Scopolamine

Scopolamine, also known as hyoscine, or Devil's Breath, is a muscarinic antagonist and tropane alkaloid used to treat motion sickness and postoperative nausea and vomiting. It is also sometimes used before surgery to decrease saliva. When used by injection, effects begin after about 20 minutes and last for up to 8 hours. It may also be used orally and as a transdermal patch since it has been long known to have transdermal bioavailability. Scopolamine is in the muscarinic acetylcholine antagonist group of drugs and works by blocking the binding of acetylcholine within the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Scopolamine was first written about in 1881 and started to be used for anesthesia around 1900. Scopolamine is also the main active component produced by certain plants of the nightshade family, which historically have been used as psychoactive drugs, known as deliriants, due to their antimuscarinic-induced hallucinogenic effects in higher doses. In these contexts, its mind-altering effects have been utilized for recreational and occult purposes. The name scopolamine is derived from one type of nightshade known as Scopolia, while the name hyoscine is derived from another type known as Hyoscyamus niger, or black henbane. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.