Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
During the period August 1961-December 1963 240 new compounds
had been received for testing as potential incapacitating agents, and sev-
eral of these warranted further study.
Also in 1964, two papers appeared in the open literature.
51
As Haddon
had pointed out in 1963, staff were encouraged to publish in the open lit-
erature, and “even if the application of work was classified, security dif-
ficulties could be overcome by employing suitable means of presenta-
tion.”
52
1965
The Advisory Council stressed the perceived importance of the
work: “we consider that experiments on this humane type of warfare
should be pressed forward with all speed.”
53
In introducing the CDEE re-
port for 1964-65 to the CDAB, Haddon said that it dealt essentially with
the first year of the expanded program.
54
When the board visited the
CDEE in May 1965, one of the demonstrations provided was of the new
neuropharmacology laboratory by R. W. Brimblecombe.
55
The 50th meeting of the Chemistry Committee was focused on the new
agents program.
56
Dr. A. Bebbington presented an overview,
57
and R. R.
Hunt discussed CDEE work on indole derivatives from 1959 to 1964.
Many papers had resulted, but because of “the limited incapacitating ef-
fect, at relatively high doses, of the simple tryptamines, and the higher
lethality of the more active ring-substituted tryptamines,” it was recom-
mended that no further synthetic work be carried out on simple indoles
and tryptamines.
58
Another paper considered the interaction of drugs
with the postganglionic cholinergic receptor and supported the idea of a
three-point interaction.
59
This paper was obviously related to a series of
secret technical papers, and a major paper appeared in the open litera-
ture.
60
A summary of the CDEE annual report for 1964-65 stated that about
150 compounds, mainly potential incapacitants, had been examined dur-
ing the year.
61
Work with LSD included a small-scale field trial of its ef-
fects on trained troops.
62
1966
The main areas of investigation were set out in the CDAB's 1966
annual review. These included studying “the operational effectiveness of
incapacitating agents.”
63
New agent research at this time occupied about
one-fifth of the establishment's research effort.
64
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