Anodyne

An anodyne is a drug used to lessen pain through reducing the sensitivity of the brain or nervous system. The term was common in medicine before the 20th century, but such drugs are now more often known as analgesics or painkillers.

Name

The name derives from Greek anōdynos (ἀνώδυνος), from a- (α-, "without") and odynē (ὀδύνη, "pain").

Use

Etymologically, the term covers any substance that reduces pain, but the term was used more restrictively by doctors. Some definitions restrict the term to topical medications, including herbal simples such as onion, lily, root of mallows, leaves of violet, and elderberry. Other definitions include ingested narcotics, hypnotics, and opioids. In the 19th century, the primary anodynes were opium, henbane, hemlock, tobacco, nightshade ("stramonium"), and chloroform.

Certain compound medicines were also called by this name, such as anodyne balsam, made of castile soap, camphor, saffron, and spirit of wine, and digested in a sand heat. It was recommended not only for easing extreme pain, but for assisting in discharging the peccant matter that occurred with the pain.

Anodyne (disambiguation)

An anodyne is a type of drug.

Anodyne may also refer to:

Anodyne (video game)

Anodyne is an independent video game created by Sean Hogan and Jonathan Kittaka, who together form the independent game company Analgesic Productions. After a nearly year-long development through Hogan and Kittaka's last years in college the game was released on February 4, 2013, for Windows PC, Mac OS X and Linux. An Android version was released as part of a Humble Bundle on October 15, 2013. The Anodyne soundtrack was also made available for purchase at the time of release, including all of the music in the game as well as a few bonus tracks.

The game features action and adventure elements, and puts the player in the shoes of Young, exploring a dream world.

Reviews of the game were mostly positive, generally praising the game's mix of adventure and action gameplay with an immersive, dream-like atmosphere created by the game's soundtrack and use of pixel art. Critiques tended to center on the story's lack of clearness, as well as some of the jumping mechanics. The game placed as an honorable mention in the 2013 Student Independent Games Festival.