Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Morphine is a very effective stimulant and painkiller, and is very useful in patients who have undergone surgery.
Statement II: Atropa belladona and Datura are well-known plants with hallucinogenic properties.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.
Drugs act on the nervous system in different ways. A stimulant speeds up the central nervous system, as cocaine does. A sedative calms it and slows it down. Some plants also contain substances that cause hallucinations.
Statement I: Morphine is a very effective stimulant and painkiller, and is very useful in patients who have undergone surgery. — False. Morphine is a very effective sedative and painkiller, which is why it is given to patients after surgery. It does not stimulate the nervous system.
Statement II: Atropa belladona and Datura are well-known plants with hallucinogenic properties. — True. Besides the coca plant, whose cocaine in excess causes hallucinations, Atropa belladona and Datura are well-known plants with hallucinogenic properties.
NCERT Extract:
Drugs and Alcohol Abuse – “… Cocaine, commonly called coke or crack is usually snorted. It has a potent stimulating action on central nervous system, producing a sense of euphoria and increased energy. Excessive dosage of cocaine causes hallucinations. Other well-known plants with hallucinogenic properties are Atropa belladona and Datura (Figure 7.11). These days cannabinoids are also being abused by some sportspersons. … Morphine is a very effective sedative and painkiller, and is very useful in patients who have undergone surgery.”