zz1fk@sdccsu3.UUCP (04/12/84)
Does anybody know whether scopalamine was used as a truth serum during WWII? More recently it has been used as a hypnotic. Iseem to remember somewhere that it produced LSD-like effects in large doses, and that this is what caused it to be used as truth drug. My psychopharmacology prof. mentioned it because of it's sleep inducing properties, but didn't mention anything else. Please reply by mail or to net.misc. Thanks in advance- -- fritzz the Zebra- "Gee, you look funny behind bars..."
fish@ihu1g.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (04/13/84)
Yes, scopolamine (a belladonna derivative) was used by the Germans as
a 'truth serum' during WWII. It has been supplanted by sodium pentathol,
a more potent drug.
Belladonna alkaloids in sub-lethal doses produce very unpleasent hallucinogenic
effects. The Mafia purportedly marketed belladonna as LSD in the '60s; it
was subsequently dubbed a "horror drug," because the users has such awful
hallucinations as being covered head to toe by large black spiders.
Scopolamine itself has hypnotic properies at lower doses, and for a time
was used in over-the-counter sleeping pills. It is still used in
"Contac."
--
Bob Fishell
ihnp4!ihu1g!fishsanders@menlo70.UUCP (Rex Sanders) (04/14/84)
I think scopalamine is also being used in anti-seasickness patches worn behind the ear. The drug(s) in the patch slowly move through the skin for a long-term, bu low-level dose.
sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer) (04/20/84)
Any anticholinergic drug which can cross the blood-brain barrier, such as
atropine or scopalamine, can cause hallucinations when given in high
dosage, along with lots of unpleasant anticholinergic side-effects like
fever, bone-dry mouth and increased heart rate. Scopalamine seems to be a
bit more active in this regard than atropine. These hallucinations are
probably more like true "hallucinations" than the perceputal distortions
which drugs like LSD produce--I have heard that it was used as a "truth
serum during WWII, but it's doubtful that it had much effect in eliciting
"truth".
In lower doses, scopalamine has an unpleasant sedative effect, rather like
the sleepiness produced by antihistamines (which probably act the same
way.) It had been a part of many over-the-counter nostrums for sleep, such
as SleepEze and Sominex, but the dosage was always a bit low, because an
effective dosage is too close to one producing side-effects. Scopalamine
is VERY effective in combatting motion sickness (actually the BEST is a
combination of amphetamine and scopalamine--too bad they don't sell it,
eh?) and lately has been sold inbedded in a skin patch to be worn behind
the ear. This transdermal administration leads to constant blood levels
which are effective in combatting motion sickness, while minimizing side
effects.
--
/Steve Dyer
{decvax,linus,ima}!bbncca!sdyer
sdyer@bbncca.ARPA