Non-naturally occuring chemicals (Score 2)

Novicaine was created by a bunch of chemists who had decided to try and synthesize cocaine. At the time, cocaine was commonly in use as a pain killer for things like nasal surgery (!) and dental surgery, but it was hard to get it in a pure form. So the chemists tried to synthesize it. They ended up with something that worked better - and differently - than they expected, but they didn't end up with cocaine.

Synthesizing any sort of a chemical involving large amounts of carbon is fiendishly difficult, as you can get something that is chemically equivalent and yet doesn't behave the same. And then you can get something that is chemically identical, right down to the way it folds, but is chirally different.

Anyone know if chirally opposite caffeine works on the brain? I'll stick with my coffee plunger until then.