Last post and this post I'm doing a medical critique of James Patterson's Kill Alex Cross. Usually, I don't mention the book or the author's name but I'm hoping James will spend a little of his cash on a medical consultant and am also probably losing out on a chance that he will endorse one of my novels.
If you have not read the book this post may contain some spoilers you'd rather not know so you have been warned.
At one point in the book, a suspect is kidnapped and he is given "truth serum" in order to get him to divulge the location of the president's kidnapped children.
The prisoner is given scopolamine.
Well, hmmm. This did cause me to scratch my head a little bit. Why? Well, come to find out this was a drug used once for this purpose in the early 20th century. Where did I discover that? Well from the CIA's own website. Interesting what a little research will show.
Now-- the CIA should know about good truth serum. Here's what it says about scopolamine:
Because of a number of undesirable side effects, scopolamine was shortly disqualified as a "truth" drug. Among the most disabling of the side effects are hallucinations, disturbed perception, somnolence, and physiological phenomena such as headache, rapid heart, and blurred vision, which distract the subject from the central purpose of the interview. Furthermore, the physical action is long, far outlasting the psychological effects.
And that was my thought-- there are much better drug choices.
What James Patterson did say in his book is correct: "Lying is a complex act."
What "truth serum" drugs really do is loosen inhibitions and makes lying more difficult-- not that it can't be done.
Some better drug choices? Sodium thiopental or some of the benzodiazipines. I revealed something very personal under the influence of Versed given prior to surgery once that I normally would have never disclosed.
Yes, indeed, that was a fun time.
Let me just say-- never have surgery at a hospital where you are employed.
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