If not reminded, you might consider ephedra a wild weed. This very drought-tolerant plant is found in arid and semi-arid deserts. What makes it different from other plants is that it contains rich alkaloids with medical and economic value. Its alkaloid is used to synthesize meth and its derivative.
How were Ephedrine，amphetamine，Meth discovered？
When young, Nagai Nagayoshi learned traditional Chinese medicine from his physician father and was dispatched to Germany in 1871 to study organic chemistry. This unique educational experience destined him to explore the active ingredients of herbal medicines, especially the ephedra which ancient people used to treat colds and coughs. Ephedrine was isolated from ephedra by Nagai Nagayoshi in 1885. Seeking a drug with greater potency, ephedrine was modified into methamphetamine in 1893. However, he obtained only some meth solutions that could not crystallize. His student, Ogata Akira, improved the synthesis method in 1919 and successfully crystallized meth. Ogata sold the process to a British pharmaceutical company.
Another compound, amphetamine, whose structure was very similar to ephedrine, was independently resynthesized in 1927 by the American chemist Gordon Alles. In fact, the German chemist Lazăr Edeleanu had first synthesized amphetamine in the laboratory in 1887. At that time, he did not realize its pharmacological effects and regarded it merely as a product in his experiment.
Amphetamine and meth were abused as stimulant in World War II
Gordon Alles was so eager to understand what amphetamine could do that he treated himself as a guinea pig and injected a dose. A few minutes later, his nasal cavity and mouth became dry, and his heartbeat accelerated. Whimsical ideas kept emerging, and within hours he experienced unparalleled happiness and satisfaction. Although he attempted to use amphetamine to treat asthma, patients only became extremely excited without any other effects. Gordon Alles believed that its invigorating properties were beneficial in alleviating depression and narcolepsy. Consequently, he quickly applied for a patent in the United States.
Meanwhile, meth was used to treat nasal congestion, coughs, and depression. Some patients found that taking several pills made them sleepless at all night and become overly excited. This phenomenon attracted military significantly. Meth was used to create super soldiers who were tireless and fearless during World War II. American and Japanese pilots would take meth or amphetamine before each mission to prevent drowsiness while flying over featureless and monochromatic oceans. Many Japanese soldiers participating in the Japanese Special Attack Units were compelled to undertake suicide mission due to implicit military orders and societal pressure. Kamikaze pilots would consume large amounts of meth before piloting their suicide aircraft to numb the fear of death. Their eyes were filled with excitement and despair as they shouted "てんのうへいかばんざい" ("Long live the Emperor") before crashing into American warships. Then they turned into eternal fragments.
Since 1938, meth has been sold on a large scale in Germany as an OTC drug under the brand name "Pervitin." The soldiers swallowed Pervitin and turned into fearless crazy monsters. They were like a perpetual motion machine, staying up for days and nights to advance hundreds of kilometers with tanks and armored vehicles. The enemy’s defense line collapsed in an instant when they faced the steel torrent that like a storm. European nations collapsed one after another in Germany's lighting war. However, its addictive nature and withdrawal symptoms were very severe: soldiers often found themselves unable to fight effectively in the following day. Consequently, the German army significantly reduced its usage in 1940.
Amphetamine and meth continued to be abused even after the war.
Meth, as a military necessity, was legal in some countries, especially in Japan. Japan sold the stockpiled military tablets or meth injections in pharmacies and grocery stores at extremely low prices. The citizens severely seduced by militarism were unable to accept defeat, and they were extremely depressed. After taking meth, they felt euphoria and relaxation, and their sadness seemed to disappear. This drug was also used as a workforce pill. Workers could take it to work tirelessly for long periods to support economic reconstruction. Pharmaceutical companies also claimed it could help students resist fatigue and study more efficiently. It is estimated that about 2 million Japanese were using meth within ten years after the end of World War II. Between 1946 and 1950, criminal cases in Japan surged sharply, and an increasing number of mental illnesses were closely related to meth. The Japanese government dispatched experts to investigate and concluded that meth must be banned.
The situation in the United States was equally concerning. World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War created generation after generation of meth addicts in America. Many veterans became long-term dependents on meth or amphetamine, leading to severe damage to their nervous systems. They were tormented by lifelong depression, psychosis and trouble sleeping. Some could not bear them and committed suicide. Scientists also discovered that meth suppresses appetite and accelerates metabolism to result in weight loss. It was astonishing that a poison become a legal weight-loss drug in the United States before the 1970s. Ironically, meth could not even fulfill its primary function. After American pilots took it, not only did it fail to enhance performance, but excessive excitement also prevented them from making correct judgments. During the Afghanistan War, two American pilots dropped aerial bombs on Canadian allies conducting live-fire night exercises. Four were killed and eight were injured.
Like heroin, they are both the result of scientists' misguided attempts to develop better drugs.