Observations on the Action of Sernyl — A New Psychotropic Drug

When Sernyl was given intravenously to 55 randomly selected mental hospital patients at 0.07 mg/kg over 7 minutes, it activated their specific psychopathology more strongly than known psychotomimetics such as LSD-25 and mescaline sulfate. The experience was intensely unpleasant and frightening, with prominent preoccupation with death and body image disturbances. Physiological, neurological, psychological, and behavioral observations were collected alongside subjective reports. The feeling of impending death was reviewed as a symptom, and the lower brain stem was suggested as a possible site of action. Sernyl did not appear to be a true psychotomimetic or schizophrenomimetic drug, though some responses resembled primary schizophrenia symptoms. It showed no particular therapeutic value at that time.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Sernyl was administered to 55 patients, chosen at random from the population of a mental hospital. Its disinhibiting potential appears to be related to the dose. Sernyl in doses of 0.07 mgms/kg administered in 7 minutes by the intravenous route activated the patients specific psychopathology to a greater degree than known psychotomimetics (LSD 25 and Mescaline Sulfate). Physiological and neurological observations, psychological tests and behavioural observations were made and correlated with the collection of subjective data. The unpleasant and extremely frightening nature of the experience, the preoccupation with death and body image disturbances were the most characteristic features observed. The history of the feeling of impending death as a symptom (“meditatio mortis”) has been reviewed and it is suggested that the lower brain stem may be considered as a possible site of action. Judging from our findings, Sernyl would not appear to be a psychotomimetic or schizophrenomimetic drug in the true sense, although certain aspects of the response picture obtained in psychiatric patients resemble the primary symptoms of schizophrenia. The drug seems to possess no particular therapeutic value, at least not at the present state of our knowledge. We are indebted to Drs. H. Ast, L. Douyon, F. Kristof, for their valuable assistance in these observations. We are indebted to Dr. C. Sterlin for assistance in these observations and particularly for preparing a resumé in the French language. We wish to acknowledge our appreciation to Parke, Davis and Company for supplying Sernyl and to Sandoz and Company for supplying LSD 25, for the purpose of this experiment.