PiHKAL
PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story is a book by Dr. Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin which was published in 1991. The book contains detailed instructions for the synthesis of masny phenethylamines; derivatives of mescaline, a psychoactive alkaloid which occurs naturally in the Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), the San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi) and in the Peruvian torch (Echinopsis peruviana), and other members of the Cactaceae plant family. The book also features the personal accounts of bio-assays performed by the authors for each of the substances.
The title of the book is an acronym for "Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved".
The book consists of two parts: the first is a fictionalised autobiography of the authors which introduces the couple's background, working lives and relationship. The second part contains detailed instructions for the synthesis of 179 psychedelic phenethylamines, of which most were discovered by Shulgin himself, and for each substance, there is an account of the bio-assays he conducted, his suggested effective dosage, duration, and commentary on the subjective effects the couple experienced.
The first part is available only to those who obtain the entire book.
The second part of the book was made available for free and can be accessed in its original form via Erowid.org. There is also an updated, interactive edition made available by IsomerDesign which has corrected publishing errors and cross-references the substances described with additional information available on the website.
Notable excerpts
Magical half-dozen
The so-called "magical half-dozen" refers to Shulgin's self-rated most important phenethylamine compounds, all of which except mescaline he developed and synthesized himself. They are found within the first book of PIHKAL, and are as follows:
- Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine)
- DOM (2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine)
- 2C-B (2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenethylamine)
- 2C-E (2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylphenethylamine)
- 2C-T-2 (2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthiophenethylamine)
- 2C-T-7 (2,5-dimethoxy-4-propylthiophenethylamine)
Essential amphetamines
The "Essential Amphetamines" are what Shulgin describes as ten amphetamines that differ from natural products such as safrole or myristicin by an amine group (PIHKAL Entry #157 TMA). The list consists of:
- PMA (para-methoxy-amphetamine)
- 2,4-DMA (2,4-dimethoxy-amphetamine)
- 3,4-DMA (3,4-dimethoxy-amphetamine)
- MDA (3,4-methylenedioxy-amphetamine)
- MMDA (3-methoxy-4,5-methylendioxy-amphetamine)
- MMDA-3a (2-methoxy-3,4-methylendioxyamphetamine)
- MMDA-2 (2-methoxy-4,5-methylendioxyamphetamine)
- TMA (3,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine)
- TMA-2 (2,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine)
- DMMDA (2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
- DMMDA-2 (2,3-dimethoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
- TeMA (2,3,4,5-tetramethoxyamphetamine)
Not all of these chemicals are bioassayed in PIHKAL, some are merely mentioned.