On Apr. 16, 1943, Albert Hofmann accidentally exposed himself while testing synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).  Hofmann had been working on a project at Sandoz where he extracted drug compounds from ergot. In the 1930s, he worked to fuse lysergic acid with other compounds in hopes to make the lysergic acid more stable. In November of 1938, Hofmann created that stable synthetic version, naming it “Lyserg-Saure-Diathylamid-25” (LSD-25) or “Lysergic-Acid-Diethylamide-25” in English.

The “25” represents that it was Hofmann’s 25th compound for this Sandoz project. Eventually, the project finished and nothing further was done with LSD-25. It was not until April 16, 1943 when Hofmann accidentally handled the substance and then rubbed his eye; he began feeling the effects shortly thereafter. He left the laboratory and rode his bicycle home, which became known as his famous bicycle ride.

The following work day, Hofmann deliberately ingested .25 milligrams (about ten times the “normal” amount unbeknownst to him) of LSD-25 and had to be taken home; the effects were too strong and Hoffman experienced some rather frightening hallucinations. Once he was checked by a doctor and told he was not, in fact, dying, Hofmann relaxed and eventually fell asleep. The next morning he felt reborn and his senses renewed.

Hofmann reported what had happened to his supervisors at Sandoz, and LSD-25 was tested on three more employees. These results were shared with a researcher at the University of Zurich, where LSD-25 was identified as a non-toxic psychotropic compound. Sandoz began offering LSD-25 to qualified researchers and medical professionals after 1947, and many psychologists and psychiatrists were very excited about the promising effects LSD-25 had on troubled patients, especially those suffering from schizophrenia.

LSD was outlawed in most countries, which hindered scientific studies of the drug. Hofmann was disappointed in the casual use of LSD-25 and wrote a book in 1983 titled “LSD, My Problem Child: Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism and Science”. Hoffman asserted that LSD-25 should be a controlled substance, just as morphine.