Richard Manske
Richard Manske | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 September 1901[1] |
| Died | 1977[1] |
| Other names | Richard Helmuth Fredrick Manske |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester, Queen's University[1] |
| Occupation | Chemist[1] |
| Years active | 1924– |
| Organization(s) | General Motors, Yale University, National Research Council[1] |
| Known for | Synthesizing dimethyltryptamine (DMT), identifying and synthesizing harmine and harmaline, others[1] |
Richard Manske, also known by his full name Richard Helmuth Fredrick Manske, was a German–Canadian chemist who was the first to synthesize the psychedelic drug dimethyltryptamine (DMT).[1][2][3] He synthesized and described DMT in 1931.[2][3] However, DMT was not subsequently found naturally in plants until 1946[2][4] and its hallucinogenic effects were not discovered until 1956 by Stephen Szara.[2][5] In addition to synthesizing DMT, Manske is known for identifying the chemical structures of and synthesizing the harmala alkaloids and hallucinogens harmine and harmaline in 1927 as well as for other scientific contributions.[1][6] Manske died following an automobile accident in 1977.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Shulman, Elise (8 February 2021). "Richard Manske". Psychedelic Science Review. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d Barker SA (2018). "N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an Endogenous Hallucinogen: Past, Present, and Future Research to Determine Its Role and Function". Front Neurosci. 12: 536. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00536. PMC 6088236. PMID 30127713.
In terms of Western culture, DMT was first synthesized by a Canadian chemist, Richard Manske, in 1931 (Manske, 1931) but was, at the time, not assessed for human pharmacological effects. In 1946 the microbiologist Oswaldo Gonçalves de Lima discovered DMT's natural occurrence in plants (Goncalves de Lima, 1946). DMT's hallucinogenic properties were not discovered until 1956 when Stephen Szara, a pioneering Hungarian chemist and psychiatrist, extracted DMT from the Mimosa hostilis plant and administered the extract to himself intramuscularly (Szára, 1956).
- ^ a b Manske, Richard H. F. (1 November 1931). "A SYNTHESIS OF THE METHYLTRYPTAMINES AND SOME DERIVATIVES". Canadian Journal of Research. 5 (5): 592–600. doi:10.1139/cjr31-097. ISSN 1923-4287. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ Goncalves de Lima O. (1946). Observacio es sobre o “vinho de Jurema” utilizado pelos indios Pancaru' de Tacaratu' (Pernambuco) [Observations on the “vinho de Jurema” used by the Pancaru' Indians of Tacaratu' (Pernambuco)]. Ariquivos do Instituto de Pesquisas Agronomicas, 4, 45–80. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cluster=11438840874591857579
- ^ Szara S (November 1956). "Dimethyltryptamin: its metabolism in man; the relation to its psychotic effect to the serotonin metabolism". Experientia. 12 (11): 441–442. doi:10.1007/BF02157378. PMID 13384414.
- ^ Manske, Richard Helmuth Fred; Perkin, William Henry; Robinson, Robert (1927). "I.—Harmine and harmaline. Part IX. A synthesis of harmaline". J. Chem. Soc. 0 (0): 1–14. doi:10.1039/JR9270000001. ISSN 0368-1769. Retrieved 9 March 2026.