Recent Investigations on Ergot Alkaloids
- Source: Lecture Given to the Organic Colloquium, Harvard University (9 May 1950)
- Author: Arthur Stoll
Summary
This essay outlines the ergot research that took place starting around 1920 with the isolation of the ergot alkaloid, ergotamine.
When Charles Tanret (1847 – 1917) synthesized ergotamine in 1875, it proved inactive. Years later, Arthur Stoll of Sandoz Laboratories 1Albert Hofmann’s boss took up the challenge and produced an active form of ergotamine in 1920. This kicked off a larger study of lysergic acid, whose study would eventually lead to the development of a number of lysergic acids, one of which was LSD.