Baron Ernst Von Bibra was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1806. He studied law, chemistry, and medicine at the University of Würzberg. In 1824 he inherited the family estate, allowing him to travel and study without worrying about money. He wrote books on art history, chemistry, and forensic medicine before travelling to South America in 1849.

Based on these travels, in 1855 he published his pioneering book Plant Intoxicants, which described the intoxicating plants he encountered on his travels. Among those plants described are Coca, opium, hashish, khat, betel, Amanita muscaria and tobacco. Plant Intoxicants was one of the earliest books to discuss the cultivation, preparation, and consumption of the world's major stimulants and inebriants and became a classic in its genre.