GC: n
S: NCBI – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482407/(last access: 5 November 2020); NHS – https://www.nhs.uk/news/medication/trip-to-the-lsd-archives-for-alcoholism-research/(last access: 5 November 2020).
N: 1. “lysergic acid diethylamide,” 1950 (as LSD 25), from German LSD (1947), from letters in Lysergsäure-diäthylamid, the German form of the chemical name. For first element, lysergic, it says: in reference to a crystalline organic compound, 1934, from the –lys– in hydrolysis (thus from Greek lysis “a loosening, a dissolution,” from lyein “to loosen, dissolve;” from PIE root *leu- “to loosen, divide, cut apart”) + the first syllable of ergot (a fungus from which the chemical was first obtained) + -ic.
The discovery of the hallucigenic effects of LSD was made by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann while he was employed by the Sandoz’s Company’s pharmaceutical-chemical research laboratory in Basel, Switzerland. In 1938 he produced lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD-25 (25 because it was the 25th such compound which he had synthesized).
– Chemical formula: C15H15N2CON(C2H5)2 or C20H25N3O.
– CAS number: 50-37-3.
2. Powerful hallucinogenic drug that is derived originally from ergot, a fungus found growing wild on rye and other grasses. It is an amide of lysergic acid which appears under the form of a crystalline compound, is used in the study of schizophrenia and other mental disorders, constitutes a strong hallucinatory and habit-forming drug suspected to cause mutagenic effects, and of which the manufacture and sale are under legal restraint.
3. There is evidence of mental, visual, behavioral, emotional, and physical effects when taking LSD. Mental effects are the most pronounced ones: delusions, hallucinations, panic attacks, fear of losing control, fear of death… Visual effects are very common, patients can become fixated on the intensity of specific colors. LSD also affects behavior and emotions with happiness, empathy, and so on. And last but not least, physical effects occur via the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, having dilated pupils, sweating or chills, tremors…
4. Not to be confused with “lysergic acid,” which is sometimes elliptically used to designate “lysergic acid diethylamide” and constitutes a compound close in chemical structure but without hallucinogenic effects.
5. Observations about certain synonyms:
– N,N-diethyl-6-methyl-9,10-didehydroergoline-8ß-carboxamide: The capital letters “N” must be italicized; form recommended by the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry).
– lysergide: the official United States Adopted Name (USAN) for this drug, established by the U.S. Pharmacopoeia and the USAN Council …
– LSD-25: official abbreviation. “LSD” alone is frequent but incomplete.
– 9,10-didehydro-N,N-diethyl-6-methyl-ergoline-8-ß-carboxamide: The capital letters “N” must be italicized.
6. Cultural Interrelation: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is a song by the well-known band the Beatles from their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Although the song was inspired by a drawing made by John Lennon’s son Julian named “Lucy in the sky with diamonds”, there is speculation about the meaning. The rumors arose that the first letter of each of the title nouns intentionally spelled “LSD” making it remembered as the song that talked about LSD.
S: 1. OED – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=LSD ; https://www.etymonline.com/word/lysergic (last access: 5 November 2020); TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=lsd&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 5 November 2020). 2. DrugWise – https://www.drugwise.org.uk/lsd/ (last access: 7 November 2020). 3. NCBI – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482407/ (last access: 5 November 2020). 4&5. TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=lsd&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 5 November 2020). 6. TheGuardian – https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/sep/28/beatles-lucy-in-sky-dies (last access: 7 November 2020).
SYN: N,N-diethyl-6-methyl-9,10-didehydroergoline-8ß-carboxamide, lysergic acid diethylamide-25, LSD-25, lysergic acid diethylamide, L.S.D., lysergide, delysid, 9,10-didehydro-N,N-diethyl-6-methyl-ergoline-8-ß-carboxamide, N,N-diethyllysergamide, D-lysergic acid diethylamide, D-LSD (avoid), acid (familiar), Cubes (familiar), Heavenly Blue (familiar), Pearly Gates (familiar), Royal Blue (familiar), Wedding Bells (familiar). (depending on context)
S: TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=lsd&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 5 November 2020)
CR: addiction, cannabis, cocaine, drug, drug addict, drug addiction, drug dealer, drug product, drug substance, hallucinogen, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, narcotic, narcotic (2), opium, overdose, pharmacology.
