psychotropicadj.n.

1956 M. Rinkel in Neuropharmacology: Trans. 2nd Conf., 1955 240 I had considerable conversation on this subject with Dr. Goodman..and Dr. Loewi of Utah University. They made the very good proposal of calling all these drugs which affect the mind ‘phrenotropic or psychotropic’. This general term would allow for a number of subdivisions: drugs that are beneficial; those which may cause psychosis; [etc.].

1968 A. Goldstein et al. Princ. Drug Action vi. 474 Despite the nearly universal exposure of the population to the ‘legal’ psychotropic drugs (alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine), some become habituated and some do not.

1977 Lancet 24 Dec. 1326/1 None of the subjects were taking psychotrophic medication at the time of admission.

1987 A. Hultkrantz Native Relig. N. Amer. ii. 32 Many psychotropic plants have been used for the attainment of trance states. Datura was used in California... In recent times peyote..plays a similar role.

2000 J. Mann Murder, Magic, & Med. (rev. ed.) iii. 87 It is very likely that future research will lead to THC analogues that are valued because they combine clinical utility with a lack of unwanted psychotropic effects.

1966 Memórias Inst. Butantan São Paolo 33 639 Drugs which affect CNS function, the psychotropics, influence [spider] silk gland activity and..webs built after these drugs reflect their effects in web weight and pattern.

1977 Proc. Royal Soc. Med. 70 766/2 The majority are adults who have deliberately swallowed an overdose of drugs, chiefly in the category of ‘psychotropics’.

1995 New Scientist 1 Apr. 14/1 France's huge appetite for psychotropics has emerged over the past decade, but the scale of the problem has only recently been revealed.

1962 Jrnl. Sci. & Industr. Res. 31 A. 421/2 The psychotropically active hydrazines having a monoamine oxidase inhibiting effect are pronounced antidepressants.

1988 Experientia 44 762 The (+)-(3S,4S) enantiomer (III) was found to be psychotropically inactive.