The cult to the Jurema in the historical documents

Objetivo. Analizar los aspectos históricos del culto brasileño de la Jurema, un culto religioso donde se utiliza una fuente visionaria obtenida de algunas especies de Mimosa. Metodología. Se analizan los documentos arqueológicos y se colectan los documentos escritos en los siglos XVIII y XIX, donde se cita a la Jurema; muchos de los cuales forman parte de los actos de la Inquisición. Resultados. La primera noticia relacionada con la bebida de la Jurema data de 1739, registrada en los Estados brasileños de Pernambuco y Paraíba; su empleo ya era procesado para esa fecha. Conclusiones. La ausencia de documentos arqueológicos ligados a la Jurema, y la fecha tardía de su aparición en los documentos escritos, sugieren una historia reciente de su culto.Objective. To analyze the historical aspects of the Brazilian cult to the Jurema, a religious cult in which a visionary source obtained from some species of Mimosa is used. Methodology. The archaeological documents, and the XVIII and XIX centuries written documents in which the jurema is referred to, mainly belonging to the Inquisition acts, are analyzed. Results. The first news concerning the jurema brew is dated back to 1739, registered in the Brazilian states of Pernambuco and Paraíba, and its use was already processed for that date. Conclusions. The absence of archaeological documents concerning the Jurema plant and the late date of its appearance in the written documents, suggest a recent history of the cult to the Jurema

American intoxicating sources in ancient Italian writings

Objetivo: identificar de los escritos italianos más antiguos que se conocen la información acerca del uso de fuentes embriagantes empleadas por las poblaciones nativas del Nuevo Mundo. Metodología: búsqueda y atenta lectura de textos antiguos fechados a partir del final del siglo XV. Resultados: se evalúan los textos de Pietro Martire D’Anghiera, donde aparecen noticias del empleo del polvo alucinógeno para inhalar, llamado cohoba entre los antiguos indios taínos. El idioma de estos textos es el latín (1511) y el italiano a partir de 1534. Esta nueva datación implica una prioridad cronológica europea hasta ahora poco reconocida y que se pretende reevaluar con este estudio. Asimismo, se identifica el primer dibujo occidental de un hombre que inhala polvos embriagantes, en una obra de Salvatore Gilii fechada en 1781. Finalmente, se describen las primeras referencias a la ayahuasca en escritos italianos, a partir de una obra de 1850 de Gaetano Osculati.Objective: To identify information about the use of intoxicating sources used by the native populations of the New World from the oldest known Italian writings. Methodology: Search and careful reading of ancient texts dated from the end of the 15th century. Results: The texts of Pietro Martire D'Anghiera are evaluated, where news of the use of hallucinogenic powder to inhale, called cohoba, appears among the ancient Taíno Indians. The language of these texts is Latin (1511) and Italian from 1534 onwards. This new dating implies a European chronological priority little recognized until now and one that is expected to be re-evaluated with this study. Likewise, the first western drawing of a man who inhales intoxicating powders is identified in a work by Salvatore Gilii dated 1781. Finally, the first references to ayahuasca in Italian writings are described from a work from 1850 by Gaetano Osculati

The most ancient dates of the human relationship with drugs

Objetivo. Identificar las fechas más antiguas que se conozcan de la relación humana con las principales plantas embriagantes del mundo. Metodología. Extraer los datos de la literatura arqueológica especializada, excluyendo los dudosos o erróneos. Resultados. Las fechas más antiguas se relacionan en la tabla 1. Conclusiones. Estas fechas, en su conjunto, evidencian de manera general la utilización de las drogas vegetales a partir de los períodos pre Formativos (para las Américas) y Neolíticos (para los otros continentes) de las culturas humanas.Objective. Identify the oldest known dates of the human relationship with the world's major intoxicating plants. Methodology. Extract data from specialized archaeological literature, excluding the doubtful or erroneous. Results. The oldest dates are listed in Table 1. Conclusions. These dates, as a whole, generally show the use of plant drugs from the pre-Formative (for the Americas) and Neolithic periods (for the other continents) of human cultures

Etnografía del Amanita muscaria en las Américas

Objective: To collect and analyze the ethnographic data set on the traditional use of the intoxicant mushroom Amanita muscaria among American populations. Methodology: A careful evaluation was carried out during data collection, making criticisms and corrections where it was considered the data were presented in an inadequate way from the methodological point of view. Another type of data that was taken into account is the popular names that this mushroom receives and its etymologies. Also, the causes that have provoked a cultural process of “mortalization” of A. muscaria are analyzed, so that among many ethnic groups, both American and Old World, this mushroom is now considered deadly poisonous. Results: The traditional use of A. muscaria as an intoxicant source has been preserved today among some ethnic groups in North America (Ahnishinaubeg, Ajumawi, Wixaritari) and the purposes of use are mainly religious and shamanic-therapeutic. The etymologies of the popular names reveal a range of semantic associations similar to those found in the Old World and testify to a knowledge of the intoxicant properties of this mushroom that was preserved until very recent times among some native groups of Mesoamerica. The presence of this mushroom in South America seems to be due to the recent anthropic reforestation activity and this would explain the lack of archaeological, historical and ethnographic documents for this region. Conclusion: The data collected here suggest a greater dissemination of knowledge of the intoxicant properties of A. muscaria among North American and Mesoamerican natives in past times, knowledge forgotten or secretly transmitted even today after the centuries-old colonial repression against native cults, including the use of intoxicating sources.Objetivo: recopilar y analizar el conjunto de datos etnográficos sobre el uso tradicional entre las poblaciones americanas del hongo embriagante Amanita muscaria. Metodología: durante la adquisición de los datos se realiza una cuidadosa evaluación, realizando críticas y correcciones donde se considera que los datos estaban presentados de manera inadecuada desde el punto de vista metodológico. Otro tipo de datos que se tienen en cuenta son los nombres populares que recibe este hongo y sus etimologías. También se analizan las causas que han provocado un proceso cultural de “mortalización” del A. muscaria, de modo que entre muchos grupos étnicos, tanto americanos como del Viejo Mundo, este hongo ahora se considera mortalmente venenoso. Resultados. El uso tradicional de A. muscaria como fuente embriagante se ha conservado hoy entre algunos grupos étnicos de América del Norte (Ahnishinaubeg, Ajumawi, Wixaritari), y los fines de uso son principalmente religiosos y chamánico-terapéuticos. Las etimologías de los nombres populares revelan una gama de asociaciones semánticas similares a las encontradas en el Viejo Mundo, y dan testimonio de un conocimiento de las propiedades embriagantes de este hongo que se conservó hasta épocas muy recientes en algunos grupos nativos de Mesoamérica. La presencia de este hongo en América del Sur parece deberse a la reciente actividad de reforestación antrópica, y esto explicaría la falta de documentos arqueológicos, históricos y etnográficos para esta región. Conclusión: los datos aquí recogidos hacen sospechar una mayor difusión del conocimiento de las propiedades embriagantes del A. muscaria entre los nativos norteamericanos y mesoamericanos en épocas pasadas; conocimientos olvidados o transmitidos en secreto aún hoy, tras la centenaria represión colonial contra los cultos nativos, incluido el uso de fuentes embriagantes.&nbsp

The Odyssey of Dental Anxiety: From Prehistory to the Present. A Narrative Review

Dental anxiety (DA) can be considered as a universal phenomenon with a high prevalence worldwide; DA and pain are also the main causes for medical emergencies in the dental office, so their prevention is an essential part of patient safety and overall quality of care. Being DA and its consequences closely related to the fight-or-flight reaction, it seems reasonable to argue that the odyssey of DA began way back in the distant past, and has since probably evolved in parallel with the development of fight-or-flight reactions, implicit memory and knowledge, and ultimately consciousness. Basic emotions are related to survival functions in an inseparable psychosomatic unity that enable an immediate response to critical situations rather than generating knowledge, which is why many anxious patients are unaware of the cause of their anxiety. Archeological findings suggest that humans have been surprisingly skillful and knowledgeable since prehistory. Neanderthals used medicinal plants; and relics of dental tools bear witness to a kind of Neolithic proto-dentistry. In the two millennia BC, Egyptian and Greek physicians used both plants (such as papaver somniferum) and incubation (a forerunner of modern hypnosis, e.g., in the sleep temples dedicated to Asclepius) in the attempt to provide some form of therapy and painless surgery, whereas modern scientific medicine strongly understated the role of subjectivity and mind-body approaches until recently. DA has a wide range of causes and its management is far from being a matter of identifying the ideal sedative drug. A patient's proper management must include assessing his/her dental anxiety, ensuring good communications, and providing information (iatrosedation), effective local anesthesia, hypnosis, and/or a wise use of sedative drugs where necessary. Any weak link in this chain can cause avoidable suffering, mistrust, and emergencies, as well as having lifelong psychological consequences. Iatrosedation and hypnosis are no less relevant than drugs and should be considered as primary tools for the management of DA. Unlike pharmacological sedation, they allow to help patients cope with the dental procedure and also overcome their anxiety: achieving the latter may enable them to face future dental care autonomously, whereas pharmacological sedation can only afford a transient respite

Multianalytical investigation reveals psychotropic substances in a ptolemaic Egyptian vase

This study presents a comprehensive multimodal analytical study of an Egyptian ritual Bes-vase, of the 2nd century BCE employing cutting-edge proteomics, metabolomics, genetics techniques, and synchrotron radiation-based Fourier Transformed Infrared microSpectroscopy (SR μ-FTIR) to characterize organic residues of its content. We successfully identified the presence of various functional, bioactive, psychotropic, and medicinal substances, shedding light on the diverse components of a liquid concoction used for ritual practices in Ptolemaic Egypt. Using LC-MS/MS with a new methodological approach, we identified key proteins and metabolites, enabling the identification of botanical sources, confirmed by genetic sequences. Our analyses revealed traces of Peganum harmala, Nimphaea nouchali var. caerulea, and a plant of the Cleome genus, all of which are traditionally proven to have psychotropic and medicinal properties. Additionally, the identification of human fluids suggests their direct involvement in these rituals. Furthermore, metabolomics and SR μ-FTIR analyses also revealed the presence of fermented fruit-based liquid and other ingredients such as honey or royal jelly. The identification of specific chemical compounds, such as alkaloids and flavonoids, provides insight into the psychoactive and therapeutic uses of these in ancient ritual practices. This multidisciplinary study highlights the complexity of ancient cultures and their interactions with psychoactive, medicinal, and bioactive substances. These findings contribute to our understanding of ancient belief systems, cultural practices, and the utilization of natural resources, ultimately enhancing our knowledge of past societies and their connection to the natural world

The Neapolitan contribution to the scientific studies on Cannabis. A historical overview

After a look at the history of scientific studies of Cannabis in Europe and Italy, in its two forms of fiber hemp (C. sativa) and psychoactive hemp (C. indica), this article traces the history of the medical, botanical and agronomic studies undertaken in Naples starting from the mid-19th century. Two main historical periods stand out. A first phase, mainly in the 70s and 80s of the 19th Century, involved medical studies with Indian hemp which involved prominent figures of the Neapolitan culture, including Sebastiano De Luca, Eugenio Fazio, Paolo Panceri, Mariano Semmola. Raffaele Valieri's clinical research undertaken at the Incurabili Hospital stands out for its originality; his studies on the therapeutic properties of sativa hemp can be considered the most extensive and detailed not only in Italy but in Europe. A second phase, dated to the 1930s, saw the first Italian cultivations of Indian hemp by Biagio Longo at the Experimental Station for Officinal Plants of the Botanical Garden of Naples. In 1931 Longo gave rise to the "Calcutta strain", which was kept active throughout the 20th century with annual cultivations and became the primary reference sample in scientific research carried out in Italy on Indian hemp.“Il contributo napoletano agli studi scientifici sulla Cannabis. Una rivisitazione storica”. Dopo uno sguardo sulla storia degli studi scientifici della Cannabis in Europa e in Italia, nelle sue due forme di canapa da fibra (C. sativa) e canapa psicoattiva (C. indica), il presente articolo ripercorre la storia degli studi medici, botanici e agronomici intrapresi a Napoli a partire dalla metà del XIX secolo. Si evidenziano due principali periodi storici. Una prima fase, principalmente nei decenni '70-'80 del XIX secolo, riguardò studi medici con la canapa indiana che videro coinvolti personaggi di spicco della cultura partenopea, fra cui Sebastiano De Luca, Eugenio Fazio, Paolo Panceri, Mariano Semmola. Risaltano per originalità le ricerche cliniche di Raffaele Valieri intraprese presso l'Ospedale degli Incurabili; i suoi studi sulle proprietà terapeutiche della canapa sativa possono essere considerati i più estesi ed articolati non solo d'Italia ma d'Europa. Unaseconda fase, datata agli anni '30 del XX secolo, vide le prime coltivazioni italiane della canapa indiana per opera di Biagio Longo presso la Stazione Sperimentale per le Piante Officinali dell'Orto Botanico di Napoli. Nel 1931 Longo diede origine al “ceppo di Calcutta”, che per tutto il XX secolo fu mantenuto attivo con coltivazioni annuali e divenne il campione di riferimento primario nelle ricerche scientifiche svolte in Italia sulla canapa indiana