Erowid Mescaline Vault : Timeline

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Mescaline

Timeline

by Erowid

Nov 23, 1897		Mescaline is first isolated and identified by German pharmacologist and chemist Arthur Heffter. 1 [Details] [More Info] Arthur Heffter conclusively demonstrated that mescaline was the main hallucinogenic component in peyote by consuming 150 mg of mescaline hydrochloride. This was the first psychedelic experience with a purified compound.
1918		Mescaline is first synthesized by Austrian chemist Ernst Späth. 2 [More Info]
1927		An extensive study of mescaline's effects in 32 human subjects is published, Kurt Beringer's Der Meskalinrausch: Seine Geschichte und Erscheinungsweise [The Mescaline High: Its History and Expression]. 3 [More Info]
Oct 1945		US Navy Technical Mission reports on mescaline experiments at the Nazi Dachau concentration camp.
1947		U.S. Navy initiates mescaline studies under the auspices of 'Project Chatter'. 4
1952		Dr. Humphry Osmond begins working with hallucinogens at a hospital in Saskatchewan, looking at the similarity between mescaline and the adrenaline molecule. 4
May 6, 1953		At 11:00 am on May 6, 1953, Aldous Huxley tries mescaline 400 mg for the first time under the supervision of Dr. Humphry Osmond. During the experience, he commented, This is how one ought to see, how things really are. 5, 6 [More Info]
1954		The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley is published describing his 1953 experience with mescaline.
Apr 2, 1960		Dr. Alexander Shulgin first tries mescaline at 350 mg. 7, 8 [Details] Notebook 4, page 471 April 2 1960. 350mg of mescaline administered orally at 9:15A.M. Subjects: A.T. Shulgin, Robert Thompson, Nina Shulgin Observers: Taylor + Veronica Wolf, Henry Brock. There is some confusion around this because he told an LA Times Reporter I first explored mescaline in the late '50s, Shulgin says. Three-hundred-fifty to 400 milligrams. I learned there was a great deal inside me, he replies. However PIHKAL indicates his first mescaline trip was in April 1960 at 400mg, but the hand written notes in Pharmacology Notes IV gives 350mg as the dose. However, a different notebook records a different mescaline trip on April 16, 1960 with just ATS and one observer (DP) where the dose taken was 400mg. We assume that his offhand remark to a reporter about the '50s was just a small memory error and the confusion between 350 and 400mg as his first dose is of no historical importance.
Oct 27, 1970		The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act is passed. Part II of this is the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) which defines a scheduling system for drugs. It places most of the known hallucinogens (LSD, psilocybin, psilocin, mescaline, peyote, cannabis, & MDA) in Schedule I. It places coca, cocaine and injectable methamphetamine in Schedule II. Other amphetamines and stimulants, including non-injectable methamphetamine are placed in Schedule III.
1991		Alexander and Ann Shulgin publish PiHKAL, documenting over 250 phenethylamines, including MDMA, mescaline, 2C-B, 2C-T-7, 2C-T-2, and many others. 8

References

Heffter A. “Ueber Pellote. Beitrag zur chemischen und pharmakologischen Kenntnis der Cacteen (Zweite Mittheilung)”. Arch Exp Path Pharm. 1898;40:423.
Späth E. “Über die Anhalonium-Alkaloide. I. Anhalin und Mezcalin”. Monatshefte für Chemie und verwandte Teile anderer Wissenschaften. 1919;40(2):129-154.
Stuart, R. "Modern Psychedelic Art's Origins as a Product of Clinical Experimentation". The Entheogen Review. 2004;13(1):12-22.
Lee MA, Shlain B. Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD and the Sixties Rebellion. Grove, 1985.
Huxley A. The Doors of Perception. Harper Collins, 1956
Horowitz M, Palmer C. Moksha. Stonehill Publishing Company, 1977.
Shulgin AT. Pharmacology Notes IV. Page 471.
Shulgin AT, Shulgin A. PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story. Transform Press. 1991.