5i6 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[January i, 1885. 



very different from caffeine, simply producing a similar 

 physiologica effect in much smaller doses. All these sub- 

 stances in their natural condition seem to be identical in 

 their general physiological effect, but idiosyncrasy, ordiffereut 

 individual impressibility or sensitiveness, causes a different 

 action, as well in quality as in degree from the different 

 substances, upon some persons. 



In order to try to throw a little additional light on the 

 comparative activity of the principal individuals of this 

 group of substances, the following trials were made. It 

 is generally admitted, and is probably true, that the same 

 power in these agents which refreshes, recuperates, and 

 sustains in the condition which needs or requires such effects, 

 also counteracts the tendency to sleep or produces wake- 

 fulness when a tendency to sleep exists, and, therefore, 

 if a tendency or disposition to sleep could be prevented 

 by these agents, this tendency might be used as a measure 

 of their effects when used in varying quantities, and thus 

 measurethe agents against each other for dose, or quantitative 

 effect. In this way the proposition is to first measure coca 

 against tea, then coffee against guarana, and finally to 

 compare the four agents, using pure caffeine as a kind of 

 standard to measure by. 



An opportunity for such trials occurred in a healthy in- 

 dividual sixty-five years old, not habituated to the use of 

 either tea, coffee, tobacco or any other narcotic substances, 

 of good physical condition and regular habits, and not very 

 susceptible or sensitive to the action of nervines or so-called 

 auti-spasmodics. Quantities of preparations of valerian, 

 asafietida, compound spirit of ether, etc., which would yield 

 a prompt effect upon many individuals seem to have little 

 or no effect upon him, nor do moderate quantities of wines 

 or spirits stimulate him. That i9 to say, he has not a very 

 impressible nervous organization, is not imaginative, nor very 

 liable to accept results on insufficient or partial evidence. 

 Fully occupied with work, both physical and mental in 

 due proportion, for more than ten hours every secular day, 

 when evening comes he finds himself unable to read long 

 on account of a drowsiness supposed to be of a purely, 

 physiological character. With a full breakfast at about 7-30, 

 a full dinner at about 2-30, and a light evening meal about 7 ; 

 and no stimulants or tea or coffee at any time, he finds, 

 as a matter of not invariable but general habit, that by 

 half-past 8 drowsiness becomes so dominant that it becomes 

 almost impossible, and generally impracticable, to avoid 

 falling asleep in his chair while attempting to read, even 

 though ordinary conversation be carried on around him. 

 The first trial to combat or prevent this drowsiness was 

 made with caffeine. The first specimen used was a very 

 beautiful article made by Merck, of Darmstadt, and after 

 that by pure specimens made for the purpose, the two 

 kinds being found identical in effect. 



Commencing with a one grain dose at abaout 6-30 p.m., 

 on alternate evenings, leaving the intermediate eveuings in 

 order to be sure that the nightly tendency still persisted 

 — and increasing by half a grain each alternate evening, no 

 very definite effect was perceived until the dose reached 

 2^ grains, and this dose simply rendered the tendency to 

 sleep resistible by effort. After an interval of tthree evenings 

 with the tendency to sleep recurring with somewhat varying 

 force each evening, a close of 3 grains was taken — the 

 maximum single dose of the German Pharmacopoeia, This 

 gave a comfortable evening of restedness, without sleep, 

 or any very strong tendency to it until ten o'clock. AVith- 

 out anything to counteract sleep, the rule w.is to rend with 

 difficulty by nine, without much comprehension by a quarter- 

 past uine, and either be asleep, or go to bed by half-past nine. 

 The 3 grain dose of caffeine repeatedly obviated all this 

 discomfort up to ten o'clock, but did not prevent the habitual, 

 prompt and sound sleep, from the time of going to bed 

 till morning. 



This was the model established, upon and by which to 

 measure all the other agents, and they were never t dcen 

 nearer than on alternate eveuings, with occasional longer 

 intervals, especially when the final doses of record were 

 to be taken. 



The next agent tried in precisely this same way was coca, 

 and knowing that the quality of that which was attainable 

 was very low, the enimeneing dose of theleaf in substance 

 was 2 drachms, or about 8 grams. This gave no very 

 definite effect, but 2h drachms did give a definite effect, 

 and a subsequent dose of 2J fluid drachms of a well made 



fluid extract of coca gave about the same effect as 2i grain 8 

 of caffeine. Three fluid drachms of the fluid extract were 

 about equivalent to 3 grains of caffeine. 



Both the coca used and the fluid extract were then assayed 

 by the modern methods, for the proportion of the alkaloid 

 they contained. 



The only assays of coca that could be found conveniently 

 were those of Dr. Albeit Niemann, of Goslar, given in the 

 American Journal of Pharmacy, vol. xxxiii., p. 122, who 

 obtained -25 per cent and of Prof. Jno. M. Maisch, iu the 

 same volume of the same Journal, p. 4H6, who obtained 

 4 grains of alkaloid from 1,500 grains of coca, which is also 

 about a quarter of one per cent. These assays were, how- 

 ever, very old, and made by the old process. The process 

 used by the writer was the more modern one of Dragendorff 

 slightly modified. It was as follows: — 



Thirty grams of powdered coca, thoroughly mixed in a 

 mortar with 8 grains of caustic magnesia, was stirred into 

 200 e.c. of boiling water, and the mixture boiled for ten 

 minutes. The liquid was filtered off, and the residue per- 

 colated with about 60 e.c. of water. It was then again 

 stirred into 150 e.c. of boiling water, and was again boiled 

 and percolated until apparently thoroughly exhausted. The 

 total liquid, amounting to more than 600 e.c, was evaporated 

 on a water-bath, commencing with the weaker portions, 

 so that the stronger ones might be exposed to the heat 

 for the shortest time — until reduced to about 20 e.c. This 

 liquid extract was transferred to a flask and rigorously 

 shaken with 50 e.c. of strong ether. The ether was poured 

 off, as closely as practicable, into a tared capsule, where 

 it was allowed to evaporate spontaneously. A second and 

 third portion of ether, each of 50 e.c, were used in the 

 same way, and then the whole evaporated to dryness in 

 the capsule. A scanty, greenish, oily residue was left iu 

 the capsule, iu which there was no appearance of a crystallized 

 alkaloid. The capsule and contents were then weighed and 

 the weight noted. The oily residue was then repeatedly 

 washed with small quantities of water, until the washings 

 no longer affected litmus paper. The oily matter adhered 

 to the capsule during this process, no part of it coming off 

 with the washiug. and at the end of the washing the 

 capsule and contents were again dried and weighed, and 

 the weight subtracted from the original weight. The 

 cliff erence was taken as the alkaloid cocaine, and it amounted 

 to *077 gram, equal to "26 per cent. 



Several preliminary assays were made in reaching this 

 method. Some authorities recommend the very finely 

 powdered mixture of coca and magnesia, or coca and lime 

 to be at once exhausted witli ether. Others recommend 

 that the mixture be made into a paste with water, and 

 after drying on a water-bath that it be then exhausted with 

 ether. This is better, but neither of these methods were 

 satisfactory. 



Finally, 30 e.c. of a well made fluid extract of the 

 same coca was thoroughly mixed with 8 grams of caustic 

 magnesia in a capsule, and the mixture dried on a water- 

 bath and powdered. This powder was then exhausted — 

 one part by ether and the other part by chloroform, 

 exactly as in the method given, both parts giving very 

 slightly higher results. As a check upon the results the 

 solution of alkaloid washed out was titrated with normal 

 solution of oxalic acid. 



From all this it would appear that this inferior coca of 

 the markets, or rather the best that can be selected from 

 it, yields about the same proportion of the alkaloid as was 

 obtained by Niemann and Maisch, but it has been shown 

 that, by the older processes of assay used by them, much 

 of tin: alka'oid was probably lost or destroyed, and that 

 much better results are generally obtained by the modern 

 process. 



Now, since :: drachms of this coca, or 3 fluid drachms 

 of its fluid extract gave the same physiological, or perhaps, 

 therapeutical, effect as o grains of caffeine, and as the 3 

 drachms contained about '45 grain of cocaine, it follows 

 that cocaine is about 6*5 times more effective than caffeine, 

 but it always follows that the coca accessible and even 

 the very best coca, contains very much less of its alkaloid 

 than those articles which yield caffeine do of that principle. 

 Having gone thus far with coca which it is proposed 

 to abandon for the present, at least, and to substitute for 

 it a better agent, the next step was to investigate that 

 agent, namely, tea, in the same way. — FharmaceuticalJournal, 



