Ethnopharmacognosy and Human Pharmacology of Salvia
divinorum and Salvinorin A.
_________________________________________________
by Jonathan Ott
Curare 1995;18(1):103-129
Citation: Ott J. "Ethnopharmacognosy and Human Pharmacology of Salvia divinorum and
Salvinorin A". Curare. 1995;18(1):103-29.
Zusammenfassung
Der Autor gibt einen historischen Überblick zu Gebrauch und Forschungsgeschichte der
Wahrsagesalbei (Salvia divinorum). Es werden der traditionelle Gebrauch bei Schamanen
der Mazateken in Oaxaca/Mexiko sowie der nichttraditionelle,moderne Gebrauch
verschiedener
Zubereitungsformen
von
nordamerikanischen
"Keller-Schamanen"
vorgestellt und ausftihrlich diskutiert. Der Frage nach der botanische Identitiit des
"verlorenen" aztekischen Entheogens pipiltzintzintli wird nachgegangen. Schließlich stellt
der Autor seine Selbstversuche mit der sogenannten "Heffter-Technik" vor.
Abstract
After a thorough review of the limited ethnographic data on shamanic use of the
entheogenic mint Salvia divinorum by the Mazatec Indians of the Sierra Madre Oriental of
the Mexican state of Oaxaca, with special emphasis on pharmacognostical aspects, the
author details the phytochemical studies which led to the isolation of the novel diterpene
salvinorin A in 1982-1984. Lingering doubts as to the visionary properties of this
compound were laid to rest a decade later, when 'basement shamans' in the United States
isolated and tested the compound in psychonautic bioassays. A tabular summary of 15
reports involving at least 60 trials of the novel drug by human volunteers is presented;
documenting activity of infusions of Salvia divinorum leaves in water [the traditional
method of ingestion], of the fresh leaves chewed, whether subsequently swallowed or
retained in the mouth as a quid; and of the dried leaves smoked. Pharmacological activity of
salvinorin A in human volunteers is likewise discussed, both for inhalation of the vaporized
compound and sublingual application of 1 % solutions in acetone or