Psychochemicals

Freedman, D. X. (1969) Research strategies with psychotomimetic drugs. In Psychochemical Research in Man, edited by R. J. Mandell and M. P. Mandell, pp. 89-99. Academic Press, New York. 

For many years, it was my intent to summarize our psychochemical inquiries in the 1960s - a unique decade of experimentation. Predictably, other activities supervened. But when events in the Middle East reawakened world... 

Subsequently, enough crosstalk took place between the Intelligence Corps and the Chemical Corps to stimulate creative thinking as to how psychochemicals such as LSD might help the Chemical Corps develop a more humane weapon. 

Earlier, I had spent considerable time with psychiatrist Max Hollyhock. He had just published his views on mescaline and LSD in The New Scientist, a slim but widely read opinion magazine. In his article, he advanced cogent arguments for the use of psychochemicals as humane weapons it seemed, however, that few readers had found this proposal particularly appealing. 

But Sasha was by no means mad he was just a free spirit, not particularly concerned with appearances as long as he could synthesize and study his family of intriguing psychochemicals. He and his wife proved to be most generous friends. Sasha has lent or given me several useful books and articles in the past few years on subjects relating to LSD and other psychedelic drugs. He recently provided me with a great deal of difficult-to-find information that has helped in the preparation of this book. 

In September 1955, the Commander of the Edgewood Arsenal Medical Laboratories formally requested permission to use volunteers in research involving nonlethal psychochemicals. This was largely a result of the Wolff Committee s final report, which included a detailed plan for field experiments involving small units. 

In 1958, Van Sim requested 200 volunteers, to help study the effects of psychochemicals on military tasks. Although the Chief of the Chemical Corps Chief approved this request, the Secretary of the Army apparently had no direct role in the approval. This omission established two precedents (1) a class of chemical agents ( psychochemicals ) could be studied without specificity and (2) an approval could be valid without written endorsement by the Secretary of the Army. 

Personal Letter from Army Private to the Commander of the Medical Research Laboratory, dated 5 December 1970, requesting details of the type of psychochemical drug, dose and possible effects on his future offspring. 

But to me, this book is much more than an introduction to the Edgewood Arsenal. It is an autobiography of the author himself, from a young man with a developing medical career to an older, articulate analyst of today s world of chemical weapons in general, but particularly the instruments of psychochemical warfare. 

Panel on Cholinesterase Reactivator Chemicals Panel on Psychochemicals Panel on Irritants and Vesicants... 

Jean E. Dent, Secretary, Panel on Cholinesterase Reactivator Chemicals, Panel on Psychochemicals, and Panel on Irritants and Vesicants Norman Grossblatt, Editor... 

After completion of Volume 1, three new panels were established to Identify and assess evidence on the possible long-term health effects or delayed sequelae of the three chemical classes tested. This was done over a period of a year, during which each panel met three times. Pertinent material was examined to evaluate the possibility that experimental exposure of soldiers may have resulted in untoward health effects. The three panels were separately concerned with four cholinesterase reactivator chemicals (oximes) two types of psychochemicals (phencyclidine and dlmethylheptylpyran and congeners), administered In pure form, as opposed to street drugs and mustard gas and several lacrlmatory and respiratory irritants (such as CN, CS, CR, and CA). 

The Committee found the evidence on the long-term health effects of the tested psychochemicals to be sparse. The target organs that may be involved in prolonged or delayed effects of phencyclidine are the brain and cardiovascular system. Target mental or cardiovascular effects did not take place within a week of exposure to the drug. No case reports have identified long-term effects or mental or cardiovascular effects soon after first exposure. 

The Committee found the evidence on the long-term health effects of the tested psychochemicals to be sparse. 

An exceptionally well adjusted candidate who impresses the interviewer by his flexibility and ease in handling anxiety and hostile or aggressive lmpluses should be rated A+. These men will be used for such psychochemical tests as are considered to be of greater than usual stress. 

OK for psychochemical testing Low-dose psychochemicals only No psychochemicals Equipment only... 

The present report evaluates toxicologic and epidemiologic data relevant to the testing of approximately 750 subjects exposed to cholinesterase reactivators, about 260 exposed to psychochemicals, and 1,500 exposed to irritants or vesicants. A remaining group of subjects used largely In tests involving placebo or Innocuous chemicals or conditions is available for comparison and will be discussed In Volume 3. 

This report is the work of three panels of scientists—the Panel on Cholinesterase Reactivator Chemicals, the Panel on Psychochemicals, and the Panel on Irritants and Vesicants. The chairman of each panel was selected from the Committee on Toxicology, and the members were selected on the basis of their knowledge of the compounds in question or because they represented required disciplines. 

LSD was among the psychochemicals tested at Edgewood, but its effects were not within the purview of the National Research Council s evaluations. Effects of LSD on 741 soldiers tested at Edgewood are described in a report by the U.S. Army Medical Department and the U.S. Army Health Services Command, issued in February 1980.2... 

BZ (QNB) Quinuclidinebenzillate, an incapacitating psychotomimetic agent developed in the 1950s. This psychochemical hallucinogen substance affects the nervous system, causing fake visual and aural perceptions and a sense of unreality. 

The paper by Stafford shows the ways in which psychedelics tend to be used at present in the community of users. The substance spoken of as "Yage" was probably not Yage, but harmine or harmaline. Of special interest are the use of one psychochemical to ameliorate any difficulty arising from the use of another, and the use of marijuana in conjunction with the experience without any thought that the marijuana might influence the experience. Elements of this experience lead Mr. Stafford to speculate on psychedelics in general and their possible future impact on society. 

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