DESCRIPTION OF NEWLY DISCOVERED PROJECT ARTICHOKE/BLUEBIRD MATERIALS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00261R000300050005-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 3, 2000
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: REPORT

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DESCRIPTION OF NEWLY DISCOVERED
PROJECT ARTICHOKE/BLUEBIRD MATERIALS
INTRODUCTION
In conducting an overall review of the Agency's records
control schedules, inventories of documents i storage at
the Agency's Archives were provided
to the various Agency o .f_ces for review. On 15 August 1977
the inventory of the Agency's Office of Security archival
material was reviewed and the existence of eighteen cartons
of documents held in archives under the caption "Project
ARTICHOKE" was revealed. It was further ascertained that
unlike those materials stored within the ency's retired
records center, also located Athe Office of
Security'
s holdjngs within axc ive,s ?are , c t retr e vab1-e
t i~f rou
ug the Office o,f Security primary.-index. system. Thus,
these records were riot found during the 1975/1976 Congres-
sional and Rockefeller investigations.
The eighteen cartons were immediately brought to Head-
quarters for review and a determination as to what, if any,
records existed pertaining to Project ARTICHOKE/BLUEBIRD
which had not previously been furnished to either the Rock-
efeller Commission or Congressional Committees during their
inquiries into the Agency's research and experimentation
with drugs. The review has now been substantially completed
and reflects that approximately fourteen (14) linear feet of
Project ARTICHOKE/BLUEBIRD material was contained within the
eighteen cartons retrieved from archives. The remaining
material in the cartons does not pertain to these two projects
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tion with drugs.
The review of the newly discovered materials failed to
reveal any information which would contradict or change the
scope of that information previously furnished to the investi-
gating bodies. In essence the newly discovered material
contains working papers and file material that merely provides
x ...detail than had previously been available.
The material, as contained within the cartons retrieved
from archives, was not assembled in any particular fashion,
thus the task force reviewing this material divided the
documents into seven basic categories. A summary and descrip-
tion of each category follows:
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1. BACKGROUND LITERATURE ON BEHAVIOR CONTROL AND DRUGS
OF INTEREST TO PROJECT ARTICHOKE/BLUEBIRD
The documents in this collection in effect consti-
tute the library for the.ARTICIIOKE/BLUEBIRD Project. The
bulk of this material consists of periodical articles and
reprints of scientific monographs pertaining to behavior
control and the effects and characteristics of drugs. It
includes a number of bibliographies on subjects such as
drugs, interrogation and interviewing techniques, lie
detectors, hypnotism, and brainwashing. There are folders
on specific drugs and chemical agents, such as Rauwolfia
Serpentina, Meratran, Mitrazol, Mescaline, etc., together
with several folders on non-drug related fields of'behavior
control such as amnesia, ESP, electro-shock therapy, pre-
frontal lobotomy, and schizophrenia.
Included within the collection arc a number of
classified memoranda, studies, and intelligence reports.
The classified memoranda were largely produced by the Agency
and concern the chemical analyses of various drugs, attempts
to collect specimens of various drugs, and discussions with
non-CIA experts. The classified, studies were produced by
both the Agency and the Department of Defense. For example,
the Agency's Office of Scientific Research produced a study
entitled "Strategic Medical Significance of Lysergic Acid
Diethylamine." There are several U.S. Army studies on
psychological warfare as well as intelligence reports con-
cerning foreign drug research such as "Psychiatric Research
in Czechoslovakia" and "Use of Stimulants in the Soviet
Armed Forces."
II. INFORMATION RELATED TO THE AGENCY'S DRUG TESTING/
INTERROGATION ACTIVITIES INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS
A comparison of this material to that which was
previously provided again shows that in general the newly
discovered documents merely contain additional details
concerning such activity rather than significant changes to
our previous understanding of the Agency's use of drugs on
humans. Some of this material does, however, contain addi-
tional detail which warrants highlighting in this report.
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to,1946 with various drugs believed to aid in interrogation.
The ii5formation relates to several experiments on approxi-
mately eighty-eight witting American citizens using such
drugs as Benzedrine, Caffeine, Scopolamine, Alcohol, and
Tetrahydrocan.nabindl Acetate. A June 1943 OSS memorandum
refers to various experiments with U.S. Military volunteers
using Mescaline, Cannabis, Indicia, and Tetrahydrocannabindl
Acetate. This memorandum also mentions an unwitting test in
1943 on a "notorious New York gangster" by one of the OSS
researchers.
III. HYPNOSIS
Another category of the newly discovered material
is a collection of files, films, and tapes concerning hypnotism.
The material indicates a strong interest but little, if any,
operational use of this medium. A great deal of reference
material was studied and analyzed, various authorities were
consulted, and several Agency employees were trained in the
art of hypnotism. A program of hypnosis testing and experi-
mentation was conducted between 1951 and 1954 using volunteer
Agency employees as subjects. An interim report in 1954
regarding these tests states that the tests were neither of
sufficient complexity nor conducted under the hazardous
conditions necessary to warrant "extravagant" claims for
operational use; however, there were strong indications of
the potential of hypnotism as an offensive and defensive
aid. There are also indications of research and experi-
mentation into disguised induction of hypnosis through
mechanical means, e.g.., polygraph, audiometer, EKG, etc.
IV. PLANNING, ADMINISTRATION, BUDGET, MATERIALS
This collection consists of material which provides
information on the planning, organization, and management of
ARTICHOKE/BLUEBIRD. The budgetary data is very sparse
consisting of the proposed initial budget of $65,515, the
Table of Organization for the Technical Research Staff (TRS)
for 1952, and the proposed budget for FY1953. TRS (also
referred to as Unit B) apparently was responsible for. BLUEBIRD
research and operations and had a Table of Organization of
four in 1952 and received approval for a Table of Organization
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of six in 1953. The project appears to have started in
early 1950. The project name was change from BLUEBIRD to
closely to that lnform W
aion previously furnished, es
The project received guidance from at least mid-
1951 through 1953 from the BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE Committee,
which at various times was represented, by the Office of
Scientific Intelligence (OSI), Office of Special Operations,
Office of Policy Coordination, Inspection and Security
Office (I&SO), the Technical Services Staff, and the Office
of Medical Services. The project was initially under the
cognizance of OSI, but responsibility was transferred to
I&SO in October 1952. Unlike MKULTRA, it does not appear
that large sums were spent on external research. There are
several documents proposing various external research
projects, but there is no indication that they were approved.
It appears that project personnel, in lieu of sponsored
research, depended instead on obtaining the results of
research sponsored by others.
V. PERSONNEL
This collection consists of two boxes of personality
files on individuals who were of interest to Project BLUEBIRD/
ARTICHOKE, many of whom were later of interest to Project
MKULTRA. There is a total of three hundred fifty-seven
folders in this collection. Many other names of individuals
of interest to BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE are contained in the
individual folders, as well as appearing throughout the
entire collection of newly found material. In the main.
these individuals are doctors, psychiatrists, chemists, and
hypnotists who were doing work or were acknowledged as
experts in areas of interest to BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE. Also
included are officials of other U.S. Government agencies
such as N.I.H., FDA, and the U.S. Military. The review of
this material is only partially complete and the total
number of names which appear throughout this material has
not been determined. However, the material has not been
found to contain the names of any individuals who were the
subjects of any drug or hypnosis experiments.
To date the review has established that while
these individuals were doing work of interest to BLUEBIRD/
ARTICHOKE, it is impossible to determine from the material
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in the files if any of this work was actually being financed
by the Agency. There are references to work.that'was being
financed. by MKULTRA, but these references are to information
picked up in conversations among Agency officials and no
documents which would spell out the details of such financing
have been noted.
VI. INTERROGATION LITERATURE
VII. MISCELLANEOUS
are the following:
A number of items were contained in the collection
of newly found material which did not readily fit into the
above categories. Among the more significant of these items
C. Personal papers and letters of some of
the Agency employees connected with ARTICHOKE.
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D. An assortment of 35mm film containing
snapshots and microfilm of documents. The documents
are reports on the chemical LSI) and Psychological
Warfare. The snapshots appear to be typical
"tourist" type photos and are of no apparent
significance in terms of ARTICHOKE techniques.
E. Inventories of drug supplies on hand in
the ARTICHOKE office at various times.
F. A number of drugs and one injection
device were also found in the boxes. On
22 August 1977 a representative of the Agency's
Office of Medical Services examined this
material. A description of the material,
together with the physician's comments appears
below:
1. Automatic self-injecting device
similar to that used by the military services
for self-injection of Atropine to counteract
nerve gas. Comment: The design of the
device differe rom the Army's model only
in the trigger mechanism which appeared to
be cruder-and less reliable.
2. Raudixin, 100 mg. tablets, described
accurately as the whole root of Rauwolfia
Serpentina. Comment: This is an ethical
medical preparation still used today to treat
hypertension and psychotic states.
3. Thorazine Hydrochloride, one ampule,
25 mg. Comment: Thorazine is a commonly
used tranauilazer.
4. Methedrine, one packet of eight pills,
plastic sealed. Comment: Methedrine is a
well-known stimulant crug.
5. Marezine, two small. green packets
(two pills each), sealed in plastic. Comment:
Marezine is an anti-nausea medication still
in current use.
6. Daprisa.l. Comment: A mild analgesic
containing a small amount of Dexamphetaiuine,
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Barbiturate, Acetylsalcylic Acid, and phenacetin.
It is not listed among the current drugs in
use but cannot be considered an unusual prepara-
tion. If it was removed from clinical usage,
the most likely reason was because it was
replaced by more effective preparations.
7. A sealed display card from the
Columbia University Parkinson Research
Laboratory showing the drugs listed below.
All the drugs seem to have been used for
the treatment of. Parkinsonism.
a. Acute cholinergic drugs used in the
treatment of Parkinsonism.
Hyoscine
Artane
Thephorin
Panparnit
Bellabulgara
Rabellon
Vinobel
b. Tolserol.. Comment: A muscle
relaxant.
c. Benadryl. Comment: An antihistamine
drug used far allergies.
d. Dexedrine. Comment: A stimulant
medication.
e. Two drugs listed as under study:
Compound 08958 and MK-02 could not be
identified. Comment: There is no way
of-knowing what they contain without
inquiring through the Parkinson Research
Laboratory at Columbia University. It
is my assumption that these were new
drugs for the treatment of Parkinson's
which were under study at that laboratory
in the 1950's.
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