The thing with self-experimentation is that, depending on the observer’s vantage point, your daredevilry makes you look either like a hero or like a jackass. Here are some men who fall on that continuum:
- Wisconsin man Tim Friede, who let himself bite by dozens of poisonous snakes. The antibodies in his blood may help develop a universal snake antivenom. Friede is paying a price for his hobby though: He was is divorced and his wife and children have moved out
- Charles McIlvaine, an American mycologist in the 19th century, who ate all sorts of mushrooms to see if they are poisonous or not. His nickname was the Old Iron Gut
- Chemist Alexander Shulgin, who sampled hundreds of self-synthesized psychoactive drugs and recorded their effects. He wrote a book about his experiences called PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story. PiHKAL stands for Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved
As always, Wikipedia has a more complete list.
Nehaveigur 