What is Lye

A lye is a metal hydroxide traditionally obtained by leaching ashes (containing largely potassium carbonate or "potash"), or a strong alkali which is highly soluble in waterproducing caustic basic solutions.

Food
Lyes are used to cure many types of food,

Soap
Lye in the form of both sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide is used in making soap.

Household
Lyes are also valued for their cleaning
effects.

Tissue digestion
Sodium or potassium hydroxide can be used to digest tissues of animal carcasses.

Fungus identification
A 3–10% solution of potassium hydroxide(KOH) gives a color change in some species of mushrooms:

Protection
Personal protective equipment including safety glasses, chemical-resistant gloves, and adequate ventilation are required for the safe handling of lyes.

Hazardous reactions
The majority of safety concerns with lye are also common with most corrosives, such as their potentially destructive effects on living tissues; examples are the skin, flesh, and the cornea. Solutions containing lyes can cause chemical burns, permanent injuries, scarring and blindness, immediately upon contact. Lyes may be harmful or even fatal if swallowed; ingestion can cause esophageal stricture.

Aluminum reacts with lyes to produce hydrogen gas. Since hydrogen is flammable, mixing a large quantity of a lye such as sodium hydroxide with aluminum in a closed container is dangerous—especially when the system is at a high temperature, which speeds up the reaction.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye

What's In Meth

• Acetone. Nail polish remover or paint thinner. Extremely flammable. ...
• Lithium. Used in batteries. Lithium seriously burns the skin upon contact. ...
• Toluene. Used in brake fluid. ...
• Hydrochloric. Acid. ...
• Pseudoephedrine. Decongestant found in cold medicine. ...
• Red. Phosphorus. ...
• Sodium. Hydroxide. ...
• Sulfuric. Acid.

More items:
http://www.methproject.org/answers/whats-meth-made-of.html#Whats-in-Meth

 

They could just take Sudafed off the shelf and go back to requiring a prescription like they used to. But the pharmaceutical companies don't want anything cutting into sales and send their lobbyists to government, so instead they seem to be waging a war on chemistry.

 

Sudafed..

The original formulation of Sudafed contains the active ingredient pseudoephedrine

The salts pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine sulfate are found in many over-the-counter preparations, either as a single ingredient or (more commonly) in combination with antihistamines, guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, and/or paracetamol(acetaminophen) or an NSAID (such as aspirin or ibuprofen).

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoephedrine