The Botany and Chemistry of Hallucinogens
Alcohol and Alcoholism January 1, 1973 50 citations
A comprehensive survey of hallucinogenic plants and their chemical constituents, this work catalogs the botanical sources, historical uses, and active compounds of known psychedelic substances. The authors, a renowned ethnobotanist and the chemist who first synthesized LSD, document over 453 references and include 78 photographs and line drawings. They describe the distribution, preparation, and cultural roles of these plants across societies, alongside the chemical structures and pharmacological properties of their alkaloids and other psychoactive molecules. The text serves as a foundational reference for the interdisciplinary study of hallucinogens, linking traditional knowledge with modern chemistry.