The chemical formulas for LSD and Psilocybin, drawn, signed and inscribed by Albert Hofmann.

Item Details

A diagram in ink by Albert Hoffmann (1906-2008) of chemical formulas for the LSD and psilocybin molecules.  The diagram is signed and inscribed "Für Herr Wolfgang Windhausen / mit freundlichen grüssen" and dated "24 VIII 83." Hoffmann also inscribes his credentials (not entirely legible) and "Ch - Burg i. L."  Paper size is 4 1/8 x 5 3/4"

Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann is known for being the first to synthesize, ingest, and learn of the psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide. Hofmann's team also isolated, named and synthesized the psychedelic compound psilocin derived from mushrooms.  Hoffmann called LSD "medicine for the soul" and said "It was used very successfully for 10 years in psychoanalysis," noting that its rapid spread among young people in the 1960s demonized the drug's use for the treatment of mental illness.  Not until the last decade have psychiatrists and psychologists reconsidered its value for treating some psychological problems.