(1834â1908), Dutch ophthalmologist. Snellen was director of an eye clinic at Utrecht. In 1862 he introduced a test for measuring the acuteness of vision which consisted of printed letters or words in type of various sizes.
Brief Summary. Papaver somniferum, opium poppy, is an annual herbaceous plant in the Papaveraceae (poppy family) that originated in southeastern Europe and western Asia, and are now widely cultivated in Europe, Asia, China, and North Africa for their seeds, which are used in baking, as a condiment, and for their edible oil.
The opium poppy is cultivated in lower Mesopotamia. The Sumerians refer to it as Hul Gil, the 'joy plant.' The Sumerians would soon pass along the plant and its euphoric effects to the Assyrians.