Bentley Compounds

[Laudaphun]

The Bentley Compounds are a class of opiates derived from thebaine that are exceedingly powerful. The most common example is etorphine which is approximately 1000 times more powerful than morphine and marketed under the brand name Immobilon, for veterinary practices... namely knocking down elephants. At one stage in history, the United States attempted to wipe the opium poppy off the face of the earth (Nixon's handiwork)... It was proposed that they produce thebaine from p. bracteaum, however then they discovered that these "Bentley Compounds" which were so much more powerful than morphine could be derived from thebaine. It was even suggested that the Bentley Compounds would replace street heroin... From an article on Nixon's crusade against opium and the concerns of the Bentley Compounds...

Some government scientists, fearing that the Bentley compounds would replace heroin, suggested growing the bracteatum on Air Force bases, surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by dogs. (One White House aide suggested that the Bentley compounds "would kill off half the heroin addicts, but then we might have a real problem with those that survive.")

SWIM found this quote somewhat amusing... Supposedly there are 20 some or more of these Bentley Compounds but there seems to be so little information about them. SWIM has spent some time searching and etorphine is the only specific example he can find. SWIM can't even find an actual definition of what would define a Bentley Compound. Based on what SWIM has read the only characteristics of a Bentley Compound is that it is significantly more potent mg per mg than morphine and that it is derived from thebaine. Etorphine being the only one there seems much documentation about and even that is limited. Does anyone know if buprenorphine would be considered a Bentley Compound? It is was produced from thebaine, it is more potent than morphine (swim didn't say more pleasureable), and it is even used to tranquillize animals in a similar preparation to that of the etorphine animal tranquillizer, albiet dogs instead of elephants hehe. SWIM just would like to complile some information on Bentley Compounds... A somewhat official definition would be a great start, perhaps they are better known by a different name?