Phencyclidine: The Dawn Of A New Age
April, 1956 : The pharmaceutical company Parke & Davis first synthesize what
they believe to be the perfect anesthetic (Souza, 1995). When administered to
patients, it causes a completely dissociative state, with no significant
respiratory or cardiovascular depression. Patients appear to be awake, eyes
open, breathing normally.but are unaware of their surroundings or the procedures
being performed upon them (Souza, 1995). Indeed, this is the perfect drug.
Unfortunately, like all good things, this one has a darker side. 15% of
patients awake from their slumber with what appeared to be an acute case of
paranoid schizophrenia (Peterson; Stillman, 1978). The drug is PCP, and to this
day it ...
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dissolves in water. The cyclohexamines
are known for their the potent neurological effects, with PCP being the most
potent. Almost every variation has been administered to, or abused by, humans at
some time (Nintey Fifth Congress, 1978). All these compounds have similar
pharmacological effects, which vary considerably according to the amount
administered. Small doses produce a `drunken' state, in which subjects report a
numbness in the extremities, while some species (like dogs and cats) become
quite excited (Halberstadt, 1995). Intermediate doses have anesthetic and
analgesic effects , with the psychic state resembling sensory isolation with one
important exception: the sensory impulses (when tested electrophysiologically)
reach the neocortex but "the neuronal signals are grossly distorted"
(Halberstadt, 1995). Large doses, especially of PCP, may produce convulsions.
Any dose produces cataleptoid muscle effects (Halberstadt, 1995). All the
chemicals in this class produce a range ...
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individuals were still able to obtain the drug,
either through theft or home synthesis in a garage laboratory (Nintey Fifth
Congress, 1978). It was distributed under a number of slang terms, including
PeaCe Pill, THC, and Love Boat; and rapidly spread throughout the country as a
result of its low price and availability (Peterson, 1978). There were many
casualties.not because of the drug, but because of its effects. Hospitals also
noticed a sudden increase in paranoid schizophrenic admissions (Peterson, 1978),
which naturally sparked more interest in this enigma of a drug, and raised many
questions: Why were people addicted to a drug which seldom generated "good
trips"? Why (and more ...
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"Phencyclidine: The Dawn Of A New Age." Essayworld.com. August 19, 2004. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Phencyclidine-The-Dawn-Of-New-Age/12939.
"Phencyclidine: The Dawn Of A New Age." Essayworld.com. August 19, 2004. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Phencyclidine-The-Dawn-Of-New-Age/12939.
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