Ketamine is a general anesthetic and tranquilizer (not a barbiturate) that is administered intravenously or intramuscularly. It is used mainly by veterinarians or for minor surgery with geriatric or pediatric patients. Ketamine is chemically related to PCP ('Angel Dust').If it is taken in large doses it causes hallucinations similar to those associated with the use of PCPshort-acting "dissociative" anesthetic due to its ability to separate perception from sensation. It has painkilling qualities that seem to affect people in very different ways.