Note 28 — APPENDIX 6: PHYSIOLOGY OF PEYOTE

Had Fernberger investigated such of his predecessors as Lumholtz, the novelty of his results would have impressed him less. And had his experiments been more critical he would not be superfluously supplied with an “explanation” to a problem where no data to be explained exist (compare the a-priorism of the “parapsychologists”). But Fernberger continues: “For every one of the observers the anti-aphrodisiac effect of the drug was marked and continued, in most cases, for at least 24 hours after the period of intoxication. Efforts at erotic stimulation proved ineffective. In several cases physical automanipulation of the genitals failed to produce the usual physiological effect. The calling up of erotic images—visual and verbal—were equally ineffective.”