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Check out the history of LSD. It almost wasn't invented. They tested it on animals, and noticed "some level of disturbance" or some such, but nobody had any cl

Check out the history of LSD. It almost wasn't invented. They tested it on animals, and noticed "some level of disturbance" or some such, but nobody had any clue what the effects were, and nobody really cared. Then someone decided to try it on themselves. The only reason that was able to happen is because the legal and ethical restrictions were looser than they are today. In the meantime, several other such experiments have ended with the deaths of the chemists who decided to self-experiment. I remember reading about several specific chemists. I'll try to find them. Maybe someone else can point them out while I look. EDIT: I'm wrong.

Alex3917 12y ago
To the best of my knowledge there haven't been any deaths among chemists bioassaying new compounds for psychoactive potential. This isn't surprising, considering the vast majority of the 'new' research chemicals coming onto the market were first synthesized by the same 5 or 10, all of whom were/are very cautious and well educated. The closest I've heard of is the grad student who gave himself Parkinsons and later died while trying to make MPPP, but that was because he unknowingly messed up the synthesis and not because he was purposely experimenting with some new molecule.
- lol123456 12y ago
  An alcohol maker doesn't have to be an alcoholic. More alcoholics die everyday than alcohol makers measured by numbers and percentages. 1 alcohol maker can probably support 1000 drunks everyday. The maker doesn't have to drink, just taste a tiny bit for quality assurance. In the same vein the chemists can never know about interaction effects.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
krick 12y ago
AFAIK, Hoffman didn't really "decide to try it on himself", but accidentally got some dose through his skin because of working without gloves and felt that something is not right. I don't remember where I got that — I guess it was his autobiography or something.
- sehr 12y ago
  Can you imagine that bike ride home? Dude must have some mental fortitude. Basically took a thumbprint and walked it off
  - nemo1618 12y ago
    Hoffman's "Bicycle Day" dose was 0.25mg[1], whereas the mythical "thumbprint" dose is upwards of 1mg (perhaps substantially more)[2]. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_lysergic_acid_diethylamide#.22Bicycle_Day.22 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_lysergic_acid_diethy... [2] http://insanebraintrain.blogspot.com/2011/07/massive-dosing-lsd-thumbprint.html http://insanebraintrain.blogspot.com/2011/07/massive-dosing-...
  - d23 12y ago
    Actually, I read the excerpt from a talk once that argued it was extremely unlikely that he actually ingested the LSD. It has some pretty interesting arguments: https://www.erowid.org/general/conferences/conference_mindstates4_nichols.shtml https://www.erowid.org/general/conferences/conference_mindst...
- sillysaurus3 12y ago
  You're absolutely right. I screwed up in my recollection of that. The experiment wasn't intentional. It may be true that the legal restrictions were looser back then, but it had nothing to do with the discovery of LSD. My bad. It's interesting to realize that it did require human experimentation in order to discover, though. But maybe I'm flat out wrong about chemists dying through self-experimentation. Regardless, I'll start re-checking my sources before saying anything.
  - krick 12y ago
    > It's interesting to realize that it did require human experimentation in order to discover, though. Yeah, in hindsight it is, but if we try to remember history of pretty much every discovery — it all actually required some human experimentation. Everything starts from accidentally noticing something — something unknown and thus potentially risky. I remember how funny it sounded back then in school when somebody was telling about Volta checking if there is electricity by putting wires in his own ears. Because, — yeah, who does that! — right? But back then there was no other way to tell! (Of course voltage must have been really low, but still, I find it quite demonstrative.) I like to think that this actually is the essence of science: doing apparently stupid things and foolishly risking even your own health because of sheer curiosity.

Alex3917 12y ago

To the best of my knowledge there haven't been any deaths among chemists bioassaying new compounds for psychoactive potential. This isn't surprising, considering the vast majority of the 'new' research chemicals coming onto the market were first synthesized by the same 5 or 10, all of whom were/are very cautious and well educated. The closest I've heard of is the grad student who gave himself Parkinsons and later died while trying to make MPPP, but that was because he unknowingly messed up the synthesis and not because he was purposely experimenting with some new molecule.

lol123456 12y ago
An alcohol maker doesn't have to be an alcoholic. More alcoholics die everyday than alcohol makers measured by numbers and percentages. 1 alcohol maker can probably support 1000 drunks everyday. The maker doesn't have to drink, just taste a tiny bit for quality assurance. In the same vein the chemists can never know about interaction effects.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

krick 12y ago

AFAIK, Hoffman didn't really "decide to try it on himself", but accidentally got some dose through his skin because of working without gloves and felt that something is not right. I don't remember where I got that — I guess it was his autobiography or something.

sehr 12y ago
Can you imagine that bike ride home? Dude must have some mental fortitude. Basically took a thumbprint and walked it off
- nemo1618 12y ago
  Hoffman's "Bicycle Day" dose was 0.25mg[1], whereas the mythical "thumbprint" dose is upwards of 1mg (perhaps substantially more)[2]. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_lysergic_acid_diethylamide#.22Bicycle_Day.22 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_lysergic_acid_diethy... [2] http://insanebraintrain.blogspot.com/2011/07/massive-dosing-lsd-thumbprint.html http://insanebraintrain.blogspot.com/2011/07/massive-dosing-...
- d23 12y ago
  Actually, I read the excerpt from a talk once that argued it was extremely unlikely that he actually ingested the LSD. It has some pretty interesting arguments: https://www.erowid.org/general/conferences/conference_mindstates4_nichols.shtml https://www.erowid.org/general/conferences/conference_mindst...
sillysaurus3 12y ago
You're absolutely right. I screwed up in my recollection of that. The experiment wasn't intentional. It may be true that the legal restrictions were looser back then, but it had nothing to do with the discovery of LSD. My bad. It's interesting to realize that it did require human experimentation in order to discover, though. But maybe I'm flat out wrong about chemists dying through self-experimentation. Regardless, I'll start re-checking my sources before saying anything.
- krick 12y ago
  > It's interesting to realize that it did require human experimentation in order to discover, though. Yeah, in hindsight it is, but if we try to remember history of pretty much every discovery — it all actually required some human experimentation. Everything starts from accidentally noticing something — something unknown and thus potentially risky. I remember how funny it sounded back then in school when somebody was telling about Volta checking if there is electricity by putting wires in his own ears. Because, — yeah, who does that! — right? But back then there was no other way to tell! (Of course voltage must have been really low, but still, I find it quite demonstrative.) I like to think that this actually is the essence of science: doing apparently stupid things and foolishly risking even your own health because of sheer curiosity.