Phencyclidine: The Dawn of a New Age April, 1956 : The pharmaceutical company Parke & Davis first synthesize what they believe to be the perfect anesthetic (Souza, 1995). When administered to patients, it causes a completely dissociative state, with no significant respiratory or cardiovascular depression. Patients appear to be awake, eyes open, breathing normally.but are unaware of their surroundings or the procedures being performed upon them (Souza, 1995). Indeed, this is the perfect drug. Unfortunately, like all good things, this one has a darker side. 15% of patients awake from their slumber with what appeared to be an acute case of paranoid schizophrenia (Peterson; Stil