Hatrack River Writers Workshop: A Chemical Most Melancholy

This is topic A Chemical Most Melancholy in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

I need a chemical to use in a wip. It must be capable of inducing depression, despair, despondancy or melancholy in someone exposed to it. It should be persistent and induce the desired response with a minimum of exposure. It should be easy to mass-produce and amenable to wide dispersion as an aerosol or liquid spray.

Got some?

I'm guessing some kind of hallucinogenic drug? Any ideas?

The story will be set in World War I. In that war there were attempts at using chemical weapons on a grand scale. And while there were many and horrible casualties, in the end the chemical weapons did not substantially change the face of war.

However, what if the chemical weapon were more subtle? What if the weapon were a chemical that induced an unbearable melancholy in the victim? And what if that melancholy was further intensified by exposure to a love song? Would it result in such a lowering of morale that men would wither away and die of love? Would it cause them to kill themselves? And if it did, how would you fight it?

For you LHers, my lyrics for that love song are in my forum at LH. I can't post them here, unfortunately, as I'd lose the rights to them.

Such as they are.

[This message has been edited by mikemunsil (edited June 27, 2006).]

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

Sounds like gin to me.

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

Hmm. Too explosive as an aerosol and the pilots would drink it all, anyway.

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

If you're not bound to melancholy alone as an effect of the drug, say, an earlier discovery of LSD might do the trick. You could make it an alternate history...

Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :

Cool idea. Have you thought about making one up?

Say someone has invented [x] which is a seratonin blocker. It's a derivative of some plant or mushroom that grows in Germany. I mean, this is speculative fiction so why not make up the weapon? Take a look at what chemically happens to the brain with melancholia or depression and have your bad guys make something that duplicates those effects.

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

I guess so. I already know something about seratonin issues as that is partly what my son suffers from.

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

After some research, I may have a better solution.

http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/27.cfm

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may occur as a result of over-production of melatonin in the pineal gland during darkness. This could also screw up a person's circadian rhythyms and prevent restful sleep.

I can posit a chemical that stimulates the pineal gland to over-produce melatonin, thus causing SAD. Since SAD most commonly occurs in northern latitudes during Jan/Feb, I can make this a seasonal weapon aimed specifically at the theatre of war in countries north of the 50th parallel. ie northern France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, Holland etc.

This would be roughly the same result as living in constant darkness for extended periods of time.

It could originate as the result of German health research into why certain families in Germany never exhibited SAD. It may turn out that they have a habit of chewing the sap/resin of certain trees that only grow in one remote area of Germany. Better yet, they make brew their own special beer and are using a particular herb to add a distinct flavor.

I could use a German word for Hovering Darkness or something like that as the code name for the chemical weapon.

Further research shows that the Allies could counter with fluoride, which inhibits melatonin production. Unfortunately, it may also cause premature aging.

So, there's plenty to feed a plot, as long as I am careful to be consistent with my application of the science to the story. That is, no 'Star Wars' type science.

Hmm. Hovering Darkness in German may be Schwebende Dunkelheit. Somehow that lacks the sense of menace that I am after.

Sad Night comes out to be Traurige Nacht. That's a bit better.

Any other ideas/comments?

[This message has been edited by mikemunsil (edited June 28, 2006).]

Posted by pantros (Member # 3237) on :

Choral hydrate

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

Hmm. That seems to have a quick effect upon acute exposure that would put you to sleep, but not a longer term effect like I'm looking for.

Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :

This from a toxicologist friend of mine:

quote:
Mike,

My suggestion is to use a plot device where the antagonist has a shady connection in Uruguay, during the colonial mayhem and post-independence oppressive environment, tell your forum member to do their homework on turn of the century south america and yerba mate herbal teas.....

Certain mate teas have been known to have neurodesensitizing effects and paralysis, teas can also have an impact on dopamine release, e.g. the dependence on cocaine and MDMA. Its kind of a stretch for the time period, but hey, its fiction.... So Hombre "Loco Sanchez" has been grafting plants for a generation to make a poison tea. Get enough money and heads rolling to involve in buying, hoarding, and transporting tea leaves by the shipload to be dried and acid extracted to make a gas in clandestine labs in the Kaiser republic sounds good to me for a sub-plot story line.

You can tell your fans that, as I am a toxicologist, I do know a substance that is colorless, odorless, quick and painless, and leaves no chemical trace, but hey, if I told them,...then I'd have to..... use it.

Sol