Posted by Bob P (129.65.46.87) on June 11, 2001 at 12:39:13:
In Reply to: Great job, Simon - question.... posted by Margi on June 11, 2001 at 11:52:18:
Ergot is a fungas which grows on grain (wheat or rye, I don't remember). It's guessed that some of the people who were thought to be "posessed" in times past, were actually tripping from ergot poisoning from eating infected grain. Also, taking too much and constricting the blood vessels too much, caused a condition called St. Anthony's Fire.
I think the dude who came up with LSD was working with ergots in trying to find a migraine medication. It was later he discovered the psychdelic properties of LSD. Sansert (methesergide) is the synthetic, legal, version of this.
Shrooms have some of the same chemical structure as the other psychadelics and therefore some of the same actions, tripping.
I think that all psychadelics act onthe same parts of the brain. This is where we should be looking.
I'd like to really dig into this if I can ever make the time. Maybe someone else would like to gather info on it and try to start on a hypotesis.
lych
Bob P