[frogjerk]

It's a struggle, he has written, that led him to experiment with alcohol and drugs

Did he wear a labcoat and use a beeker?

[gcruse]

What's a beeker? Something you beek with?

Experimenting with drugs is a lot like law or medicine or those other professions called 'practices.' The experimenter can use it all his life but until there's no mystery left, he's just trying it out. Or something.