Archives of Internal Medicine
June 12, 2006
Maura Paul‐labrador, Donna M. Polk, James H. Dwyer et al.
282 citations
Transcendental meditation, practiced for 16 weeks, improved blood pressure and insulin resistance in patients with stable coronary heart disease compared with health education alone. Systolic blood pressure fell by 3.4 mm Hg in the meditation group while rising 2.8 mm Hg in controls; insulin resistance decreased by 0.75 units in the meditation group versus an increase of 0.52 units in controls. Heart rate variability, a measure of cardiac autonomic tone, also improved modestly. No effect was seen on endothelial function. The findings suggest that transcendental meditation may help manage coronary heart disease risk by modulating the body's response to stress.
Archives of Internal Medicine
August 1, 1968
65 citations
No Summary
Archives of Internal Medicine
October 1, 1981
David Simpson
55 citations
Methylenedioxyamphetamine, a street drug structurally similar to mescaline and amphetamine, can cause severe toxicity beyond hallucinations. A patient exhibited sympathomimetic effects, coma, seizures, hyperreflexia, and hyperthermia. Despite initial stabilization, uncontrollable hyperthermia, hematologic abnormalities, and coma led to death. Hyperthermia involves both central and peripheral mechanisms, so phentolamine (Regitine) mesylate may be the preferred treatment. The drug is not merely a mild hallucinogen.
Archives of Internal Medicine
February 1, 1971
Jack D. Sobel
37 citations
A 14-year-old boy with no prior epilepsy, neurological disease, or head trauma experienced a generalized seizure with eye rolling, clonic and tonic movements, and loss of consciousness after ingesting four LSD capsules. For a month before the seizure, his mother had noted episodes of elation and drowsiness. Physical examination showed mild lethargy, restlessness, blood pressure 102/70 mm Hg, pulse 88 beats per minute, respiratory rate 16 per minute, and temperature 100.6°F. This case suggests that LSD ingestion can trigger seizures and focal neurologic signs even in individuals without previous seizure disorders.
Archives of Internal Medicine
October 1, 1981
Dennis L. Simpson
36 citations
Methylenedioxyamphetamine, a street drug structurally similar to both mescaline and amphetamine, can cause severe and fatal toxicity, contrary to its reputation as a mild hallucinogen. A patient experienced sympathomimetic effects, coma, seizures, hyperreflexia, and hyperthermia. After initial stabilization, the condition deteriorated with uncontrollable hyperthermia, hematologic abnormalities, and coma leading to death. Because hyperthermia involves both central and peripheral mechanisms, phentolamine mesylate may be the preferred treatment in future cases.
Archives of Internal Medicine
November 1, 1965
Erwin Di Cyan
35 citations
A historical review of Louis Lewin's book on psychoactive drugs, the text draws a parallel between human attempts to surpass ordinary consciousness through drugs and the myth of Lucifer's fall. It references early Christian theologians Tertullian, Origen, and Duns Scotus, who interpreted Lucifer's aspiration to transcend his created limits as the original sin of pride. The summary describes the book's subject matter—narcotic and stimulating drugs, their use and abuse—and situates it within a philosophical and theological framework about the risks of self-transcendence.
Archives of Internal Medicine
September 1, 1966
Erwin Di Cyan
2 citations
The reviewer critiques a chapter that argues detailed first-hand accounts of hallucinogenic experiences, collected under controlled conditions, could help decide whether such experiences should be available as an adjunct to life. The reviewer finds this claim to be a large inductive leap, questioning how accounts from just three students—each given psilocybin, LSD, and Sernyl at separate times—can resolve such a fundamental question, especially after the chapter invokes concepts like control and placebo. The reviewer also notes that only one student requested a drug, further undermining the argument's evidentiary basis.