# the 25 in LSD-25

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-in-lsd-25/193033>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 5, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-in-lsd-25/193033 "2003-08-05T01:41:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cleops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cleops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleops)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-in-lsd-25/193033/1 "2003-08-05T01:41:39Z")

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While reading another thread, I got a chuckle out of one of the board’s newcomers, who chose **LSD-25** for his user name. That got me to thinking, what DID (or does) the 25 refer to in the name of this (wonderful, as I recall 😃 ) hallucinogenic?

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**Author:** ![LSD-25](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@LSD-25](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSD-25)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-in-lsd-25/193033/2 "2003-08-05T02:34:45Z")

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Thanks cleops - recognition at last! I think when Albert Hoffman (the father of LSD) was working in his lab synthesizing lysergic acid compounds he created one called lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) which just happened to be the 25th compound he’d synthesized, so he abbreviated it to LSD-25. It wasn’t his first successful attempt after 24 tries as some sources claim, but it’s the one he tripped out on and became enlightened…and I thank him for it.

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-in-lsd-25/193033/3 "2003-08-05T06:52:28Z")

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MANY years ago, when I was but a slip of a girl, I checked a book out of the school library named “LSD-25” It was fascinating… and the rest is history. 🙂

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**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-in-lsd-25/193033/4 "2003-08-05T12:12:05Z")

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…and you can read all about it in “My Problem Child,” by Albert Hoffman, or “Storming Heaven,” by Jay Stevens. Both are pretty good reads.

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**Author:** ![cleops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cleops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleops)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-in-lsd-25/193033/5 "2003-08-07T02:37:57Z")

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Thanks, all, for info.