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Phoenix666 writes:

Chinese scientists have found a new chemical compound in the venom of a centipede native to China that can act as a painkiller with no negative side effects like those associated with morphine.

The discovery could potentially help a country's military reduce its reliance on morphine for battleground injuries, or even create an army of soldiers with the ability to fight on after sustaining wounds in combat, pundits say.

"It is completely different from morphine," said Professor Lai Ren, the lead scientist of the study.

"Morphine is only intended for emergency use. It has many side effects and can lead to addiction over the longer-term," added Lai, who works with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Kunming Institute of Zoology in southern Yunnan province.

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