Morning Glory Seed Psychosis

Abstract

IN ALMOST every culture known to man, intoxicating and mind-altering substances have been used for producing pleasure or for alleviating anxiety or pain. The earliest records of historians make reference to the consumption of wine or beer. Noah's first act on leaving the Ark was the planting of a grape vine. The Greeks and Romans conducted ceremonies honoring their gods of wine, Dionysus and Bacchus, characterized by wild dancing, singing, and drinking to the point of oblivion. As other civilizations emerged, the variety of intoxicating beverages increased. As early as the Assyrians, opium was used medicinally. Its use spread to India and China, where the pleasurable side effects were recognized. Since these early times, man has looked for different means of producing pleasure and relieving his anxieties. Recently, it has been discovered that the seeds of the common, garden varieties of morning glory flower,