The nine compound-clusters described thus far, comprising more than a hundred botanicals and synthetics, are the main psychedelics known to date. Other plants—at least 120 from the New World and twenty from the Old World—have suspected or confirmed psychoactivity (Schultes and Hof- mann inventory ninety-one, each representing a separate genus, in their 1979 Plants of the Gods), and substances isolated from these plants have prompted chemists to synthesize and test new compounds. This chemical work has been outlined in Psychotropic Substances and Related Compounds,
edited by the late Daniel Efron, who was affiliated with Sandoz, Gba, Hof- mann-La Roche and NIMH. In the first edition (1968), Efron showed 590 molecules and referenced their literature. In 1972, Efron enlarged this book to cover 1,555 compounds (including barbiturates and tranquilizers).
Nonetheless, few plants or compounds other than those in the nine compound-clusters seem eligible for classification as authentic psychedelics. The five to be profiled here—three from plants and two synthetics—have sometimes been proposed as major facilitators of psychedelic experiences.
Belladonna-like Substances
The family Solanaceae, made up of more than 2,400 species, is especially noteworthy. Many of its members contain the alkaloids atropine (dl-
hyoscyamine) and scopolamine (hyoscine). Atropine shows up in mandrake root, henbane and thorn apple; it constitutes just over 4.5 percent of the asthmatic preparation called Asthmador. Schultes and Hofmann claim that there are no reports on the effects of atropine alone "which could explain the addition of belladonna as an ingredient of magic brews in medieval Europe." But Hoffer and Osmond recall several historical incidents that attest to its psychoaaivity. One story involved a family of five who in 1963 ate tomato plants that had been grafted onto jimson weed, producing 6.36 mg. of atropine per tomato: "Ail five developed deliroid reactions of varying inten- sity and some had to be treated in the hospital several days. This seems to be the first known instance of hallucinogenic tomatoes."
The names atropine and belladona both relate to this drug complex's effects. The former is derived from Atropos—one of the three fates in Greek mythology—as a result of its being used as a poison during the Middle Ages. The latter refers to its ability to dilate the eyes of "beautiful ladies." Both are used nowadays in medicine as an antispasmodic, especially for parkinsonism, with an average dose of atropine being 0.5 mg. Users have survived dosages of more than a S^m< °uctheeffectsaPPeartoxlcmmost cases of 10
mg. or more.
)atura meteloides, * ceremonial deliriant of the ancient Mesa- merican Zunis and California Indians (two-thirds natural iize). Domestic Datura,./ dangerous del
jo« Lontrastmg Profiles
Probably the more important chemical in most belladonna alkaloids is scopolamine. It appears not only in the already-mentioned sources but also in several tree barks used by natives that are known as Datura. Appreciated early on in both hemispheres, it has been used in the Near East to compound the effects of cannabinols and in the Andes to add to mescaline-like effects from the cactus Trichocereus pachanoi. In asthmador, scopolamine constitutes 50.4 percent of the mixture. Tim Leary has been quoted as saying he never heard of a good belkdonna trip; my own experience has been an exception.
Yohimbe
This "psychedelic stimulant" is derived primarily from the bark of a West African tree called Patisinystalia or Corynantheyohtmbe, although it is also present in other species of Corynanthe and in Aspidosperma quebran- choblanco and Mitragyna stipulosa. When this alkaloid is brewed as a tea and then drunk, its effects come on within forty-five minutes to an hour. The action is reportedly swifter if taken with 500 mg. vitamin C.
There is an increase in vasodilation and peripheral blood flow, along with stimulation of the spinal ganglia which control erectile tissue, followed by slight "hallucinogenic effects," thai last for about two hours. Users may then go off to sleep quite easily.
J.H. of Vancouver, B.C has written High Times to point out that
yohimbe is a MAO-inhibitor, altering adrenal and other metabolic functions, and thus should be used with caution:
Anyone with diabetes, kidney or heart disease should not experiment with yohimbe. Moreover, yohimbe should not be used with mescaline.LSD, MDA, MMDA or amphetamines . . . . Avoid chocolate, cheeses, sherry, bananas, pineapples, sauerkraut and other foods containing tryptophans for 12 hours before and after use. The ounbination may trigger a dangerous rise in blood pressure combined with shortness of breath.
In case of adverse reaction, get medical help. Yohimbe is legal, so it's no bust to see a doctor. Sodium amytal is the best antidote for yohimbe poisoning, but let a physician do it. Self-ad ministration of barbs during a panic is mighty dangerous. Most people overdo it.
This bark is generally prepared by boiling so that psychoactive elements are leached out and starting material can be thrown away. Mental effects are fairly mild. Adam Gottlieb comments onyohimbe's propensity for produc- ing sexual effects such as erections in males;
Other pleasurable effects are warm spinal shivers which are especially enjoy- able during coitus and orgasm (bodies feel like they are melting into one another), psychic stimulations, mild perceptual changes without hallucinations, and heightening of emotional and sexual feeling . . . .
Kava-Kava
Kava-kava comes from the root pulp and tower stems of a tall perennial shrub native to the South Pacific islands. It was mentioned by a Swedish
botanist who accompanied Captain James Cook on his first voyage to the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands in 1768-1771. In 1886, Louis Lewin examined
kava-kava in detail.
The plant (Piper methysticum) grows best near sea level in areas like the Solomon and Fiji Islands, Samoa, Tahiti and New Guinea. With sufficient sunlight, it can reach twenty feet. The psychic components reside within the root—which after three or four years attains a thickness of three to five inches. The roots in older plants become heavy and knotted, accumulating strength and flavor. After six years, such roots may weigh twenty pounds; after twenty years they may be as heavy as a hundred pounds.
Pleasure/Ceremony/Relaxation
When harvested, these roots are scraped and then cut into pieces, which are then either chewed (the Tonga method) or crushed between rocks (the Fiji method). In Norman Taylor's Narcotics, there appears a charming account of these preparations—which result in a grayish brown or whitish liquid that most find to be soapy, spicy and numbing to the mouth. In Hawaii, according to Hoffer and Osmond,
The nobles used it socially for pleasure, the priests ceremoniously and the working class for relaxation. It was given to mediums and seers to enhance their psychic powers. It was used to increase inspiration and to assist con- templation. It seems to have been employed in the way some investigators have tried to use LSD and psikxybin.
Fijian ceremony. The cup bearer is about to present the cup.
Interestingly, many people in the South Pacific have given up drinking alcohol after being introduced to kava-kava. All agree that it leaves no hang- over and that it produces a carefree and happy state with no mental or phys- ical excitation. According to Lewin, this is "a real euphoriant which in the beginning made speech more fluent and lively and increased sensitivity to subtle sounds. The subjects were never angry, aggressive or noisy." Kaia-