Drug encyclopedia

Alexander Shulgin (Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin) – the American pharmacologist of Russian parentage, the chemist and the developer of many psychoactive materials. Was born on June, 17th 1925 in Berkeley, California, the USA.

Basically Shulgin is known for that promoted diffusion MDMA in the late seventies, the beginning 80. It and his wife Anna (Ann) of Shulgin have written known books PiHKAL («Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved») and TiHKAL («Tryptamines i Have Known And Loved»).

Working on company Dow Chemical, Shulgin has registered a series of successful and valuable patents, it has given the chance to it to obtain the licence of agency DEA for research of psychoactive materials and freedom in a choice of a direction of researches. It had a bunch of friends of 20-30 persons from which it regulary carried out tests of new materials. To each material the rating on a special scale (Shulgin’s Scale) was appropriated and visual, physical effects were described. There is an incalculable number of various variants of chemical variations of these materials, each of which has in different degree different effects, pleasant and not so, these materials and effects are meticulously described in Shulgin’s books. Anna Shulgin also took part in experiments. The people who are taking a great interest in psychopharmacology, sometimes name Shulgin “daddy”. This person did and does huge work which, perhaps, in the future when to psychoactive materials will cease disapproves especially, will render the invaluable help to psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacologists.

Now Shulgin writes two new books about analogues of an isoquinoline, material which basically can be received from cactuses.

PiHKAL – the book written by Alexander Shulgin and Anna Shulginoj in 1991, in which psychodelic Phenethylamines are probed. The full name of the book «Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved: A Chemical Love Story» (one of variants of translation: «of Phenethylamines which I have learnt and has grown fond: chemistry and love History»).

The book consists of two parts. In the first part Alexander and Anna’s autobiography, and in the second the detailed instruction on synthesis more than 200 psychodelic Phenethylamines (which majority Shulgin has invented personally), including dosings, the description of effects and other comments contains.

In 2003 the first part PiHKAL under the name «Phenethylamines which I knew is in Russian emitted and loved». Soon after the edition the book has disappeared from counters of shops in connection with an interdiction of the government which have seen in it propagation of narcotics.

TiHKAL – the book written by Alexander Shulgin and Anna Shulginoj in 1997, in which psychodelic tryptamins are probed. It is continuation of book PiHKAL which have left in 1991. The full name of the book «Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved: The Continuation» («of Tryptamins which I have learnt and has grown fond: Continuation»).

The book consists of two parts. As well as in PiHKAL, the first part of the book has autobiographical character, and in the second the detailed description of synthesis more than 50 psychodelic materials of some a tryptamin (the majority of them personally Shulgin for the first time synthesised), and also dosings, the description of effects and other comments is resulted.