Some Effects of Bufotenine and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide on the Monkey
Archives of Neurology And Psychiatry 1956 DOI: 10.1001/archneurpsyc.1956.02330190065004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Anesthetized dogs |
| Intervention | bufotenine |
| Topics | LSD Mescaline |
| Keywords | Pharmacology Traditional medicine Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 52 |
| Key findings | Bufotenine, isolated from Piptadenia peregrina beans used in cohoba snuff, has been linked to hallucinogenic effects similar to mescaline, harmine, and lysergic acid diethylamide, prompting further study of its effects on unanesthetized animals. |
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bufotenine (5 -hydroxy -3 -[2- dimethyl-aminoethyl]-indole) is the N-dimethyl derivative of the vasoconstrictor substance serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine). It was first synthesized by Wieland in 1934. Raymond-Hamet found that intravenous injection of bufotenine caused transient elevation of blood pressure and apnea, followed by tachypnea, in anesthetized dogs.* To date, however, there is little published material concerning the effects of bufotenine on unanesthetized animals. Our interest in such effects was based on the fact that bufotenine was recently isolated from the bean of Piptadenia peregrina,5a bean long known to be the source of cohoba, a narcotic snuff. This snuff has been used by inhabitants of the West Indies to induce hallucinations and mystical states,6states which seem similar to those produced by mescaline, harmine, and lysergic acid diethylamide. It was felt, in view of the reported psychological effects of bufotenine-containing snuff, that it would be worth while to investigate