by Dr. Ian Q. Carrington
In Ethiopia is well known the story of the discovery Coffee by the goats. In 300 AD, on a hot day, it was common to see the goats jump over the rocks, climb and descend slopes and slopes winding impossible. Usually, when the sun, fell asleep, but that night they jumped on a olable incontro, dancing and chasing each other, while his eyes moved in a hilly in all directions.
A shepherd named Kaldi noticed that the goats just stopped to chew the berries of a bush and after eating, were jumping into the moonlight. That's what caught their attention: they ate seeds, not the leaves, as they did with any other plant. Legend has it that Kaldi tried them, despite its bitter taste, and experienced the same elation from the goats. Then communicated his discovery to the monks of a temple, who soon would use in their nightly prayers.
This legend confirms the fact that humans started to use substances to alter their ways to mimic the behavior of animals: they watched what they ate and that was guaranteed not die of poisoning. But not everything is animal food consumed.
In antiquity were consumed substances that alter the state of consciousness, not to "deviate from reality," but to get closer to her and explained, through magical thinking, the nature and origin of the cosmos.
What "drugs"?
The word "drugs", by our cultural context, it is immediately associated the concept of "addiction" in the more lenient "cases", "vice" or "organized crime". Drugs also the connotations of 'debt' is a word of obscure origin in Castilian seems to come from northern France. Maybe it comes from the Celtic word meaning "bad" or "poor quality"-Breton: droug , Welsh drwg , and Irish: droch - which is applied to open chemicals and goods overseas in the fifteenth century. María Moliner recorded in his dictionary as "any substance that is prepared and sold for any purpose: industrial, painting, cleaning, etc.. In particular, any natural or synthetic substance used in medicine, especially the energetic action. " The dictionary of the English Royal Academy adopted this usage, with some modifications and now also recorded as "activity or obsessive hobby" and "person or thing that is hateful or angry."
then describe some examples of animals that, without human intervention, and frequent consume certain plants or fungi to alter her nervous state and that, far from reaching a conclusion, give us an overview of how much we still do not know the nature and than just the subject of detailed studies by experts on the subject. Most of these references are based on the research of psychiatrist Ronald K. Siegel, [1] he has done a unique job in their field.
Flying Cat
The closest example of animals who take drugs is that of domestic cats. Catnip (Nepeta cataria), also known as "Cat Mint" is a common herb that grows wild in fields. common when a cat (Felis domestica) contact with this herb, has a behavior into four phases: sniffs the ground repeatedly, for human smell the leaves have a smell like peppermint, and then lick or chew the leaves. Often it takes to watch the sky with his face away and suddenly shakes head quickly from side to side. Then rub his nose and cheeks against the plant and eventually your entire body rubs against the plant, the most sensitive light shocks give the plant with their backs.
In laboratory tests, when they have been supplied extract of catnip to cats, the reactions are more intense, twisted her head violently, salivate in abundance, showing extreme symptoms of central nervous system arousal and sexual arousal. From these experiments discussed the hypothesis that this herb was instrumental in the evolutionary development of feral cats to predispose them to sexual activity: a natural aphrodisiac spring. It has been found that the degree of response that can have a cat to catnip is due to the presence of a gene, but as currently many generations of cats ever come into contact with this plant, only 60% of cats respond to their effects . But those cats who discovered the plant, the frequent daily. All cats react like catnip plant. Like house cats, jaguars in the Amazon rainforest herbs to heal with vomiting, such as Banisteriopsis cappi, plant vine that produces "a playful behavior in those who consume." Amazon Indians imitated the jaguar and eat to heighten the sensitivity of their senses.
Pink elephants
is no coincidence that Dumbo, the Disney character who could fly because of their large ears, put on a drunken pachyderm to the point you start to see color congeners Rose, as the elephants have a special inclination towards alcohol. In Africa, elephants show great eagerness to the fruits of trees of different families of palms (doum, marula, mgongo, palmira). When ripe, these fruits tend to ferment quickly, some even when they are still subject to the tree. After the elephants have eaten all the fallen fruit, stir and beat the trees to fall more. The fermentation process of this fruit, it produces ethyl alcohol of 7 degrees and continues to ferment in the digestive tract even of those who consume it. This custom of the elephant is far from accidental. A herd of elephants normally runs ten miles a day, but when the time of ripening of these fruits, especially of the species Borassus - adult males may separated from the herd to travel up to 30 miles in one day.
Indian elephants in Bengal and Indonesia are no exception: eat greedily durian fruit (Durio zibethinus). In fact, several species seek the fruit fermented monkeys, orangutans, "flying foxes"-a species of bat, and even Sumatran tigers, whose diet is carnivorous. We know of cases of children who collected and transported these fruits and, when attacked by a tiger, rather than attacking people, were left with the loot ethyl. The elephants that are filled with the fruits of durian stagger and fall to the ground state lethargy. Apes lose motor coordination, shake their heads and fatigue climbing trees. But the love of elephants by the alcohol goes beyond just eating fruit. In 1985, West Bengal, a herd of 150 elephants stormed a clandestine laboratory which produced alcohol and drank large amounts of distilled malt. As a result of his drunkenness, ran aimlessly, leaving a balance of five people dead, a dozen wounded, seven brick houses and a score of huts destroyed. Drunken elephants are highly susceptible: they scare easily at sounds or sudden movements and this becomes aggressive as a defensive reaction.
Ignored plants and mushrooms consumed some animals due to an addictive behavior, because they do not involve physical dependence or withdrawal crisis.
Rain Bird
The birds are known a case of "collective binge" and is between American robins during their annual migrations-in February, when they move to California. The first records of this behavior dating from the mid-30's. Flocks of thousands of robins (Turdus migratorius) land on some small trees called "California acedo" (California holly) and eat the fruit, which locals call "Christmas berry." For nearly three weeks, you may see a genuine revelry among birds, which fly disoriented and confused. It has been shown that with five fruit is enough to intoxicate these birds, but each one eats more than thirty. However, we do not know what the real reaction that cause these fruits among the robins, then to review the autopsy nor the fruit or the contents of her stomach is showing signs of fermentation, so the term "binge" is used only to describe their state of euphoria. Despite his gluttony, the birds survive this experience and continue their journey without significant consequences.
worth noting that there are many cases of addiction from birds to certain plants and fruits, as they feel particularly attracted by the seeds of Papaver somniferum and are a known scourge of opium poppy . And he knows the sparrows that are introduced into the stores to feed only hemp seed. This particular feed the birds seem to produce different degrees of stimulation and excitement. Several bird-breeders of parrots or canaries-added hemp in the diet of their pets to "improve his song" or "increase his loquacity."
The red-nosed reindeer
The beautiful mushroom that appears in cartoons or children's stories, just remember the unique houses of the Smurfs, "the red hat and covered with white spots , is the quintessential hallucinogen: Amanita muscaria. The origin of its use is lost in the mists of time, and archaeological and ethnographic data have shown its spread through Asia, Europe and America. This fungus grows under pine and birch trees and forests in Russia are the food of the reindeer during the summer. Once you have ingested, running from side to side with no apparent end, twist the head and is isolated from the herd.
Caribou of Canada also frequent this fungal intoxication and, like the reindeer from Russia, Waving the hind legs awkwardly and twisted his head. However, this behavior has consequences for the herd, because mothers in the state leave their young unprotected at the mercy of predators. Many animals eat mushrooms, usually genera Psilocybe and Panaeolus . In Mexico, it is not surprising that where there are these mushroom species, dogs are eaten. Their reactions are to run in circles, twisting his head, howling for no apparent reason and refuse to obey the orders of their masters. Still unclear if the dogs are aware of what would happen after eating these mushrooms, but a proven case of this occurs among the goats, which are able to attack anyone as long as stay with a booty hallucinogen.
The smallest morsel of Amanita muscaria mammals occurs in a remarkable state of intoxication, characterized by the contortions of the head: the most common in animals found in that state because the reindeer are not the only, and squirrels also eat various insects, especially flies, hence the origin of the name of this fungus.
"Inevitable greedy"
Al Amanita muscaria is also known as "fly swatter" because it was used as a "remedy" to remove these pesky insects. In the nineteenth century was still common fungus hats in the window sills as an insecticide. But at that time had entomologists realized that the flies actually died not to enter Contact this fungus, but went into a state "lethargic." Therefore, once the flies remained motionless, advised throw into the fire. Over time, it was found that the most active part of the fungus is just below the cuticle red hat, where are located most of the alkaloids isosazólicos-ibotenic acid, which are the same hallucinogenic agents to humans . Previously it was believed that the toxic agent was muscarine flies, but by providing laboratory muscarine to insects, they were not affected. The flies become intoxicated with the same alkaloids that affect humans.
that surprised us, have known life toads living near the Amanita muscaria and await the insects land on the fungus, freak out and end up as food "well traveled."
Dr. Ian Q. Carrington is a self ethologist who has studied the most diverse species in their natural state. Her favorite pastime is to open a bottle of wine, pour a drink and wait for it to appear that mosquito immortalized in his verse ethyl Quevedo, the mosquito (Drosophila melanogaster) falls into the cup, take it out "more drunk than a Cuba" and places it in a napkin. After a time the mosquito takes flight. is the author of "Manual for conversation I", under the label "Other Inquisitions, with useless data most incredible and strangers who can become indispensable when necessary to" break ice. "
[1] Intoxication. Life in Pursuit of Artificial Paradise. New York. Pocket Books. 1989. 8 °. 390 pp.
