Bufotenine
Pronunciation:boo-foh-TEN-een
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:487-93-4
Formal Names:Chan Su, Mappine, N,N-dimethylserotonin
Informal Names:Cohoba
Type:Hallucinogen.Seep. 25
Federal Schedule Listing:Schedule I (DEA no. 7433)
USA Availability:Illegal to possess
Pregnancy Category:None
Uses.This drug occurs naturally in a number of plants and animals, ap-
parently including trace amounts in humans. Rainforests in the Amazon and
deserts in the U.S. Southwest have been key regions for natural sources of the
drug, although plants and animals with the substance are found elsewhere as
well. Accounts about natural products containing bufotenine reach back to
ancient times.Amanitamushrooms containing the substance are believed to
have been available to ancient Vikings, and some students of the topic wonder
if the drug powered the Vikings’ famed Berserker rage, in which they would
descend upon opponents and attack them (just as modern soldiers sometimes
take drugs to improve performance in battle). Native American religious use
of a bufotenine snuff called cohoba was reported in 1496. Although bufotenine
gained notoriety from research conducted by the U.S. military and Central
Intelligence Agency in hopes that the substance would be effective in brain-
washing efforts, the drug is perhaps best known for its presence in skins of
certain toads. This source is speculated as the origin of fairy tales about won-
drous experiences that happen when a woman kisses a frog. Such toads were
a traditional component of witches’ brews.
A tropical aphrodisiac compounded from the dried venom of toads has been
found to contain bufotenine. A traditional Chinese medicine called Chan Su
is rubbed on a spot of the body to numb the area and is also used for heart
ailments and to fight nosebleeds; Chan Su is prepared from toads and contains
bufotenine. Other toad venom preparations have been used to relieve tooth-
ache, to help bleeding gums, to promote urination, and to help people cough
up phlegm.
Drawbacks.When scientists administered bufotenine to some individuals
they showed alarming physical symptoms ranging from faces turning purple