysson said:
...would there be some way to counter them?

Food taster?

jallenecs · Nov 23, 2010

Medievalist said:
In pre-eighteenth century, it was essentially the same thing as laudenaum, but was called "tincture of opium."

There were also sweetmeats, candies to Yanks, made with syrup, dried ground fruit, spices and hashish, served with wine, often at middle-Eastern brothels, after which the customer could be conveniently, leisurely robbed, and dumped somewhere far from the brothel.

I think the hashish idea would be better. My impression was that laudanum is extremely bitter, and wine would not cover the taste.

efreysson · Nov 23, 2010

mgencleyn said:
This is a toughy. Can you give me a year date?

I don't have an exact historical parallel era in mind, but I'm thinking mostly around 11th century-ish, with rather more advanced medicine and biology.

JimmyB27 said:
Food taster?

I meant if there was some way to counteract the effects of the drug.

Medievalist said:
In pre-eighteenth century, it was essentially the same thing as laudenaum, but was called "tincture of opium."

There were also sweetmeats, candies to Yanks, made with syrup, dried ground fruit, spices and hashish, served with wine, often at middle-Eastern brothels, after which the customer could be conveniently, leisurely robbed, and dumped somewhere far from the brothel.

Interesting. What would the effects of either of those two be on a person?

PeterL · Nov 23, 2010

efreysson said:
How's that for an old fantasy story classic, eh?

Anyway, I basically need to know what kind of sedative can be slipped into a person's food or drink in a pre-industrial setting, and how it works. Would the subject notice something was wrong, or just quietly pass out? How long would the effects last and would there be some way to counter
them?

Opiates would be easiest, because they can be dissolved in wine. One should not use much, because the flavor would be apparent, or you could use a spiced wine to cover the taste.

After drinking enough, the victim would start to notice that there was something wrong.

Drugged wine (pre-industrial setting)

efreysson

Closer than ever

mgencleyn

Damned Butterfly

GeorgeK

ever seeking

Deleted member 42

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

jallenecs

Searching for Wonderland

efreysson

Closer than ever

PeterL