Lesson plan
Corvalol
Corvalol (Корвалол, Corvalolum, Korvalol) is a tranquilizer based on the barbiturate phenobarbital and containing various natural components, such as herb valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root, as well as peppermint oil Mentha piperita and hop extract Humulus lupulus, popular in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union as a heart medication. It is available as a transparent liquid with a characteristic strong aroma, and as white bi-concave scored tablets. In Russia it is sold without prescription, despite the fact that ordinary phenobarbital tablets are sold strictly by doctor's prescription. While not available for sale in all of the Western countries, Corvalol is sometimes brought over from Eastern Europe for self-administration to other countries of residence. Corvalol contains documented amounts of psychoactive chemicals, and may interact with other prescription medications that a person is taking. Corvalol was developed in the USSR in 1960 as an analogue of the German drug Valocordin, and is therefore similar in composition and action.
Article summary
Corvalol (Корвалол, Corvalolum, Korvalol) is a tranquilizer based on the barbiturate phenobarbital and containing various natural components, such as herb valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root, as well as peppermint oil Mentha piperita and hop extract Humulus lupulus, popular in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union as a heart medication. It is available as a transparent liquid with a characteristic strong aroma, and as white bi-concave scored tablets. In Russia it is sold without prescription, despite the fact that ordinary phenobarbital tablets are sold strictly by doctor's prescription. While not available for sale in all of the Western countries, Corvalol is sometimes brought over from Eastern Europe for self-administration to other countries of residence. Corvalol contains documented amounts of psychoactive chemicals, and may interact with other prescription medications that a person is taking. Corvalol was developed in the USSR in 1960 as an analogue of the German drug Valocordin, and is therefore similar in composition and action.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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