History of Methamphetamine Methamphetamine was first synthesised in Japan in 1883 by Nagai Nagayoshi, and contra to popular belief,  not  by Akira Ogata in 1919. Ogata was the first chemist to produce crystalline methamphetamine or Crystal Meth. One of the earliest uses of methamphetamine was during World War II when the German military dispensed it under the trade name Pervitin. It was freely administered to both tank crews and aircraft personnel. Chocolate was often dosed with methamphetamine and was known as Fliegerschokolade or "flyer's chocolate". Panzerschokolade or "tanker's chocolate" was given to tank crews. After the Second World War illicit use of methamphetamine or 'Shabu' became increasingly popular in  Japan and is still associated with the Japanese underworld or 'Yakusa'. In the 1950's prescriptions of pharmaceutical methamphetamine increased, particularly as a treatment for alcoholism, obesity, Parkison's disease and narcolepsy (for which Desoxyn is still prescribed). Speed Kills In the 1960's and 1970's injectable methamphetamine flooded the Haight Ashbury area of San Francisco following  anti-marijuana and LSD campaigns and media-scares and lead to the slogan "Speed Kills" and a backlash against methamphetamine from the likes of Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, who remarked in an interview in the Los Angeles  Free Press: "Let's issue a general declaration to all the underground community,  contra speedamos ex cathedra. Speed is antisocial, paranoid making, it's a drag, bad for your body, bad for your mind, generally speaking, in the long run uncreative and it's a plague in the whole dope: industry. All the nice gentle dope fiends are getting screwed up by the real horror monster Frankenstein speed freaks who are going around stealing and bad mouthing everybody."