PEDIATRICS Vol. 42 No. 6 December 1968, pp. 904-911
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SOME ASPECTS OF THE CURRENT DRUG SCENE

With Emphasis on Drugs in Use by Adolescents

Donald B. Louria M.D., F.A.C.P.1

1 Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York

Since antiquity man, both civilized and primitive, has utilized a confused collection of drugs for a variety of purposes, including escapism, pleasure, divination, magic, prophesy, warfare, rituals, and orgies. It is clear that no one drug has a single, entirely predictable effect; rather, the effects are largely dependent on the expectations and underlying personality pattern of the user and on the setting in which the drug is taken. This is well illustrated by the following three quotations.

1. They (the Otomac Indians) have another dreadful way of getting drunk through the nose, using malignant powders called yupa which drive them completely out of their minds so that, beside themselves, they seize any weapon to hand and if the women were not clever enough to stop them and tie them up, they would wreak cruel havoc every day. The Saliva Indians and other tribes also take yupa; but as they are gentle, harmless and cowardly people they do not become infuriated like the Otomacs who . . . get fighting mad with yupa, wound themselves and full of blood and fury go out to fight like raging tigers.1

2. After they had eaten (the mushrooms) and drunk they foregathered on the plain and danced and sang for joy all through the night and day, this on the first day. The following day they all wept a great deal and they said that they cleaned and washed their faces and eyes with their tears (an effect of hallucinogenic mushrooms on Chichimec Indians of Latin America).