Lazãr Edeleanu (1861–1941) Gordon Alles (1901–1963)
In 1887, Lazãr Edeleanu, a Romanian graduate student at the University of Berlin, synthesized amphetamine. Four decades later, while searching for a substitute for the anti-asthmatic drug ephedrine, the American pharmacologist-chemist Gordon Alles rediscovered amphetamine and transferred the drug to Smith, Kline and French Laboratories (now GlaxoSmithKline), which recognized and exploited its considerable market potential during the 1930s.
Its first medical application was the Benzedrine inhaler, intended to treat nasal congestion and later used as a source of amphetamine for recreational purposes. Amphetamine’s stimulant properties led to its 1935 use for the treatment of narcolepsy, a disorder characterized by multiple, uncontrollable periods of sleep during normal waking hours. Within the next few years, amphetamine (Dexedrine) was found to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by calming and improving children's ability to concentrate.
Used by both Allied and Axis combatants, amphetamine assumed a nonpartisan role during World War II and subsequent wars. Post–World War II witnessed the widespread abuse of the amphetamines (in particular, methamphetamine or “speed”) in Japan, Sweden, and the United States. The drug’s capacity to increase mental and physical performance and to elevate the mood has led to its widespread use in recreation and athletic competition, and its antifatigue effects were capitalized on by students cramming before exams and by cross-country commercial truck drivers.
From a commercial perspective, amphetamine’s most significant and lucrative use has been for weight loss. Amphetamine and related drugs reduce the activity of the feeding center in the hypothalamus, decreasing food intake. The most impressive weight losses occur during the first six-to-eight weeks, diminishing thereafter. To overcome this drug tolerance, some users increase their dosage, which may lead to amphetamine dependence—a scenario poignantly portrayed in the film Requiem for a Dream (2000).
SEE ALSO Methamphetamine (1944), Ritalin (1955), MDMA/Ecstasy (1976), Crack Cocaine (1986), Ephedra/Ephedrine (1994), Weight-Loss Drugs (2010), Smart Drugs (2018).
Of amphetamine’s many uses as a drug, by far the most common has been to depress the appetite. This man’s considerable weight loss is not typical. After its daily use for several months, amphetamine loses its effectiveness, commonly leading to a rebound increase in body weight.