About combat incapacitants

Hello %username%.

gjf back in touch.

I immediately apologize if previous article seemed too boring to you, but in some matters I completely lose my sense of humor.

And I apologize if I ruined the illusions of some readers.

But following the results of the vote, we will talk about military drugs. But these are not some mythical drugs that will make a Universal Soldier out of a frail nerd.

This is not at all the case.

When I was just starting to study the topic, I was most interested in incapacitants. Still: at some stage, humanity suddenly realized that if everyone was poisoned with something like phosgene and V-gases, there would be no humanity left!

Incapacitants are much more interesting! By definition, "incapacitants are substances that temporarily incapacitate manpower." It is "out of order" - but not to death.

In my life, I have come across information that quite a few subgroups are classified as incapacitants:
Some creepy list I found online

1. Algogens are substances that cause severe pain when in contact with the skin. Currently, there are compositions for sale for the self-defense of the population. They often also have a lachrymal effect. Example: 1-methoxy-1,3,5-cycloheptatriene, dibenzoxazepine, capsaicin, pelargonic acid morpholide, resiniferatoxin, phorbol esters, cycloheptatriene.
2. Anxiogens cause an acute panic attack in a person. Examples: cholecystokinin type B receptor agonists.
3. Anticoagulants - reduce blood clotting, causing bleeding. Examples: superwarfarin, dicoumarin derivatives.
4. Attractants - attract various insects or animals (for example, stinging, unpleasant) to a person. This can lead to a panic reaction in a person or provoke an insect attack on a person. They can also be used to attract pests to enemy crops. Example: 3,11-dimethyl-2-nonacosanone (cockroach attractant).
5. Aphrodisiacs - cause a strong increase in sexual desire. According to the researchers, this can provoke conflicts in an almost same-sex military team. Examples: Viagra, Cialis.
6. Smelly (malodorants) - cause the removal of people from the territory or from a certain person due to the aversion of people to the unpleasant smell of the area (person). Either the substances themselves or the products of their metabolism can have an unpleasant odor. Examples: mercaptans, isonitriles, selenols, sodium tellurite, geosmin, benzcyclopropane.
7. Causing pain in the muscles - cause severe pain in the muscles of a person. Examples: thymol amino esters.
8. Causing hair loss - the purpose of use is to influence socially active people, to reduce external attractiveness. Examples: thallium salts.
9. Antihypertensive drugs - greatly lower blood pressure, causing orthostatic collapse, as a result of which a person loses consciousness or the ability to move. Examples: clonidine, canbisol, analogues of platelet activating factor.
10. Hormonal drugs - affect many body systems in very small concentrations, which can cause changes in well-being and emotional state. Metabolically stable forms of hormones are often developed. Examples: insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, glucocorticoids.
11. Denaturants - give an unpleasant taste to food products, as a result of which hunger can develop in the affected areas. Examples: denatonium salts, quinine.
12. Castrators - cause chemical castration (loss to reproduction). Examples: gossypol.
13. Catatonic - cause the development of catatonia in the affected. Usually attributed to the type of psychochemical toxic substances. Examples: bulbocapnin.
14. Peripheral muscle relaxants - cause complete relaxation of skeletal muscles. Can cause death due to relaxation of the respiratory muscles. Examples: tubocurarine, dithylin.
15. Central muscle relaxants - cause relaxation of skeletal muscles. Unlike peripheral ones, they affect breathing less and their detoxification is difficult. Examples: myorelaxin, phenylglycerin, benzimidazole.
16. Diuretic - cause a sharp acceleration in the emptying of the bladder. Examples: furosemide.
17. Anesthesia - cause anesthesia in healthy people. So far, the use of this group of substances is hampered by the low biological activity of the substances used. Examples: isoflurane, halothane.
18. Truth drugs cause people to become unable to consciously tell lies. Currently, it has been shown that this method does not guarantee the complete truthfulness of a person and their use is limited. Usually these are not individual substances, but a combination of barbiturates with stimulants.
19. Narcotic analgesics - in doses higher than therapeutic, have an immobilizing effect. Can be addictive. Examples: fentanyl, carfentanil, 14-methoxymethopone, etorphine, dihydroetorphine.
20. Memory Disorders - Causes temporary memory loss. Often toxic. Examples: cycloheximide, domoic acid, many anticholinergics, some benzdiazepines.
21. Antipsychotics - cause motor and mental retardation in humans. Examples: haloperidol, spiperone, fluphenazine.
22. Irreversible MAO inhibitors are a group of substances blocking monoamine oxidase. As a result, when eating foods high in natural amines (cheeses, chocolate), a hypertensive crisis is provoked. Examples: nialamide, pargyline.
23. Will suppressors - cause a violation of the ability to make independent decisions. They are substances of different groups. Example: scopolamine.
24. Prurigens cause intolerable itching. For example: 1,2-dithiocyanoethane.
25. Psychotomimetic drugs - cause psychosis, which lasts for some time, during which a person cannot make adequate decisions. Example: BZ, LSD, mescaline, DMT, DOB, DOM, cannabinoids, PCP, psilocybin, DET, DMHP.
26. Laxatives - cause a sharp acceleration in the emptying of the contents of the intestine. With prolonged action of drugs in this group, exhaustion of the body may develop. Examples: bisacodyl.
27. Tear agents (lachrymators) - cause severe lacrimation and closure of the eyelids in a person, as a result of which a person temporarily cannot see what is happening around and loses combat effectiveness. There are standard-issue poisonous substances used to disperse demonstrations. Examples: chloroacetophenone, bromoacetone, bromobenzyl cyanide, trialkyl lead salts, ethyl bromoacetate, ethyliodoacetate, ortho-chlorobenzylidenemalonodinitrile (CS).
28. Sleeping pills - cause a person to fall asleep. Examples: flunitrazepam, barbiturates.
29. Sternitis - cause uncontrollable sneezing and coughing, as a result of which a person can throw off a gas mask. There are regular OV. Examples: adamsite, diphenylchlorarsine, diphenylcyanarsine.
30. Tremorgens - cause convulsive twitches of skeletal muscles. Examples: tremorine, oxotremorine, tremorogenic mycotoxins.
31. Photosensitizers - increase the sensitivity of the skin to the sun's ultraviolet rays. When exposed to sunlight, a person can get painful burns. Examples: hypericin, furocoumarins.
32. Emetics (emetics) - cause a gag reflex, as a result of which being in a gas mask becomes impossible. Examples: apomorphine derivatives, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, PHNO, aminotetralin derivatives.

Since this is Habr, and this opus is not written by a doctor of sciences, major general chem. troops, Corresponding Member. and so on and so forth, then I take the liberty of challenging this list.
The argument will be short, one-sided, very unprofessional and highly subjective."Truth drugs" must be administered intravenously - and at the same time, a psychological effect on a person is necessary. How to use it in a combat situation? Yes, and “examples” are very controversial: for example, “castrator” gossypol is a natural polyphenol that has antiviral, antimicrobial, antiprotozoal, antioxidant properties, and antitumor activity. I have not seen information anywhere that it is used for chemical castration: it is not a hormone like cyproterone acetate, from which even a typical macho will grow boobs, and not a neuroleptic like benperidol, from which you don’t want anything at all. Apparently, the role of the "castrators" in reducing the combat ability of the authors changed a lot after the story of Theon Greyjoy - well, nothing, he even showed himself very well then, yes.

Smelly substances will scare away warriors? This was written by someone who had never been to the barracks.

And yet - scopolamine - a suppressor of will? Bugaga.

Therefore, I will not attempt to present examples from this list for each group. Perhaps they exist, but they are classified, perhaps they are just the fantasies of the authors who presented them, or perhaps I just don’t want to )))

Also, the group of irritants is boring to me - this is the sum of lachrymators (which makes you cry) and sternites (which makes you cough). I will not consider irritants - firstly, they are also a problem - they do not last long, especially if you leave the affected area, and with some, an accidental fail can happen at all, to CS in Vietnam (however, after defoliants, I don’t think it’s was the biggest problem). Well, secondly, as I understand it, long reads tire the reader)

And therefore, %username%, let's talk about much more interesting things!

There will be no hit parade this time, so let everyone choose their own favorite.

Fluorothane (halothane)

Fluorothane is the most boring, simple and uninteresting incapacitant. It is a colorless, non-flammable and volatile liquid (boiling point about 50°C). Smells like chloroform.

Fluorothane anesthesia is used in various operations, including cavitary (on the organs of the abdominal or thoracic cavity), in children and the elderly, in patients with bronchial asthma. The use of halothane anesthesia is especially useful in cases where excitation and stress of the patient should be avoided (for example, in neurosurgery, ophthalmology, etc.). For introduction into anesthesia, they begin with the supply of halothane at a concentration of 0,5 vol.% (with oxygen), then within 1,5-3 minutes increase it to 3-4 vol.%. To maintain the surgical stage of anesthesia, a concentration of 0,5-2 vol.% is used.

When using halothane, consciousness usually turns off 1-2 minutes after the start of inhalation of its vapors. After 3-5 minutes, the surgical stage of anesthesia begins. After 3-5 minutes after stopping the supply of halothane, patients begin to wake up. Anesthetized depression completely disappears 5-10 minutes after short-term and 30-40 minutes after prolonged anesthesia. Excitation is observed rarely and is poorly expressed. There is no respiratory irritation at all.

They say that you should not mess with halothane, because in some cases it causes severe liver damage (halothane hepatitis). Mostly hepatitis occurs in people over 40 years of age, and more often in women than in men. The toxic effect of halothane is due not only to direct influence, but also to the formation of toxic metabolites (trifluoroacetic acid, trifluoroethanol, trifluoroacetaldehyde).

But since halothane vapors are about 6,7 times heavier than air, it was actually considered as a variant of “sleeping gas”, the disadvantage is that you need to act quickly, because after the vapors disperse, after 5 minutes everyone will wake up.

Isoflurane has the same properties.
Isoflurane

Such an entry-level incapacitant. But they discover the Great and Terrible group of physicists - substances that cause short-term disorders - physical or physiological.

Who else do we have here?

Apomorphine

Well, apomorphine is probably well known to those who are prone to suicide at least once experienced food poisoning. Yes, yes, this is a drug that is obtained from morphine when it is exposed to hydrochloric acid. This removes the oxygen bridge characteristic of morphine alkaloids and, as a result of molecular rearrangement, a new four-cyclic compound is formed.

All drug addicts should stand and not run to the pharmacy - although apomorphine retains some of the properties of its father, its main effect is different: it is the strongest emetic drug. 0,01 mg/kg causes the following pleasant sensations: at first you, %username%, seem to be swayed: pallor, cold sweat, nausea - if you have never been swayed, then go ahead - you are guaranteed to understand how it is. Then, after about 3-10 minutes, you will immediately begin to vomit profusely and uncontrollably. No, it’s not like “vomiting” like sometimes after drinking - no: you will literally fraternize with a white friend who is probably in your apartment in a place of honor. It will take about an hour to hug him and call Ichthyander - constantly, with rare interruptions. Then he will let go - a slight weakness and everything will pass.

Is it clear now why apomorphine is used in torture for poisoning?

It is clear that a brave soldier, who is irresistibly torn to his homeland, is of little use in battle. There is only one drawback: apomorphine must be injected into the bloodstream or inhaled into the nose. To drink it with some water for the effect, you need a lot (more than 10 mg) - moreover, in a gelatin capsule with ascorbic acid, otherwise the substance will fall apart in the stomach. It won't work that way in a fight.

By the way, complete alcoholics are often trained with apomorphine. The training method is simple: apomorphine hydrochloride is injected under the skin in a single dose of 0,002 g to 0,01 g, individually selecting the dose that causes vomiting in this patient. After 3-4 minutes after the introduction of apomorphine, give the patient a glass with 30-50 ml of an alcoholic drink, which he abuses. At the onset of nausea, they suggest drinking a sip of the drink, after which you should sniff it and rinse your mouth with it. When nausea increases sharply and the patient feels the approach of vomiting, he should drink another sip of alcoholic beverage. Usually 1-15 minutes after the onset of nausea, vomiting develops. Sessions are carried out 1-2 times a day. Pavlov applauds.

There are other substances with a similar effect. Here is the closest example:
Licorin

No one receives lycorine, it is isolated: it is an alkaloid contained in a number of plants of the Amaryllis family, especially in plants of the genera Clivia, Crinum, Galanthus, Ungernia.
The drug is about 50 times weaker than apomorphine, but it causes vomiting even when poisoned with neuroleptics - therefore, we are especially fond of suicidal people.

Fentanyl

I have a personal dislike for this substance, but that's another story. Fentanyl is a narcotic analgesic. In medical practice, it is used in the form of citrate. It has a strong, fast analgesic effect. In Russian - they stick out from him. And strongly. Like heroin.

When parenterally administered to animals, it causes analgesia at doses that are thousandths to hundredths of a mg/kg. The effect comes in 2-10 minutes. Lethal dose of fentanyl for intravenous administration of fentanyl LD50 = 3–5 mg/kg. Fentanyl causes loss of sensation in humans at oral doses of 0,05-0,1 mg/kg, and at doses above 0,2 mg/kg, convulsions already occur.

Well, it is clear that the brave chemists did not stop at fentanyl and began to actively look for what to do with it, so that it would come out faster, higher, stronger. Well, I must say - it worked. Some progress below.

Carfentanil

The biggest success. One of the most powerful opioids, one unit of carfentanil is 100 times more powerful than the same amount of fentanyl, 5000 times more powerful than a unit of heroin, and 10 times more powerful than a unit of morphine. The median analgesic activity ED000 (well, it worked on 50% of the subjects) for this substance when administered intravenously to rats is 50 μg / kg, the median lethal dose LD0,41 (here 50% died) - 50 mg / kg, exposure on the human body begins with 3,39 mcg.

In peacetime, carfentanil is used as a tranquilizer for elephants: if you, %username%, keep an elephant at home, then you should know that two milligrams of carfentanil is enough to put him to sleep. Commercially, this thing is produced: the drug is on the pharmaceutical market under the brand name Wildnil as a general anesthetic intended for large animals - very high activity does not suggest its use in humans. If you are interested, the most powerful opioid currently used for medical purposes in humans is sufentanil, which is about 10-20 times inferior to carfentanil. By the way, ohmefentanil is also used for animals. And yes, all these “flying syringes” are from this topic.

One well-known example of the use of carfentanil in veterinary practice is an episode of the Discovery TV documentary series Animal Cops: Houston, in which a brown bear was euthanized with carfentanil (diluted in honey) for safe transportation from an abusive private owner in the South. Texas to the Houston Zoo.

According to a number of experts, not confirmed by Russian law enforcement agencies, an aerosol based on carfentanil was used during the storming of the Theater Center on Dubrovka in Moscow in 2002 to reduce the likelihood of terrorists detonating explosive devices. This conclusion was drawn from the fact that emergency medical services were instructed (with delay and without disclosing the nature of the agent) to use opioid antagonists. Due to the lack of information, physicians could not develop a resuscitation strategy and provide a sufficient amount of naloxone and naltrexone used for this purpose to successfully treat all victims. Assuming that carfentanil was the only active ingredient in the sleeping spray, opioid-induced apnea could be the main cause of death, in which case artificial respiration and antagonists applied on the spot (instead of transport to clinics) could save the lives of most or all of the victims.

I emphasize once again: I was not there, I am writing what is in open sources, and therefore I will say that there are still opinions that:

• Not carfentanil was used, but 3-methylfentanyl (will be below).
• Fluorotan was used (was higher).
• BZ was used (it will be completely below).

In short, %username%, if you have any more questions about this, call +74952242222.

alfentanil

Alfentanil is the very younger brother of carfentanil. At a dose of 0,0025 mg/kg, a tremor occurs in humans, and at a dose of 0,175 mg/kg, a person is immobilized 4–5 minutes after ingestion. It is reported that the US National Institute of Justice, when looking for substances that can immobilize criminals without harming them, also used alfentanil. It turned out, however, that it is worth exceeding the therapeutic dose by 4 times, as there is a danger of fatal respiratory arrest. In the end, the researchers had to abandon the experiments with alfentanil and look for safer substances. Especially famous was 1972-methylfentanyl, synthesized in 3, a powerful drug and analgesic, more active than heroin by 500–2000 times. When administered by inhalation, 3-methylfentanyl surpasses many psychomimetics in terms of activity.

3-methylfentanyl

Knowing about the properties of fentanyl derivatives, some decided to make their own poison with performance and harlots - and α-methylfentanyl appeared. This stuff is a vicious drug, the easiest to synthesize among all fentanyl derivatives. Features: destroys lives and those who accept it, and those who make it. Basically, I won't write anything about it. Sorry %username%.

By the way, to immobilize - it is not necessary to pump up drugs. The following compound also has an immobilizing effect:

0,001 mg / kg causes physical impotence, however, quickly passing. To become exhausted forever, you have to overeat: the toxic dose is 1000 times higher.
Honestly: I have already forgotten the trivial everyday name of this substance, but I found the formula. Enjoy.

Upping the ante, %username%!

Sernil

Sernil, or phencyclidine, or SN according to the nomenclature of foreign services in doses of 0,03-1 mg / kg, after a period of latent action of up to one hour, begins to work very funny: there is a periodic change in the state of excitement and depression. I don’t know how to convey this range of feelings, but in the end the body gets tired very quickly. There is a feeling of deep loneliness and isolation, then - negativism and hostility. 8-10 hours after the intake of sernil, the symptoms differ little from those in schizophrenia.

If you overdo it a bit, then at 2 mg / kg catalepsy is possible for up to 3 days. This is when you sit, look out the window and do not move. But there are pluses - you can exhibit in some gallery ...

This miracle was created in the 1950s in the USA and was even initially used for medical purposes right up to 1965. Since 1979, sernyl has been banned from use and production.

By the way, an interesting contingent of your court may know sernil as PCP, Peace pill, angel dust (Angel dust) - yes, Aria sings about it, HOG, Killer weed, KJ, Embalming fluid, Rocker fuel, Sherms, etc.

Cernil is very addictive very quickly, in addition, this comrade is extremely jealous of other sources of worldly pleasures: in combination with other substances - for example, alcohol, marijuana or benzodiazepines - it can lead to coma.

A friend and colleague of sernil is this:
Some garbage

This is the second substance for which I forgot the trivial name. Now you know my crappy handwriting, %username%! Believe me - it's worse than any poison.

This garbage in doses of 60-210 mcg / kg acts after 0,5-2 hours if inside, and if you inhale or prick - then after 5 minutes. On average, only 5 mg is needed per person.

When affected, the symptoms are very similar to sernil. Soon after intoxication, weakness, dizziness, trembling and muscle twitching will appear, then nausea, numbness in the mouth and speech disorder appear. And now, in about an hour, the main thing will begin. The ability to concentrate and think, the sense of time and space will be lost. Coordination is disturbed, conditioned reflexes are distorted. And most importantly: hallucinations. colorful. Auditory and visual. But the trouble is all terrible. Against the backdrop of an ongoing feeling of fear and horror - this is something. You will be afraid, hear and see what you are afraid of for a long 5-6 hours, and if you are lucky enough to grab 200 mcg / kg or more, complete depersonalization occurs, you, %username%, are no longer %username% - but a small shrinking shaking a creature that cries, sobs and is AFRAID. Is it really fun?

So much fun that the most famous psychotropic incapacitants are associated with a hallucinogenic effect.

So let's meet - LSD

Behind the word "LSD", by the way, is the name of this masterpiece - N,N-diethylamide of D-lysergic acid. Well, it's like if you are by name and patronymic.

Really, %username%, I don't know how and why, on November 16, 1938, the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in Basel obtained LSD-25 from lysergic acid (25 because it was the 25th compound he synthesized). Mankind already knew about the toxicity of ergot ergotoxins, Arthur Stoll in the Sandoz laboratory even isolated ergotamine from sclerotia in 1918 - but studied it in the light of a stimulating effect on the muscles of the uterus. I don't think Hofmann had uterine problems, but he got LSD anyway. Clap him (although he has already died, but not from this).

And so, on April 19, 1943, Hofmann, as a true scientist (hmm?), Accepted what he synthesized. 250 micrograms. Bottom line: after a while, dizziness and anxiety began to appear. Soon the effect became so strong that Albert could no longer form coherent sentences and, observed by his assistant, informed of the experiment, he rode his bicycle home. The trip turned out to be fascinating: Hofmann's subjective sensations - a very slow ride - did not correspond to the objective ones: he drove like a stimulated guinea pig. At the same time, the familiar boulevard on the way to the house turned for Hofmann into a painting by Salvador Dali: it seemed to him that the buildings were covered with small ripples.

After Hofmann got home, he asked an assistant to call a doctor and ask a neighbor for milk, which he chose as a common antidote for poisoning.

The arriving doctor could not find any abnormalities in the patient, except for dilated pupils. However, for several hours Hofmann was in a state of delirium: it seemed to him that he had become possessed by demons, that his neighbor was a witch, that the furniture in his house threatened him. Then the feeling of anxiety receded, it was replaced by multi-colored images in the form of circles and spirals, which did not disappear even with closed eyes. Hofmann also said that the sound of a passing car was perceived by him in the form of an optical image.

On April 22, he wrote about his experiment and experience, and later included this note in his book LSD - My Problem Child.

In the preface to his book, Hofmann wrote, in part, that he became a chemist because of his desire for absolute oneness with nature. He was looking for substances that expand a person's ability to perceive the world around him in its entirety. However, at the time of writing the book, the scientist already knew that the connection he discovered not only expands consciousness, but can also destroy the human psyche, leading to catastrophic consequences.

“Intentional induction of mystical experiences, in particular with the help of LSD and similar hallucinogens, in comparison with spontaneous visionary experience, entails dangers that should not be underestimated. Practitioners must take into account some of the effects of these substances, namely their ability to influence our consciousness, the deepest essence of ourselves. The history of LSD to date sufficiently demonstrates the catastrophic consequences that can ensue when the depth of its effects is underestimated and the substance is perceived as a drug to be taken for pleasure. Misuse and inappropriate use has made LSD a difficult child for me."

- “LSD is my difficult child”, A. Hofmann.

However, since then, April 19, 1943, some adherents call "Bicycle Day" and even celebrate. In my own way.
Holiday stamp. What's on the stamp on the other side - guess?

The mechanism of action of LSD is quite complex. First of all, this substance is a structural analogue of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates the state of rest, sleep, and energy storage. The antiserotonin action of LSD leads to hallucinations. In addition to a low-specific serotoninolytic (a substance that blocks the receptors of nerve synapses in which serotonin is a mediator), LSD also has an inhibitory effect on serotonin monoamine oxidase (MAO), as well as on MAO of other mediators - γ-aminobutyric acid, histamine and norepinephrine. In short, the effect is quite diverse and it must be said that it has not been fully studied.

For some time it was assumed that the study of a new drug will help to understand the nature of schizophrenia, which is also characterized by problems with the work of serotonin. However, many scientists did not believe that psychedelic and schizophrenic psychosis were identical. Despite some similarities, the hypothesis of a single nature of schizophrenia and the action of LSD has been refuted.

Anyway, LSD research was active in the 1960s - and I'm talking about quite a peaceful study of scientists at universities in the USA and other countries. The most famous were the studies of Stanislav Grof and Timothy Leary. The latter actively promoted this psychotropic substance, as he believed that the beneficial effect of it exceeded the possible side effects. In addition, he gave LSD to some students without warning them of the name, as was often the practice in psychedelic research during this period. Subsequently, Timothy Leary was actively persecuted by the authorities, including because of his aggressive position about the benefits of "expansion of consciousness" for a person.

In 1977, during a US Senate hearing, CIA Director Stansfield Turner admitted that the CIA had been conducting a series of LSD experiments on humans since the early 1960s without their consent or knowledge (the MK Ultra program). Many Americans were subjected to such experiments, among which were, in particular, prisoners, patients in psychiatric hospitals and patients in cancer centers, nurses, "other medical personnel." Some of the test subjects at the same time "appeared the first symptoms of schizophrenia."

A wave of craze for psychotropic substances and LSD swept across America, which strongly influenced the formation of the counterculture of the sixties and seventies. Dr. Leary's famous phrase has become a motto for psychedelic addicts: "Turn on, tune in, drop out." The word fall out meant a departure from the conservative mores and lifestyle of the main part of society.

In 1966, the United States banned the production, distribution and consumption. The drug was banned even for laboratory research.
And of course LSD was loved by creative people.

• When The Beatles recorded the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", John Lennon attributed the origin of the song's title to the way his son Julian dubbed his drawing. However, many saw in this name a hint of the drug LSD, because it was such an abbreviation that was formed from its first letters, and the BBC banned the song from rotation altogether. Paul McCartney later revealed that the influence of LSD on the song is pretty obvious.
• Fans of LSD were such prominent scientists as Francis Crick, one of the pioneers in the study of the structure and functions of DNA, and Stanislav Grof, who was engaged in transpersonal psychology. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates also turned to the drug. Jobs describes his LSD experience as "one of the two or three most important things to do in life." By the way, Jobs died of pancreatic cancer, and Gates is one of the champions in terms of funds donated to charity. Most likely it has nothing to do with it.
• It is a well-known fact that it was LSD that was used "for inspiration" by world-famous writers Aldous Huxley ("Brave New World"), Kurt Vonnegut ("Cat's Cradle"), Ken Kesey ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), as well as such musicians like John Lennon, Syd Barrett, Jim Morrison, etc.
• By the way, in the movie "Black Mirror. Bandersnatch, the hero and a friend experience the effects of LSD very similar to the present.

But back to our topic. At the time of the discovery of LSD, the soldiers and secret services had a whole list of various ready-made substances with a similar effect: mescaline, psilocybin, TMA, THC, nalorphine, harmine, DOM, DMT, ibotenic acid ... Even the same N,N-dimethylamide of acetic acid - and that at 400 mg / kg causes depression, disorientation, visual hallucinations, delirium and lethargy - moreover, reliably, for 7 days!

But they still chose LSD. Why?

• For a reliable flight, 0,1-0,2 mg per teetotaler and 0,3-0,5 mg per drinker is enough (yes, that's right!). THIS IS VERY SMALL! Therefore, in interesting places they don’t sell LSD pills - they sell brands, licking which you are guaranteed to get the right dose.
• LSD is highly soluble in water (as tartrate) and fairly stable.
• The lethal dose is about 100 mg per person, which is 500-1000 times higher than the current one. It is quite difficult to kill (but from the above-mentioned N,N-dimethylamide of acetic acid, by the way, 1 person out of 3 wakes up).
• There is no cumulative effect.
• There is no addiction, at least physiological.
• "Carries away" for at least 5 hours - a maximum of 2 days.

So the drug not only got into the annals, but was also adopted under the clear and understandable code LSD. And they synthesized analogues! True, they all failed.
The main analogues of LSD (in brackets their hallucinogenic activity in relation to LSD in%)

• 2-bromo-LSD (7%, the effect occurs only in 2% of the subjects, 1,5 times more active antiserotonin agent than LSD, abbreviation - BOL);
• lysergic acid amide (0%);
• lysergic acid dimethylamide (10%);
• lysergic acid monoethylamide (5-10%);
• lysergic acid morpholide (30%);
• 1-acetyl-LSD (100%, but the duration of action is 2-3 times shorter, and the vegetative effects are more pronounced, the designation is ALD-52);
• 1-methyl-LSD (36%, 4 times more active than LSD in antiserotonin activity);
• 1-methoxy-LSD (66%);
• lysergic acid pyrrolidide (5%).

The disadvantage of LSD would be obvious: ergot was needed for synthesis, it had to be grown, it gave little lysergic acid - the product turned out to be expensive. The search began for something that would be no worse. And they did find it!
BZ

No, %username%, "BZ" has nothing to do with any sounds of organic origin. And the fact that “BZ” with an error with the layout turns out to be “IYA” is a mere coincidence. Maybe.

BZ - 3-quinuclidyl ester of benzyl acid is a psychotomimetic from the group of glycolates.
It was invented by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Hoffman-LaRoche in 1951 - the company was researching antispasmodics for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. And what turned out to be inappropriate for an ulcer turned out to be very suitable for other purposes (well, with Viagra, by the way, it also happened).

During this time, the United States military was scrambling to find possible non-lethal, incapacitating psychoactive drugs, including psychedelic drugs such as LSD and THC, dissociative drugs such as ketamine and phencyclidine, potent opioids such as fentanyl, and several glycolate anticholinergics. funds. And that's where it got lucky.

The drug was originally designated "TK", but when it was standardized by the Army in 1961, it was given the NATO code name "BZ". The agent commonly became known as "Buzz" because of this acronym and the effects it had on the mental state of human volunteers in scientific research at the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland.

In 1962, at the Pine Bluff military base (Arkansas), an installation for the production of BZ substance on an industrial scale was launched. Its combat effectiveness was evaluated during field trials that ended in 1966.

Since BZ is white crystals with a melting point of 190 °C, low volatility and high thermal stability, cluster bombs were used that scattered pyrotechnic "smoking" bombs with BZ over about 1,2 hectares. There were also "generators" filled with 5-6 kg of BZ. Also, options for infecting fragments, bullets and other things were considered.

BZ acts in the form of an aerosol at concentrations of the order of 110 mg * min / l - and it is really difficult to kill with this substance, it was noted that the elderly, children and people with respiratory diseases are in the danger group.

The onset is normal: dilated pupils, dry mouth, increased heart rate. After 30-60 minutes, the main act of the drama begins: a weakening of attention and memory, a decrease in reactions to external stimuli, pronounced oppression and disorientation in the environment. After 1-4 hours, severe tachycardia, confusion, loss of contact with the outside world are noted. Hallucinations are so strong that the unfortunate person cannot understand what is really happening, and what he thinks. This is a lot of fun, %username%. You're laughing, damn it.

As a result, aggressive negativism develops: a person does the opposite of what is offered to him. At what very often - with outbursts of anger. This frenzy lasts up to 4-5 days, residual disorders - up to 2-3 weeks. Partial or complete memory loss is possible.

The mechanism of action of BZ is no less complex than that of LSD. BZ is an antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, that is, in fact, it is an anticholinergic that disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses involving acetylcholine - yes,% username%, just like VX, but there are nuances. The nuance is in the high ratio of the toxic dose to the active one: in BZ this ratio is about 40 times (range from 32 to 384 times), that is, in fact, the effect of BZ is a very, very small poisoning. In short, the devil himself will break his leg there, but dope, diphenhydramine and taren (aprofen) are brothers in the mechanism of action with BZ. Well, maybe not relatives, but definitely cousins.

There is a mention of the use of the substance during the Vietnam War, but the results are reported only that they were "satisfactory."

Paul Robeson is believed to have been poisoned with BZ in 1961, causing a bout of hallucinations and severe depression.

In February 1998, the UK Ministry of Defense accused Iraq of possessing large quantities of the glycolate anticholinergic "Agent 15". Agent 15 was assumed to be chemically either identical to or closely related to BZ, and was stored in large numbers before and during the Gulf War. However, after the war, the CIA concluded that Iraq had not stockpiled or fielded Agent 15.

In January 2013, an unidentified U.S. administration official, referring to an undisclosed U.S. State Department cable, stated that "Syrian contacts strongly suggest that Agent 15, a BZ-like hallucinogenic chemical, was used in Homs." However, in response to these reports, a U.S. National Security Council spokesman stated, "The reports we have seen from the media about alleged chemical weapons incidents in Syria do not match what we believe to be true about the Syrian chemical weapons program." The chemical was also allegedly used in attacks in Ghouta in August 2013.

On April 14, 2018, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that experts from the Swiss Center for Radiological and Chemo-Radiological Analysis in the city of Spitz, who analyzed samples of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons from the site of the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, found traces in these samples b.z. On April 18, at a meeting of the OPCW's executive council, Ahmet Üzümcü, its director general, explained that the BZ precursor was used as a control sample to check the quality of laboratories and had nothing to do with the samples from Salisbury.

As they write, in 1988-1990, all stocks of BZ in the United States were eliminated along with industrial production. Now the only pilot plant on the planet, located in the city of Edgewood (USA), allows you to produce up to 20 tons / year, while outside the United States the total production capacity does not reach even 1 t / year, since the problem has not been solved this way for all the time effective production of its precursor, 3-quinuclidol. So they say, I don't know. But I know that there were attempts to replace it - the most famous one is ditran.
Ditran is actually a mixture of this composition

At a dose of 5-15 mg, this mixture is believed to cause symptoms similar to BZ that develop within an hour.

Currently, psychotropic drugs are not officially in service with the countries of the world. But observing some mass events in neighboring countries and not so much - I strongly doubt that this is so. The armies may not be standing, but the special services are clearly working.

Well, this is how the story turned out.

Let's see if you like it, %username%. There will be no voting this time - everything will be shown by the rating of the article.

Unfortunately, on Saturday I will begin another time of long-distance and not very business trips - and therefore there will be little time for creativity - I will go on another sabbatical. And since there is little time, and for now, there is only one more or less formed story in my head about yellow phosphorus and the accident near Lviv associated with it, then if it turns out that I am still interesting, I will share this story with you.

Well, if not, well, I tried.

Good luck and don't worry! Neither physically nor mentally...

Source: habr.com