PMID- 20653618
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20110328
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 1360-0443 (Electronic)
IS  - 0965-2140 (Linking)
VI  - 105
IP  - 8
DP  - 2010 Aug
TI  - Rediscovering MDMA (ecstasy): the role of the American chemist Alexander T. 
      Shulgin.
PG  - 1355-61
LID - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.02948.x [doi]
AB  - AIMS: Alexander T. Shulgin is widely thought of as the 'father' of 
      +/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). This paper re-assesses his role in 
      the modern history of this drug. METHODS: We analysed systematically Shulgin's 
      original publications on MDMA, his publications on the history of MDMA and his 
      laboratory notebook. RESULTS: According to Shulgin's book PIHKAL (1991), he 
      synthesized MDMA in 1965, but did not try it. In the 1960s Shulgin also 
      synthesized MDMA-related compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 
      3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MMDA) and 
      3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDE), but this had no impact on his 
      rediscovery of MDMA. In the mid-1970s Shulgin learned of a 'special effect' 
      caused by MDMA, whereupon he re-synthesized it and tried it himself in September 
      1976, as confirmed by his laboratory notebook. In 1977 he gave MDMA to Leo Zeff 
      PhD, who used it as an adjunct to psychotherapy and introduced it to other 
      psychotherapists. CONCLUSION: Shulgin was not the first to synthesize MDMA, but 
      he played an important role in its history. It seems plausible that he was so 
      impressed by its effects that he introduced it to psychotherapist Zeff in 1977. 
      This, and the fact that in 1978 he published with David Nichols the first paper 
      on the pharmacological action of MDMA in humans, explains why Shulgin is 
      sometimes (erroneously) called the 'father' of MDMA.
FAU - Benzenhofer, Udo
AU  - Benzenhofer U
AD  - Senckenberg Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine, University of 
      Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
FAU - Passie, Torsten
AU  - Passie T
LA  - eng
PT  - Biography
PT  - Historical Article
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Addiction
JT  - Addiction (Abingdon, England)
JID - 9304118
RN  - 0 (Amphetamines)
RN  - 0 (Serotonin Agents)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Amphetamines/chemistry/*history/pharmacology
MH  - Autoexperimentation/history
MH  - Drug Industry/*history
MH  - Female
MH  - Germany
MH  - History, 20th Century
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - *Manuscripts as Topic
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/chemistry/*history/pharmacology
MH  - Publishing
MH  - Serotonin Agents/chemistry/*history/pharmacology
MH  - United States
PS  - Shulgin AT
FPS - Shulgin, Alexander T
EDAT- 2010/07/27 06:00
MHDA- 2011/03/29 06:00
CRDT- 2010/07/27 06:00
PHST- 2010/07/27 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2010/07/27 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2011/03/29 06:00 [medline]
AID - ADD2948 [pii]
AID - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.02948.x [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Addiction. 2010 Aug;105(8):1355-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.02948.x.