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DATE: 9 March 1953

FROM A

sUBJECT:Spiro-OKy-Barbiturate

1. After the writer's visit to andin mid-December 1952, the writer turned over his infommation on Spiro-0xy-Barbiturate to tho Nedical Division both informally in a conversation with and formally ina memorandum addressed to dated 7 January 1953.

4 an Conseguently, inaconvesati n bi details of the unusual potentialities of Spiro-Oxy-Barbiturate toexpressed immediate interest and stated he would direct people in his organization to determiné what properties caused the unusual activities associated with this drug and further stated these people would immedi-
B ately get in touch with the where he stated he has very close connections.

3. Approximately two weeks ago in a conference between A and stated that the: information on Spiro-Oxy-Barbiturate had proven very interesting and results had come to ther from different parts of the United States which further suoport the results reported by.after his conversations with at At this point, tseemed A to think that the Spiro-Oxy-Barbiturate was interesting and deserved serious research and he informed the writer such research was being carried out and would be carried out in qònnection with this drug.

A sg.

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PSYCHOCHUHIICAL AGENTS:

Derivatives of ergot such as lysergic acid amide, derivatives of marijuana (cannabine), mescaline and its derivatives, are being studied as a basis lor ihe syntheszs of cendidate psychochemicel
agents. Those substances have in comron the εbility to preduce hallucinations
and montal aberrations. The greatest difficulty in this grcup of agonts
has ben ihe establishment of suitable scrocnirg technicues. An ective
contract program to this end is being crosecuted with thegr and with the

NATURALLY OCCURING TOXIHS:

This group includes shell fish poison, fuffer fish poison and the mushroom poisons from Amanita muscaria. Material is collected from the natural sources, concentrated end purified, Attempts are them rade to detornire structure. If these compounds turn out to be sufficiently simple symthesis will be attempted. Work cn this group of toxins is teing done under contract with ther and for shell fish poison, and with for the mushroom poisons. Search for toxic compounds in this as well as other fields is being emplified under contract with Fsubcontracts include studies of puffer fish toxin at the I and at

(fron;  TECHNICAL ESIIVATES of the 8April 1953,