1933

SKJ patents base form of amphetamine and markets it OTC as the Benzedrine Inhaler; in 1937, AMA gives “Seal of Approval” to SKF’s Benzedrine Sulfate tablets for narcolepsy, postencephalitic Parkinsonism, and minor depression; in late 30s, amphetamine therapy for minor depression gained acceptance among psychiatrists, led by Abraham Myerson. “Thus, by World War II, amphetamine in tablet form was finding commercial success and gaining credibility as a prescription psychiatric medication (the first “antidepressant”), despite sporadic reports of misuse. . . . The US military also supplied Benzedrine to servicemen during the war, mainly as 5-mg tablets, for routine use in aviation, as a general medical supply, and in emergency kits” (Rasmussen IV, 974, 975).