Symposium on unidentified flying objects: hearings before the Committee on Science and Astronautics, U.S. House of Representatives, Ninetieth Congress, second session, July 29, 1968.

S.
164
Normal
Value SubJect
Serologic
Test:
PTA-ABS
negative negative
(Flourescent Treponemal
Antibody Absorption
Test)
Brucella Agglutination
negative negativeCoccidioidomycosis negative negative
D.
Summary
of
Positive Findings
1.
Optic Nerve changes:
(see
Neuro-ophthalmologic
Evaluation).
2.
Bromides
and atropine detected
in
urine.
E.
Discussion
and Creditability
Score:Since
the
head
of
the
optic nerve
(disc) is
directly
visible
for
examination,
its
state
is
often used
as
a
reflection
of
the condition
of
the other
nerves.
It
can
be
reasonably
conjectured
that the
same
meta-
bolic or toxic insults
that
have
produced
the abnormal appearance
of
the
subject's optic nerve are also subtlely influencing his other
nervous
system functioning
(even
although
no
gross neurologic
signs
can be elicited).
One likely effect
of
such changes
would be
increased irritability and assoc-iated behavioral effects. These would also
be
expected
to
occur
as
a
result
of
the
bromide
or
atropine toxicity (associated with the
subject's excessive
use
of
non-proprietary sleeping medication).
In
this ease,
the
subject's abnormal liver function (reversed
A/G ratio,
etc.)
increases
the danger of
such toxicity because
of
his impaired
ability
to
bind, detoxify,
and excrete both bromides and atropine. Halluci-nations are among
the
outstanding
toxic
effects
of
both these drugs
(Ref.
2).
It
would
thus not be unlikely that the
contents
of the
sleeping
pills
have
not
only
contributed
to the
subject's current psychic disequilibrium
buthave specifically affected his propensity
to
"see things".
Creditability score
75%.
Ref. 2.
Walker,
S.
Psychiatric Signs and Symptoms Due
to
Medical
Problems, CC. Thomas, Springfield, Ill. 1967