THE ACTION OF MESCALINE AND SOME RELATED COMPOUNDS

¹ From the Pharmacological Laboratory, University of Oxford

The actions of 3.5-dimethoxy-4 ethoxy-phenylethylamine (preparation 1950) and of 3.4-diethoxy-5 methoxy-phenylethylamine (preparation 1952) have been compared with those of 3.4.5. trimethoxy-phenylethylamine (mescaline).

The former two compounds are about twice as toxic as mescaline. All produce motor paralysis due to depression of the central nervous system and death from respiratory failure.

They produce a fall of blood pressure which is prevented by vagotomy or atropine. Mescaline and preparation 1950 produce a rise of blood pressure in the decapitate cat, possibly due to stimulation of sympathetic ganglia. Strong solutions arrest the perfused heart in diastole, due to a direct action on cardiac muscle.

They stimulate the contractions of the intestine and uterus in situ but not when exsected.

Preparations 1950 and 1952 paralyse voluntary muscle of the frog in concentrations of about 1:4000. Stronger solutions (1:500) of all three compounds cause contracture with loss of excitability.