Albert Hofmann, 102; Swiss chemist discovered LSD

GENEVA, Switzerland - Albert Hofmann, 102, the father of the mind-altering drug LSD whose medical discovery inspired - and arguably corrupted - millions in the 1960s hippie generation, died Tuesday at his home in Burg im Leimental, Switzerland.

The Swiss chemist discovered lysergic acid diethylamide-25 in 1938 while studying the medicinal uses of a fungus found on wheat and other grains at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel.

He became the first human guinea pig of the drug when a tiny amount of the substance seeped onto his finger during a laboratory experiment April 16, 1943.

"I had to leave work for home because I was suddenly hit by a sudden feeling of unease and mild dizziness," he wrote later in a memo to company bosses.

He said his initial experience resulted in "wonderful visions" that gave him an intense feeling about nature.

"What I was thinking appeared in colors and in pictures," he told a Swiss television network for a program marking his 100th birthday two years ago. "It lasted for a couple of hours and then it disappeared."

Three days later, Mr. Hofmann experimented with a larger dose. The result was a horror trip. "Everything I saw was distorted as in a warped mirror," he said, describing his bicycle ride home. "I was filled with an overwhelming fear that I would go crazy."

Mr. Hofmann and his scientific colleagues hoped LSD would make an important contribution to psychiatric research. The drug exaggerated inner problems and conflicts and thus it was hoped it might be used to recognize and treat mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

For a time, Sandoz Laboratories sold LSD 25 under the name Delysid, encouraging doctors to try it themselves. It was one of the strongest drugs in medicine - with just one gram - .035 ounces - enough to drug an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people for 12 hours.

LSD made international headlines in the late 1950s and 1960s thanks to Harvard professor Timothy Leary, who embraced the drug under the slogan "turn on, tune in, drop out."

But away from the psychedelic trips, horror stories emerged about people going on murder rampages or jumping out of windows while hallucinating. Heavy users suffered permanent psychological damage.

The U.S. government banned LSD in 1966 and other countries followed suit.

Mr. Hofmann maintained this was unfair, arguing the drug was not addictive. He repeatedly urged that the ban be lifted so LSD could be used in medical research.

He welcomed a decision by Swiss authorities last December to allow LSD to be used in a psychotherapy research project. "For me, this is a very big wish come true. I always wanted to see LSD get its proper place in medicine," he told Swiss TV at the time.

Mr. Hofmann took the drug - purportedly on an occasional basis and out of scientific interest - for several decades. "LSD can help open your eyes," he once said. "But there are other ways - meditation, dance, music, fasting."

Even so, the self-described "father" of LSD readily agreed the drug was dangerous if in the wrong hands. This was reflected by the title of his 1979 book:

LSD - My Problem Child.

He retired from Sandoz in 1971 and devoted his time to travel, writing and lectures.