Barbiturates form strong, specific hydrogen bonds with derivatives of adenine. This highly specific interaction which is more extensive than the hydrogen bonding between thymine (or uracil ...

Barbiturates are illegal without a prescription and, in fact, are a controlled substance like narcotics. They can be highly addictive, and withdrawal may produce severe symptoms, including death.

These drawbacks to self-destruction, as ticked off by Dorothy Parker, do not apply to an overdose of sleeping pills. In recent years the barbiturates have enjoyed alarming popularity as a painless ...