Hamilton's Pharmacopeia

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(Now Playing) The Sapo Diaries 1 of 3

May 30, 2009

There is an Amazonian frog called Phyllomedusa Bicolor or the Sapo which I have been reading about for years. It is totally different from the psychedelic toads found in North America. The Sapo’s venom produces an effect much closer to morphine than LSD, but really it’s not like either of those things. It’s a distinctly vomitous dissociative experience unlike anything else I’ve ever encountered.
There has been a lot written about the chemistry of the venom, and it has been said to have a diverse array of effects. Some people think it’s a miracle opioid which will yield new non-addictive painkillers. Others think it’s a super-potent stimulant and appetite suppressant, and even a strange psychedelic capable of tuning hunters on to the mindset of their prey. In the 80s researchers found one of the constituents of Sapo venom in the urine of autistic children, and developed an entire theory of autism around it.
I had to find out what this frog really does, but supposedly it cannot produce its venom in captivity. The only way to experience its unique trip is to travel down the Amazon River and catch one yourself, which is exactly what I did.
VBS Correspondent Hamilton Morris

  • EntityTJO1971

    23 days ago

    Dtpape, I'm not talking about the stuff you get at your corner's drugstore, but natural anti-bug ...

  • Eliza

    24 days ago

    The scenery is beautiful, I really wanna keep watching but this guy's voice is putting me to slee...

  • Warp0

    26 days ago

    What an excellent show. I really enjoyed Hamilton and learned a lot. Some of the tards down bel...

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Hamilton Morris, VBS’s resident expert in all substances mind-bending, dopamine-inducing, and enstoning, spans the globe in search of the perfect buzz.

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