Barbiturates are a kind of depressant or sedative drug. They are an old class of drug used to relax the body and help people sleep. These drugs were first developed in the late 19th century.

What was barbital used for?

Barbital (Veronal) was the first barbiturate and was used for medical purposes in 1903. Barbiturates were frequently used to treat agitation, anxiety, and insomnia, but their use for treating such symptoms fell out of favor due to the risk of overdose and abuse.

Do barbiturates help with pain?

Barbiturate and morphine are effective for the treatment of deafferentation pain and nociceptive pain, respectively. Lidocaine is effective for the treatment of neuropathic pain; ketamine, for allodynia; and benzodiazepine, for anxiety-related pain.