BMJ 1998;317:1532 ( 28 November )

Reviews

THE ALCHEMY OF CULTURE: INTOXICANTS IN SOCIETY

Richard Rudgley

British Museum Press, £9.99, pp 160

ISBN 0 7141 2711 6

A recent resurgence in the debate over legalisation of illicit drugs,
notably cannabis, has tended to generate more heat than light. At one
extreme, protagonists argue in favour of libertarian values and eschew the
interference of the "nanny state." At the other extreme, a prohibitionist
lobby espouses the evils of intoxication and the virtues of abstinence from
psychoactive substances.

The reasons for a resurgence in this debate are doubtless many and
complex. Not least is the apparent powerlessness of governments, law
enforcement agencies, customs, and the caring professions to stem the
rising tide of drug misuse sweeping Western societies. The debate is
unfortunately more influenced by political dogma and media hype than
by sound reasoning and scientific evidence. The Alchemy of Culture
contains elements likely to appeal to both sides of this debate as
well as contributing to scientific understanding.

Richard Rudgley applies data from archaeology, ethnology, and
anthropology to take the reader on a fascinating journey from
prehistory to the present to explore the role of intoxicants in
societies, ancient and modern. Speculation about the use of
hallucinogenic plants and opium by Stone Age cavemen and its influence
on their art gives way to more direct observations of early
anthropologists on psychoactive drug use in isolated tribal cultures.
The academic research behind this book is impressive.

Two principal themes emerge. Firstly, since prehistory, humans have
experimented with naturally occurring substances for their
psychoactive effects. Secondly, psychoactive drugs acquire a cultural
importance that extends beyond the drugs' pharmacological effects and
that influences the subjective experience.

Rudgley's thesis seems to be that modern Western cultures arbitrarily
condone some drugs (such as alcohol and tobacco) while outlawing
others (cannabis, LSD, opium). His view is that the control of drugs
by Western politicians is akin to the social control and conferment of
social privilege exerted by tribal shamans (or priests) to maintain
their elite social status. This comparison seems rather far fetched.

Nevertheless, the fact that many of these psychoactive substances are
highly poisonous or addictive is acknowledged. At the outset, readers
are warned that "the book is not intended as a practical manual for
the use of intoxicating substances. Details of certain plant
preparations have been omitted to prevent its use as such." From this
perspective, the book is somewhat more responsible than recent
television programmes on the same subject.

Overall, this is a scholarly and very readable account of the history
of psychoactive drugs and their role in diverse cultural contexts. It
will be of interest to specialists in addiction, to anthropologists,
and to anyone who wishes to develop a broader understanding of
psychoactive drug use and misuse. It is reassuring, and at the same
time troubling, to discover that, just as psychoactive drug use has a
long history, so too does the debate about whether these substances
should be controlled or freely available. This book will help to
inform and extend that debate. However, one cannot help but fear that
it will be quoted out of context in the service of protagonists of
legalisation.

Checked-by: Don Beck