Mighty potent Papua Shroom!

[spiders]

Posted from Hermes' post on the shroomery without permission:

'from: the-hive.ws

Boletus Manicus Heim

Benjamin Thomas, B.A.(Hons)*

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 35(3), 393-394 (2003)

Abstract

Boletus manicus Heim [boletaceae] is a species of fungus found in Papua New Guinea. It is reported to have psychoactive properties. The chemistry of this species is poorly understood. The available chemical data indicates that B. manicus contains trace amounts of three unidentified indolic substances. The chemical structure of these substances has not yet been determined. For these indoles to be active in trace amounts they must be as potent as d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Boletus manicus Heim [Family: Boletaceae; Order: Agaricales; Class: Basidiomycetes] is a species of fungi that was originally collected and described by the French mycologist Roger Heim [1900-1979] from Papua New Guinea in the 1960s (Heim 1963). In August to September 1963, Heim visited the Wahgi Valley in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea for three weeks with American ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson [1898-1986] (Heim & Wasson 1965). Heim and Wasson visited the Wahgi Valley to investigate reports by Australian anthropologist Marie Reay [1922-2000] that the Kuma people used apparently hallucinogenic [sic] fungi (Reay 1960). B. manicus has become well known for its psychoactive properties, as a result of many popular books (Rätsch 1998; Dobkin de Rios 1984; Schultes & Hofmann 1979; Emboden 1972). It is reported to produce visual and auditory hallucinations (Thomas 2000: 172)

The chemistry of B. Manicus remains poorly understood and the active principle is unkown (Schultes & Hofmann 1980). However, B. Manicus contain indolic substances (Ratsch 1998: 688;Ott 1993: 422). The presence of these indolic substances was originally reported by Heim(Heim 1965) Heim provided samples of B. Manicus to Albert Hofmann in his Sandoz AG laboratory in Basel, Switzerland, in the 1960s (Hofmann 2001). Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who discovered d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), detected trace amounts of three indolic substances in B. Manicus (Ott 1993: 298 & 422) but "The amounts were too low to allow structural studies" (Hofmann 2001).

Heim has suggested that these indolic substances "could be psychotropic" (Heim 1072: 173). As a result, Heim conducted three bioassays with B. Manicus. These trials with "weak dose"( less than 60 mg; Ott 1993:298) were attemped by Heim, who suggested that "the amount were insufficient to make any definite deductions" (Heim 1972:173).

However, in the second trial, the ingestion of a powder made by crushing the fresh of B. Manicus was followed by "the appearance of several luminous, fleeting visions during the course of a dream" (Heim 19072: 173)

Evidence for the presence of indolic substances in B. manicus can be found in the description of both the visual and auditory effects of these mushrooms (Reay 1977). After ingesting B. manicus Kuma men experienced "Lilliputian hallucinations [sic]" (Reay 1977: 59). Similar hallucinations have been reported with other species of Boletus (Stijve 1997: 33). In China, the ingestion of uncooked boletes has been reported to produce hallucinations of "a whole regiment of 2 cm tall soldiers marching over the table-cloth" (Stijve 1997: 33). "Lilliputian hallucinations [sic]" have also been experienced with the use of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) (O'Rorke 1998: 32). The Kuma experienced "Lilliputian hallucinations [sic]" of bush-demons flying about their heads (Reay 1977: 59). The Kuma regarded bush-demons as "tiny, two-dimensional, and often transparent creatures . . . [and] always identified cartoon figures . . . readily and positively as representations of bush-demons" (Reay 1977: 59). Such demons would "buzz" about their heads. It was reported by one Kuma man who had eaten B. manicus that these demons also made a "strange and terrible noise 'inside his ears' which he interpreted as a bush-demon boxing his ears" (Reay 1977: 59). Psilocybin often produces a similar "buzzing" noise (Beach 1996-1997: 13).

If any of the unidentified indolic substances in B. manicus are psychoactive, then they must be as potent, if not more potent, than LSD (Ott 1999). Assuming that B. manicus contains 1% of these indolic substances, which is a much higher concentration of indoles than Hofmann found in Mexican Psilocybe mushrooms (Hofmann 1960), a 1% concentration would represent less than 0.6 mg (600 µg) of these substances (Ott 1999). Jonathan Ott has suggested that "we know of no fungal indole active at this level" (Ott 1999). The only substance that could explain psychoactivity at or below this level is LSD (Ott 1999). It is, of course, possible that B. manicus might contain LSD. If it does, it is difficult to understand why Albert Hofmann was unable to detect its presence in B. manicus samples that he analyzed in his laboratory. For this reason, it is unlikely that B. manicus does contain LSD. It is possible, however, that B. manicus contains an as yet unidentified psychoactive indolic substance that is more potent than LSD.

References

Beach, H. 1996-1997. Listening for the Logos: A study of reports of audible voices at high doses of psilocybin. Bulletin of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies 6 (1): 12-17.

Dobkin de Rios, M. 1984. Hallucinogens: Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.

Emboden, W.A. 1972. Narcotic Plants. New York: MacMillan Co. Heim, R. 1972. Mushroom madness in the Kuma. Human Biology in Oceania 1: 170-78.

Heim, R. 1965. Les champignons associés à la folie des Kuma. etude descriptive et iconographie. Cahiers du Pacifique 7: 7-64.

Heim, R. 1963. Diagnoses latines des espèces de champignons ou, nonda associès a la folie du komugl taï et du ndaadl. Revue de Mycologie 28 (3-4): 277-83.

Heim, R. & Wasson, R.G. 1965. The "mushroom madness" of the Kuma. Botanical Museum Leaflets (Harvard University) 21(1): 1-36.

Hofmann, A. 2001. Personal communications.

Hofmann, A. 1960. Die psychotropen Wirkstoffe der mexicanischen Zauberpilze. Chimia 14: 309-18.

O'Rorke, I. 1998. Welcome to the leisure dome. The Idler February-March: 30-34.

Ott, J. 1999. Personal communications.

Ott, J. 1993. Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic Drugs, Their Plant Sources and History. Kennewick: Natural Products Co.

Rätsch, C. 1998. Enzyklopädie der Psychoactiven Pflanzen. Botanik, Ethnopharmakologie und Andwendungen Mit einem Vorwort von Albert Hofmann. Aarau: AT Verlag.

Reay, M. 1977. Ritual madness observed: A discarded pattern of fate in

Papua New Guinea. Journal of Pacific History 12: 55-79.

Reay, M. 1960. "Mushroom madness" in the New Guinea highlands. Oceania 31 (2): 137-39.

Schultes, R.E. & Hofmann, A. 1980. The Botany and Chemistry of Hallucinogens. Second Edition. Springfield: C.C. Thomas.

Schultes, R.E. & Hofmann, A. 1979. Plants of the Gods: Origins of Hallucinogenic Use. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Stijve, T. 1997. Hallucinogenic boletes in China? Eleusis: Journal of Psychoactive Plants and Compounds 7: 33.

Thomas, B. 2000. Psychoactive card Xlll: Boletus manicus. Eleusis: Journal of Psychoactive Plants and Compounds 4 (n.s.): 167-74.

* independent anthropologist, Queensland, Australia.

Please address correspondence and reprint request to Benjamin Thomas, P.O. Box 392, Ashgrove, Queensland 4060, Australia. '

[mason]

bluemeanie:

Boletus manicus Heim [Family: Boletaceae; Order: Agaricales; Class: Basidiomycetes]is a species of fungi that was originally collected and described by the French mycologist Roger Heim [1900-1979] from Papua New Guinea in the 1960s (Heim 1963).

This is an excerpt from an excellent (but now dated) book I have on the history of narcotics. It is referring to the same notes by Heim on this "seasonal madness" as stated in the above article. There are pictures, but I have no scanner.

Also noted outside the quote below, the effects of the genus Boletus (note: they seem to vary with the species): tremors, multiple vision, aphasia, sexual delusions and patterned lewdness, jumping and feigned attacks upon creatures seen by the 'mad one'.

"Heim and Wasson concurred in believing that mushroom madness permitted cultural dramas to be enacted harmlessly with the mushroom being the scapegoat. Ror Reay, the madness was 'institutionalized deviance' or a sort of ritualistic rebellion. Amoung those who have worked on the New Guinea mushroom madness, there is controvery as to wheather the mushroom actually lead to psysiologically based madness, or whether it is a combination of social and psychological factors. Nelson has adduced a substantial body of information which supports the contention that it is a chemically based intoxication. Further, he notes that the Kaimbi are unanimous in their judgment that at least two of these mushrooms lead to a madness that is a 'bad trip' and the madness in one instance may last for as long as two months. It is sometimes necessary to overtake the 'mad one' and physically restrain him by binding him with ropes and keeping him near a fire until the delusions have passed."

[ 18. August 2004, 00:01: Message edited by: mason ]

[spiders]

i suffer from sexual delusions on a daily basis...

[matty]

I want one!!!! A mighty papua shroom that is. not a sexual delusiuon