The masterpiece we have all been waiting for in this classic text from the 60s Ergot Alkaloids comes to life in the English translation of Albert Hofmanns historic encyclopedia of Ergot Alkaloids and their derivatives. title is a detailed account of chemical compounds and pharmacological investigation into the potential of magical plants. Starting with the botany and cultivation of the ergot mushroom Hofmann takes us through the historical elaboration of the fungus including the poisoning epidemic of ergot and its early medical uses all the way to the use of psilocybin as a drug. With a detailed timeline we explore the growth of the pharmaceuticalchemical investigation from 1816 to 1961 with a total synthesis of ergotamine including tables of chemical structures and the role of lysergic acid dlysergic acid and diethylamide in experimental psychiatry gaining increasing importance in psychotherapy as a medical aid.