ANCIENT EGYPT ON ECSTASY

Party-goers in ancient Egypt could have become induced into an ecstasy-like
state of happiness with the help of a sacred plant called the blue lily.

Tests on volunteers have found that the blue lily, which Egyptologists had
thought was a benign plant used only for decoration, can cause psychotropic
effects similar to the modern party drug MDMA, or ecstasy.

Susan Duty, a pharmacologist at King's College London, monitored the
effects of the blue lily on two people who reported that they felt happy
and energetic and wanted to get up and dance. ''It is quite clear that the
blue lily did have some psychoactive effects. Both of the volunteers were
very talkative and energetic. At the same time they felt relaxed and
contented and were also very happy,'' she said.

Historians had thought the sacred blue lily, which was found scattered over
Tutankhamen's body when the Pharaoh's tomb was opened in 1922, was a purely
symbolic flower. The new research, which will be transmitted tonight on
Channel 4's Sacred Weeds series, suggests the blue lily may have also
played a role as a stimulant during parties thrown by the ancient Egyptians.

''Many of these subjective effects we observed are parallel to those seen
with ecstasy. Although this is an early stage of uncharted territory, these
findings will be looked on with great interest by pharmacologists,'' Dr
Duty said. The blue lily is depicted on the walls of the temple at Karnak
and appeared throughout Egyptian art.