BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims

Subject: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Thompson
Date: 13 Oct 24 - 04:41 AM

Rumour, urban legend or real danger? "Devil's Breath" is reputed to be used in thousands of robberies in Colombia; now it's come to Europe, with victims in a trance prepared to bring their attackers home and take all their riches out of hiding and hand them over.
Here "souffle du diable" is in Paris (throw the piece through Google Translate).

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 13 Oct 24 - 12:20 PM

If you click on the first link it is quite clear in its opening sentence:
"One of the most enduring hoaxes you might hear in a backpacker hostel is that of the drug-soaked business card: "

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Oct 24 - 12:49 PM

Brugmansia. It's one of those plants related to jimson weed in the New World (sacred datura) that has Church of Native American ritual uses. Culturally the properties have been understood for a long time.

Nigel is right, though. It's a lot of work to get someone to ingest this stuff. It probably is an urban legend, if not an outright hoax. (Snopes says it is False).

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Mrrzy
Date: 16 Oct 24 - 09:02 AM

Sounds like roofies to me

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Oct 24 - 10:29 AM

I don't think there's anything subtle about jimson weed and its ilk. This site seems to have a good writeup:

The plant is a member of the nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes, petunias and tobacco. Members of this family typically contain organic compounds that range from beneficial to toxic. Compounds in sacred datura are psychedelic, and the plant was important to native Americans in their sacred ceremonies. However, if misused, these same compounds are fatal.

Another site doesn't hesitate to spell out the dangers:

Then there are the folks who have misused Sacred Datura because compounds in the plant are psychedelic and with misuse death is inevitable. The effects of ingesting Sacred Datura can happen within minutes to hours. Symptoms include; delirium, thirst, distorted vision, uncoordinated movement, high temperature, a rapid and weakened heart beat, convulsions, coma, and death.

Someone dosed with it is more likely to go into convulsions than go into their bank account and empty it for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: The Sandman
Date: 16 Oct 24 - 02:37 PM

Someone dosed with it is more likely to go into convulsions than go into their bank account and empty it for you
quote That is not what thompson quoted
here is his post and quote
"Devil's Breath" is reputed to be used in thousands of robberies in Colombia; now it's come to Europe, with victims in a trance prepared to bring their attackers home and take all their riches out of hiding and hand them over.
Here "souffle du diable" is in Paris (throw the piece through Google Translate).

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Oct 24 - 06:49 PM

"Reputed" is part of the myth. What I quoted is what actually happens with the plant. Pay attention to the difference.

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: The Sandman
Date: 17 Oct 24 - 01:03 AM

Hear Hear

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 22 Oct 24 - 10:56 AM

Hm: If this is an urban legend, it appears that the basics of it have been knocking about for some years, if not centuries. Zombies, anyone :-) ?

The version I heard (once), at the peak of the spiked-drinks scare, was of someone waking up The Next Morning to find all his savings signed away, and the signatures were all his own. And that, mesdames et messieurs, is where the third verse of my version of Black Velvet Band came from.

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Oct 24 - 11:15 AM

Clever song!

And the refrain on this thread is a link back to Snopes that first appears in the Guardian article. "FALSE."

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: robomatic
Date: 22 Oct 24 - 02:15 PM

I spent some time working in the Pacific Northwest and over the internet I met someone who gave me a tour of Vancouver B.C. when the government was giving drugs and palliatives free to the local junkies (self-described). Some of these people could talk intelligently and show emotions, some of the more long termed simulated zombies very well, down to the missing teeth, hollow eyes, and vacant stares. Truly terrible.

I guess I can be 'modern' enough to acknowledge that drugs have their place. In fact, they can accomplish miracles. But they are the edged tools of our inner structures without actual scalpels being used.

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Jack Campin
Date: 24 Oct 24 - 05:47 AM

The way I first heard this story, the substance used was pure hyoscine/scopolamine, which is easier to administer than plant material - 100mg will zonk anybody into delirium. BUT susceptibility varies enormously - some people survive a dose 100 times larger than one that can be fatal to others. If it had actually been used on a large scale back then, there should have been a body count and a few stories of people fighting back.

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 24 Oct 24 - 06:22 AM

Who checks up on Snopes?

DC

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Oct 24 - 08:02 AM

Me - all the time! And fullfact.org

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Oct 24 - 08:03 AM

Sorry - Should have added, by comparing the 2 and other sites. If most agree, I tend to believe it.

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Oct 24 - 08:18 PM

Grafting between jimsonweed and tomatoes produce BIG tomatoes, I understand. No, I haven't tried it and I'm not about to do so.

Subject: RE: BS: Devil's Breath and robbery victims
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Oct 24 - 09:10 PM

I also linked back to Snopes. You should send them a donation, they do good work.