Combat and the use of performance enhancing substances
SWC have a number of medical-related threads scattered in various arenas and to my knowledge nothing like this subject.
Thread created at ganulv's suggestion, hence his post and Kaur's appearing before this.
A couple of resources related to amphetamine use.
The work of Nicolas Rasmussen, a professor at the University of New South Wales, seems to be a good place to start on the subject of amphetamine use. Here’s a link to a video of Rasmussen responding to some questions regarding amphetamine use during World War Two.
The USAF has issued stimulants to its pilots over the years and afaik continues to do so. I would be interested in knowing whether any of the other branches authorize use (recon units and reactor engineers, perhaps?). In the case of the Air Force the official “why” seems to be as an anti-fatigue measure on longer missions, but I do wonder whether they also see off-label use to improve reaction time and heighten awareness.
I am also curious as to the extent of use of Red Bull/Five Hour Energy time drinks by deployed personnel. Does anyone care to share their observations?
No More Heroes: Madness and Psychiatry In War
That's the title of a book Richard A. Gabriel wrote in 1988. Chapter 5 (I believe) is called The Chemical Soldier, where, if memory serves, he discusses efforts to reduce psychological casualties through the use of drugs.
Performance enhancing, not degrading.
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Originally Posted by
Fuchs
Does Russian vodka […] count, too?
Though in all seriousness I do understand the role of alcohol as a coping mechanism, even if it is not the optimal choice. I have always assumed that all of the drinking in Beowulf had something to do with anxiety over the possibility of Grendel showing up.
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Originally Posted by
Fuchs
The Incas chewed coca a lot
The Quechua still do, as well as consume coca tea. It’s supposed to help with life at altitude. I don’t know that there have been any good studies about that, though.
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Originally Posted by
Fuchs
IIRC the Zulus and other extremely foot-mobile African tribe armies made use of some chewing stuff, too.
There’s kola nut in West Africa.
Also worth noting that the nicotine content of Nicotiana rustica (the “wild tobacco” traditionally used by American Indians) is around 9% as compared to the 1%–3% of cultivated tobacco.
Drugs in warfare: listen & read
A short (28 mins) BBC Radio Four podcast, available for a month and the precis says:
Quote:
Laurie Taylor talks to Lukasz Kamienski, Lecturer in Political Science at at Jagiellonian University, Poland, and author of a book which examines how intoxicants have been put to the service of states, empires and their armies throughout history. They were prescribed by military authorities but there's also been widespread unauthorised use by soldiers from the American Civil War to the Vietnam War and the rebel militias of contemporary Africa. Whether to improve stamina, increase fighting spirit or deal with shattered nerves, drugs turn out to have been a 'secret weapon' in warfare.
Also, the writer, Norman Ohler discusses his study into the overwhelming role of drug-taking in the Third Reich. According to his research, Nazi Germany was permeated with cocaine, heroin, morphine and, most of all, methamphetamines, or crystal meth, and crucial to troops' resilience.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08n3wnk
Two books are mentioned: Norman Ohler wrote Blitzed (Penguin, UK 2016 and reissued since):https://www.amazon.com/Blitzed-Drugs...s=Norman+Ohler
Lukasz Kamienski wrote Shooting Up (Hurst, UK 2016):https://www.amazon.com/Shooting-Up-S...kasz+Kamienski