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Page 6 The Gold Bug Taking Quaalude: What happens? bv Mike Rudman Michael Rudman is a graduate of Western and doesn't merit discussion. 1 personally know a and coma. Shock and respiratory failure are Maryland, '70, and is presently concluding his third girl who was psychologicallyaddicted to Kool-Aid, major ultimate complications. When year of medicine at the University of Maryland. He and Brautigan, in Trout Fishing in America, someone who has ODed, get him to . has a special interest in pharmacology. described the classic Kool-Aid junkie. Physical him go to sleep (he may stop Perhaps there are some people who are in- addiction means bad things happen to your body are prepared to watch every terested in the chemicals they pour into their when you abruptly stop taking the drug. Rapid him to a hospital quickly and give mouth-to-mou[ bodies. It would seem that the average, everyday" withdrawal from Quaalude is more lethal than cold resuscitation if he stops breathing or emotionally mature student who occasionally takes turkey from heroin. Suffocating convulsions are the an intoxicant ought to be at least casually in- major complication of Quaalude withdrawal. It is How about Ouaalude and booze (luding terested in what it is he or she is taking--where it not difficult to imagine how psychological addiction Quaalude increases the effects of comes from, what effects the drug has, what side can lead to physical addiction. It probably takes brings one closer to the major effects and real dangers, if any, the drug has. The about three months of daily use to become described above. I'm sure it can be purpose of this communication is to offer some hard physically addicted to Quaalude--a conservative .alsc sure that before long, in the information about Quaalude, one of the drugs now estimate; less time for many people. hands, the combination will be being used for intoxication. What is Ouaalude? What are the side effects of Ouaalude? A fairly common problem is allergy. Instead some people of becoming sedated, Methaqualone, sold as quaalude or Sopor, is a become excited and get very nervous. Others get a breaks out in hives. A rarer but more synthetic drug first demonstrated to 'have sleep- "pins and needles" sensation in the hands and feet. one is aplastic anemia. After as few as producing effects by Gujral in 1955and '56. It is a Some users get a bad case of dry mouth, nausea, user's hone marrow suddenly stops member of a class of drugs named quinazolones any combination cells. The user dies a rapid death from and is somewhat similar to the barbituates in its stomach pains, and diarrhea-or (too few platelets) or a slow death from of these. actions. Quaalude is produced by the Rohrer drug (too few white blood cells). This reaction is company and is marketed for its sedative and Are these symptoms serious? idiosyncratic, a quirk and impossible to predict. sleep-inducing effects. The pill comes in two sizes-- No. They pass quickly. (Not quickly enough if is not related to the amount of the drug taken. ISO and 300 mg. 300mg at bedtime produces sleep in they're happening to you, I'm sure.) 10 to 30 minutes. Smaller doses are used for What about a Ouaalude hangover? sedation and/ or Intoxication. and that general Some people do get headaches What does it do? crappy feeling on the morning after. Quaalude is a central nervous system depressant- -a downer. In smaller doses it produces a state of Are there more serious problems? sedation (usually) which some people consider Overdose is a very serious problem. In some Quaalude is not that -dangerous but it pleasant. Presently not much is known about how people it only takes a few (3-5) pills to get into some dangers which the physician, the body eliminates the drug but it is believed to be serious trouble.--Loss of reality contact and casual user should know about if It ! to be broken down in the liver and excreted into bile and restlessness progresses to spasticity, convulsions, effectively. However, being dangerous does urine. preclude a drug from being sold. Wh-.,do people take it? Guernsey and Poston Presumably, to alter the level of consciousness to Nowa personal comment: a different state. In other words, it feels good (to I would not take Quaalude. There are a lot some). reflect poetical ideals other highs available that are more predictable. Isitaddictive? needed a sleep-inducer I would take an Whether or not Quaalude is addictive depends on better-known drug whose complications are how long one uses it. Quaalude is both by Cathy Nelson to handle. Finally, I would not prescribe for a psychologically and physically addictive. Within the space of a week, the spring poetry which, if I were in a circumstance similar to Psychological addiction is possible with anything series sponsored by the English department has patient's, I would not take myself. is not to The purpose of this communication Sirott seriographs brought WMC two remarkably different poets. you ~hat to . life. It is Bruce Guernsey, who gave a reading on March B, is a bubbly, effervescent young poet, who showed now on display up in an unabashedly bright tie and socks. He, too, is unabashed. "As long as I'm alive," he says, "I utilitarian form of literature. by Sue Stalke, should be able to write poetry.v To him, it is not a "It doesn't keep you The one woman art show being held in the art warm in the rain," he says, dismissing the idea of studio from March 5th to March 22nd is really quite poetry having a specific function. Rather, he opts different from any previous show. The workings of for the view that poems are more fragile things, this artist are' 'serigraphs," a type of silk screening "Gifts. I can speak to you in this way, in a poem. using water soluble glue. Aldra Sirott, the artist, They are gifts." graduated from Western Maryland College in 1967 Guernsey's own creative source is ::the whole and has returned to exhibit and sell her works. world. I was 251/2 when I started writing poetry, Aldra Sirott learned to enjoy printmaking while a and teaching at William and Mary. I was outside student at WMC under Wasyl Palijczuk and con- and suddenly everything seemed to stand still for a tinued the printmaking process upon entering Claremont College in California. She obtained her ~~~~~~n ~~~h:~n:m:sa~i~~~~~~gt~~tt~:mo:J7t:II~ M.F.A. degree from the George Washington too. And then I saw a jet plane go by. I thought to University in Washington D.C. She uses "subtle myself, 'now that's a poem." It took him 28 glazes" to make her serigraphs appear "earthy". revisions, from April 1968 to October of the same Names like "Muddy Waters," "Swampssphere," year, to get it where he wanted it. "Subterrane,' and "Earthscape," are indicative of Lest young poets be discouraged by that the "earthness" of her works. somewhat inauspicious beginnings, he remembers The art represented looked very distorted and other pitfalls. "I started out taking myself too shapeless the first time 1 viewed it and 1 was seriously. Ialso believed that because I had written bewildered as to the message it was trying to it, a poem was somehow valid and finished. What a convey. On a second and very lengthy observation, beginning poet needs is a sort of built-in self-critic." 1 noticed many new things that I had missed the He realizes, however, that a poet has certain fears. first time. 1 enjoyed the serigraphs entitled "Whenever you write a poem, there's always the "Chocolate Mountain." and "Earthscape". The fear that you'll never write another one. It's like colors represented in these screens blended being Rookie of the Year." beautifully together to give a continuity of form and "I write poems because it is a way of making you color. Blues, purples, golds and browns blended live your life more fully. It takes you farther into together to form the picture. The serigraphs en- other people's minds than you would ordinarily titled "Purple Diffusion," "Landscape no. 3," and go." "Landscape no. 2," were a kaleidoscope of color Echoing this sentiment a few days later was and it seemed that all three of these screens were Linda Pastan, the second in the series of poets, who identical except for the difference in color and gave her reading last Thursday. Ms. Pastan, a soft- placement. The screen entitled "Purple Diffusion" spoken, introspective young woman, felt that a they write." was turned sideways to give it a different effect, poem "takes the poet places ...then they must have Her own creative process springs from while the two "Landscape" screens were identical the courage to follow." She emphasizes the image, or a metaphor; a phrase or line except for color. The colors of these prints were preoccupation with publishing that young poets happens What next purple and blue, navy and blue, and red and orange. seem to have. "They're always worrying too much something musical." but "it is a gift. And something mysterious, These screens resembled water dashing over rocks about where they "publish. They get so depressed poem comes out of what is given." about to recede back into the ocean. over rejection slips. And they don't read enough." A "Poetry," she says, "showsus what we If you should get a chance to view these first poet's efforts should be whatever they want to serigraphs, take the time to ~ookclosely. They will write about. "It can be deep, profound, or non- know that we know. It is more condensed into fist than a whole battery. And if you are going to convey more of a message if you do. sensical. Just so they write, it doesn't matter what a poet, you don't choose it...it chooses you."