2006-09-28 04:11:06 · 5 answers · asked by Mork the Stork 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Felix Hoffmann, of Bayer in Elberfeld, Germany created heroin as a medicine 11 days after inventing aspirin. Afraid of the possible side effects of aspirin, Bayer registered heroin (probably from heroisch, German for heroic, chosen because in field studies people using the medicine felt "heroic") as a trademark.
As far as why addicts are called junkies...Webster's definition of the word is: a person who derives inordinate pleasure from or who is dependant on something
2006-09-28 04:20:45 · answer #1 · answered by txgirl_2_98 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Herion is a german base word and was formally a trademark. it was discoverd by a british chemist in 1874. Felix Hoffmann, of Bayer in Elberfeld, Germany created heroin as a medicine 11 days after inventing aspirin. Afraid of the possible side effects of aspirin, Bayer registered heroin probably from heroisch, German for heroic, chosen because in field studies people using the medicine felt "heroic" as a trademark. Also called diacetylmorphine.
they are called junkies becuase of their obsession with drug abuse and also the definition of junkies means an insatiable interest, craving, or devotion...another definition is someone who is so ardently devoted to something that it resembles an addiction.
2006-09-28 04:31:09 · answer #2 · answered by Shischkabob 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'll take a stab at this...
the person takes the drug IN their vain, making them feel like they can do anything, in other words, a HERO. Some great genious found that these two words make a great name for a drug, and sounded better than inhero, which sounds like a good name for a cologne!!
Junkies....another difficult one....lets see...the people who get hooked on drugs look like junk after a while, or maybe they looked "junky" which by the power of pluralism makes it "junkies"!!!
I reject the dictionary meaning, because I am more interested in how the word got into the dictionary in the first place. And in this case, I think it was just common use of the word. much like well, this one and those, and all of these.
2006-09-28 04:35:31 · answer #3 · answered by Lee C 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Actually, heroin can be traced back to 1874.
"1874 - English researcher, C.R. Wright first synthesizes heroin, or diacetylmorphine, by boiling morphine over a stove. "
It isn't until 1895 that the NAME heroin is introduced to the world.
"1895 - Heinrich Dreser working for The Bayer Company of Elberfeld, Germany, finds that diluting morphine with acetyls produces a drug without the common morphine side effects.Bayer begins production of diacetylmorphine and coins the name "heroin." Heroin would not be introduced commercially for another three years. "
Then:
"Early 1900's - The philanthropic Saint James Society in the U.S. mounts a campaign to supply free samples of heroin through the mail to morphine addicts who are trying give up their habits. "
As to junkies:
"Junkie "drug addict" is attested from 1923, but junk for "narcotic" is said to be older. "
I think a clue may be found here:
"The majority of illegal heroin smuggled into the U.S. comes from China and is refined in Shanghai and Tietsin. "
Remember, a Chinese ship is often called -- a junk!
2006-09-28 07:54:11 · answer #4 · answered by Yahzmin ♥♥ 4ever 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
TX girl has the first part correct - so ditto on that - and nice job TXG.
They are called 'junkies' because an early street slang term for heroine was 'junk.' Voila!
2006-09-28 07:47:55 · answer #5 · answered by ericscribener 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋