Nazis and narcotics

Norman Ohler is rather hard on the Nazis, for compared to what our little group got up to in the late 1960s and 1970s, they were shrinking violets in the drugs department. We smoked cannabis, ate opium and sometimes took strong LSD; lines of uncertain content went up nostrils; and we swallowed countless uppers (speed) and downers (tranquillisers, sleepers for looning on). Speed was amphetamine sulphate. Benzedrine, Dexedrine, Methedrine were the three original brands, in rising strength. Soon there were many other names, including slang: Desoxyn, Durophet, Durophet-M (speed with Mandrax), French Blues, Purple Hearts, Black Bombers.

Many were prescribed by doctors who didn’t regard them as outrageously dangerous. I also purchased amphetamine in clear liquid form by the half pint from science undergraduates at both Oxford and Cambridge. In the early 1970s amphetamine sulphate appeared for snorting, an amateurish product, much cut. We took these drugs on an almost daily basis for years. In 1980 I gave it all up. I was never addicted. I took drugs to overcome inhibition and make my life more, so I was not interested in switch-off drugs like heroin. The moment you realise you’re no longer growing but repeating, that’s the time to stop.

I mention this to give some perspective to the subject, and in particular to speed — which is one of two main thrusts in Ohler’s book. In 1937 the Germans produced a stronger version of Benzedrine with the wonderful name of Pervitin. Amphetamine is closely allied to the body’s natural adrenaline and all amphetamine products work the same way: high mental concentration, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, loss of overview judgment. It’s the dosage that makes the difference: dexamphetamine and
methylamphetamine are just stronger versions. But this is a book about Nazis — so Ohler needs to sensationalise.