Climbing Down Jacob's Ladder

In the movie Jacob's Ladder, a particularly potent psychoactive drug is administered to a squad of soldiers in Vietnam with disastrous results. That drug was BZ or 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate. The drug was indeed tested on US soldiers, but it's effects don't necessarily sinc up with the effects depicted in the film.

3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB), empirical formula C21H23NO3, full chemical name 1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]Oct-3-yl α-hydroxy-α-phenylbenzeneacetate, is an odorless military incapacitating agent. Its NATO code is BZ. The Iraqi incapacitating agent Agent 15 is believed either to be the same as or similar to BZ.

BZ is a glycolate anticholinergic compound related to atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and other deliriants. Dispersal would be as an aerosolized solid (primarily for inhalation) or as agent dissolved in one or more solvents for ingestion or percutaneous absorption.

Acting as a competitive inhibitor of acetylcholine at postsynaptic and postjunctional muscarinic receptor sites in smooth muscle, exocrine glands, autonomic ganglia, and the brain, BZ decreases the effective concentration of acetylcholine seen by receptors at these sites. Thus, BZ causes peripheral nervous system (PNS) effects that in general are the opposite of those seen in nerve agent poisoning. Central nervous system (CNS) effects include stupor, confusion, and confabulation with concrete and panoramic illusions and hallucinations, and with regression to automatic "phantom" behaviors such as plucking and disrobing.

Physostigmine, which increases the concentration of acetylcholine in synapses and in neuromuscular and neuroglandular junctions, is a specific antidote.

Following World War II, the United States military investigated a wide range of possible nonlethal, psychobehavioral chemical incapacitating agents to include psychedelic indoles such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) and marijuana derivatives, certain tranquilizers like ketamine or fentanyl, as well as several glycolate anticholinergics. One of the anticholinergic compounds, 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate, was assigned the NATO code BZ and was weaponized at the beginning of the 1960s for possible battlefield use. This agent was reportedly employed by American troops as a counterinsurgency weapon in Vietnam, but supposedly otherwise never saw operational use. It has been rumored that BZ was administered to American troops in order to increase their fighting power and improve their performance, but this rumor is strongly disputed. It is unclear why a drug known for its high efficacy in producing stupor and delerium would be believed to improve fighting power. This rumor is a major reference point in the film Jacob's Ladder (1990), although the film does not discuss BZ specifically. Destruction of American stockpiles began in 1988 and is now complete.

But maybe that's just what they want us to think. What do you think?

From Wikipedia.