During the 1950s, Parke, Davis & Company was looking for an intravenously administered, short-acting anesthetic that would enable a patient to remain conscious yet pain free throughout an operative procedure. Phencyclidine (PCP), with the trade name Sernyl, initially looked promising for use in brief procedures: It appeared to be safe, and patients reported that they had no memory of what had transpired.
Some patients, however, upon recovering from anesthesia, became highly agitated, were severely confused, had hallucinations, and reported experiencing changes in the size of their body or body parts. Sernyl had little future as an anesthetic for human use, but in 1967 it was re-branded as Sernylan for veterinary use in monkeys and other primates, as well as to immobilize zoo animals; hence, its street name, “animal tranquilizer.”
Starting in 1967 and throughout the 1970s, PCP used alone or in combination with marijuana (cannabis), made its appearance as “hog,” “peace pill,” and “angel dust” throughout the United States. It was inexpensive, readily available, and popular. PCP has been most commonly smoked, but can also be taken orally, snorted, or injected.
Low doses of PCP produce alcohol-like effects, and interest in its recreational use has reemerged in recent years. As the dose increases, changes in body image, hallucinations, extreme aggressiveness, and psychotic behavior resembling schizophrenia—effects that can persist for weeks—occur. Some users have attempted suicide. However, street reports that users have committed extreme acts of violence to themselves or others or that they have been endowed with PCP-induced superhuman strength have rarely been substantiated.
Very high doses of PCP can cause a coma that persists for seven to ten days, seizures, depressed breathing, marked elevations in body temperature, and a breakdown of muscle tissues. No specific antidotes exist to counteract PCP toxicity. Treatment involves supporting the patient, controlling the symptoms, and attempting to hasten the drug’s removal from the body via the urine.
SEE ALSO Alcohol (c. 10,000 BCE), Cannabis (c. 3000 BCE), Mescaline (1897), LSD (1943).
When phencyclidine was being tested as a potential anesthetic, it produced very frightening nightmares, hallucinations, delusions, and delirium.