Twilight sleep refers to a state achieved by combining pain relief and memory loss through a mix of drugs administered via an injection beneath the skin. This combination allowed women in labor to experience pain but not remember it post-delivery. The method was popular in the past. The drugs used, morphine and scopolamine, are well-known alkaloids.Morphine:Named by German pharmacist Adolf Serturner in 1805, morphine is the primary component found in opium, derived from the poppy plant. It is a potent painkiller with significant effects on the central nervous system and is highly addictive. The name "morphine" is inspired by Morpheus, the mythological god of dreams.Scopolamine:Introduced in 1902, scopolamine was named after 18th-century Italian naturalist Giovanni Scopoli. It is derived from the "deadly nightshade" plant, historically used as a poison. In safe, lower doses, scopolamine induces drowsiness and memory loss.The combination of scopolamine and morphine once offered a pain-free childbirth experience, or at least an experience without the memory of pain. However, twilight sleep had significant drawbacks. It removed the mother from the birthing process and severely affected the baby's central nervous system, sometimes resulting in a lethargic, poorly breathing infant. Consequently, this technique is no longer used and remains a historical footnote in obstetrics.
