Frenquel, a Blocking Agent Against Experimental LSD‐25 and Mescaline Psychosis

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Abstract
Frenquel,alpha-(4-piperidyl)benzhydrol HC1, the [gamma] -isomer of Meratran, has demonstrated encouraging, though inconsistent, therapeutic preperties in some schizophrenic dissociation, syndromes. Because these clinical effects were obtained the compound was used as a premedication to block model LSD-25 and mescaline psychoses. Two subjects who developed typical psychoses after swallowing 100 [mu]g LSD-25, failed to develop them a week later after oral premedication with Frenquel during the intervening week. During a 3rd "unprotected" test 5 weeks later, the LSD-25 psychosis was brought to an abrupt end by the intravenous injection of Frenquel in 1 subject. Five subjects, in a blind experiment, developed no LSD-25 psychosis, or only fragments thereof, on oral doses of the blocking agent varying from 10 to 30 mg daily for 1 prior week. A 6th subject, who developed a schizophrenic dissociation state despite 10 mg daily of oral Frenquel for a week prior to LSD-25 ingestion, was fully blocked on a 2nd occasion when his oral Frenquel premedication dose was raised to 50 mg daily for 1 prior week. Two observations suggest that the Frenquel premedication period may be reduced to 2 days. Four observations suggest that model psychoses produced by mescaline can be controlled by Frenquel in the same fashion as those induced by LSD-25 ingestion. Trials of Frenquel in other acute psychotic disorders, including postoperative confusion, have been instituted, and trials against other hallucinogens are planned. A proposal is made to adopt the generic term, ataraxics, for pharmacologic agents such as chlor-promazine, reserpine, Frenquel, and others to come, which bring about ataraxy, or freedom from confusion.