Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 51 — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

All about the latest magic charms fromthe chemistry lab. HALLUCINOGENS Oe is continually being surprised and impressed by the wealth of new things which are thrown upwards by research. On the other hand it is maintained that there is nothing new. It has ail been said, done or discovered before. Thus if one investigates the new drugs which come into the classification of hallucina- tion-producing substances they may be purer in form, but the ancient Aztec civilisa- tion knew of them before Cortez descended upon them from the Old World. The Aztecs obtained their supplies of their drug, mescaline, from the cactus Anhalonium lewinii in the same way that certain Indian tribes on the U.S. and Mexican borders obtain sup- plies today. This is not the only hal- lucinogen known and to com- plete the list we have the following: Mescaline obtained from the cactus Anhalonium lewinii; IUbogaine obtained from the African Bean; Har- mine from the Jungle Vine; Hashish from Indian hemp; An unknown substance which 102 by GEORGE C. DUNCAN occurs in the fungus Amanita pantherina;Lysergic acid from Rye Rust. It may be as well if a few words of explanation are inserted about the last two of these. Amanita pantherina is a fungus which grows in Siberia and probably for this reason as well as the method of extraction, Western scientists do not appear to have inves- tigated the substance. The natives of the area chew the fungus and the active prin- ciple is excreted in the urine. It is the latter liquid which is used as a means of adminis- tration by drinking. It is reported that the activity remains after having been passed through several people. Lysergic acid has _ been elaborated into a more com- plex but very active substance known as LSD-25. This is chemically lysergic acid di- ethylamide. Mescaline, like LSD-25, is synthesised in the laboratory ‘and made avail- able by the pharmaceutical laboratories in the form of tablets. There is one other hallucino- comiclooks.cormn