[Buddha-l] Vinaya medicinals

[jkirk]

Reading through lists of allowable medicines in the Vinaya, at
this link,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/bmc2/bmc2.c
h05.html ,
I notice that hemp leaves can be used for external application in
a sweat lodge 
situation, but opium taken for extreme pain is not mentioned. In
fact, extreme 
pain isn't mentioned.  I doubt if the medicinal use of opium was
unknown in 
those days.
 
Would bearing extreme pain be an ascetic requirement? We do know
of the
instances where monks in extreme pain killed themselves because
they could 
not bear it longer. 
 
Comment on the medicine question, anyone? 
 
Joanna K.