February 2, 1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



621 



COCA (OR GUC A) AND COCAINE. 

 THE NEW AND VEK.Y VALUABLE ANESTHETIC. 

 What with the coco-palm, the cocoa (properly 

 cacao) plant, and now the new aspirant to notice, 

 coca, confusion ia likely to be worse confounded 

 We recently published a translation from the French 

 of a paper on coca, and in the periodicals which 

 have since reached us we have found a large amount 

 of matter referring to the drug, some of the articles 

 being couched in extravagant terms, such as that 

 " the leaves are worth their weight in gold." This 

 is said in consequence of the discovery that the 

 alkaloid derived from the leaves and called cocaine 

 is a local anesthetic, or producer of partial para- 

 lysis, its use being specially valuable in facilitating 

 operations on so delicate an organ as the eye ia. 

 The plant is already abundant in South Am rica, 

 has been naturalized over the tropics and seems 

 easily produced, so that properly prepared leaves 

 will soon be plentiful and cheap. Excepting that it 

 i a not a creeper, the plant, in its general character 

 and properties, seems greatly to resemble the betel 

 vine, and we would suggest a thorough analysis of 

 the leaves of the latter plant, to ascertain if it 

 possesses the same or a similar alkaloid. The in- 

 defatigable Mr. Thomas Christy of Fenchurch Street, 

 London, has written several communications to our 

 paper respecting this new drug and has sent us 

 specimens of its leaves in a prepared state. The 

 following is Mr. Christy's latest letter : — 



'• The price of ' Cucaine ' has kept up, and we have 

 sold during this week at 20s per gramme (lf>§ grains;. 



" There is a question as to the amount of fermentation 

 that the leaves should be subjected to prior to their be- 

 ing kiln-dried, but as I sent you out a sample of the very 

 belt Bolivian leaves, it will only be a question of trying 

 to imitate them for a standard. We know of some leaves 

 that have been treated last week which have only yielded 

 0-18 per cent. 



"There has been a discussion here this week, and it is 

 thought best for many reasons that this important drug 

 should take rather a different name to the ' Coca,' and 

 most people interested in it have agreed to call it ' Cuca,' 

 as there is no doubt it will come largely into use. 



"In growing 'Erythoxylon Cuca,' it may be found 

 that this plant will run to flower lather than to leaf. It 

 will amply repay the planters to send people round to 

 pick off the flowers. I don't know that the flowers will 

 have any value, but if twigs aud old leaves abound, it will 

 be advisable to boil them down with water for the sake 

 of the green extract. To this is added a small percentage 

 of alcohol to keep it from going bad The extract from 

 Bolivia has been sold here at as much as 120s per lb. 

 aud the market is now nearly cleared. I think this will 

 show you that every part can be utilized." 

 We tind the following paragraph in one of our 

 exchanges : — 



An important medical discovery which lias been made by 

 a Vienna oculist named Koller was on 20th November 

 publicly demonstrated before some scientific men. Dr. 

 Koller has found that one drop of cocaine— the extract of 

 the eoeoa leaf — if dropped into the eye renders it totally 

 insensible, thus enabling operations to be performed with- 

 out pain. Dr. Jellinek has further found that a drop of 

 the extract produces the same effect on the larynx, a point 

 of the utmost importance in diphtheria aud other grave 

 throat diseases. Dr. Schrdtter mado use of the cocaine 

 last night in operating on an old polypus. The operation 

 was performed with complete success in live minutes. 

 We need scarcely say that if, besides facilitating 

 surgical operations on the eye, the new alkaloid ia 

 found to ba potent for ihe removal or dissipa'ion 

 of the membrane so fatal in cases of diphtheria, the 



diug may well be lauded as worth its weight in 

 gold. We often recognize Mr. Christy's hand in the 

 Planters' Gazette, and from a late number of that 

 periodical (which would do well always to acknow- 

 ledge its sources of information) we quote as fol- 

 lows : — 



" A month ago, when at Brooklyn, U. S. A., some hard 

 foreigu substance found its way to the pupil of my eye, 

 causing much pain and inconvenience. I went with Dr. 

 William Thallon, of Clinton Street, Brooklyn, to Dr. 

 Prout, an oculist, also of Clinton Street, for relief. After 

 examination, Dr. Prout poured two or three drops of 

 Cocaine (I think a two per cent, solution) on the eye 

 and let it remain there for about three minutes, when he 

 poured on some more and allowetl that also to remain 

 for some time. 



" Under the influence of the amesthetic the eye became 

 cold and seemingly dead, and the foreign substance was 

 removed without my being aware from sense of touch 

 that an instrument was being used upon the sensitive 

 organ. Dr. Prout said that had the Cocaine not been 

 used the operation would have been a painful one. I 

 experienced no pain either from the anaesthetic or from 

 the operation. The eye was naturally weak for the rest 

 of the day, and then quickly returned to its normal con- 

 dition." 



The day after this letter appeared there were two from 

 London physicians stating that Cocaine was now in fre- 

 queut use in operations both for eye and throat diseases. 

 One of them, Dr. A.St. Clair Buxton, says: — "In reply 

 to your correspondent in your issue of today, I beg to 

 inform him that Cocaine is attracting the attention of 

 a great number of surgeons in this country. For oper- 

 ations on the eye and throat the active principle of Ery- 

 throxylon Coca bids fair to prove a most useful anaesth- 

 etic. If your correspondent will look at the current 

 number of the Lancet he will find mention made 

 of the Muriate of Cocaine by Mr. C. Bader in connec- 

 tion with eleven cases of operation on the eye. Mr. Lucien 

 Howe describes the physiological effects ; Dr. Pressor 

 James speaks of the drug in cases of laryngeal trouble, aud 

 Dr. Eelix Semon mentions it in reference to similar cases. 

 "In ophthalmic surgerv especially we shall hail the new 

 painkiller with joy, if experience brings to light no draw- 

 backs in its use." 



On the 2"th ult. the following from Mr. Thomas Christy, 

 I', l. s , appeared in the same journal: — " I am glad to see 

 from the letters in the Standard of 24th and 25th that 

 our English surgeons are now aware of the great value of 

 Cocaine for operations connected with the eye. In the 

 Pharmaceutical Journal, as far back as 1879, the experi- 

 ments made by Dr. Von Ansep in the Physiological Ins- 

 titute at Warzburg are recorded. I have been deeply inter- 

 ested in the plant producing the Coca leaves. I showed 

 in " New Commercial Plants," IV, p. 43, that Erythroxylon 

 Coca was a plant well worthy of cultivation by our planters 

 who have so long been desirous of helping out their full- 

 ing crops of coffee, &G>, with new products. 



" It may not be generally known, but the leaves of Coca 

 are in themselves of the greatest value, enabling writers 

 and brain workers to continue at work longer (and to obtain 

 sound and refreshing sleep) during times of pressure. I 

 have used them myself in this way, and have been happy 

 to be the means lately of enabling many engaged in in- 

 tellectual work under great pressure to complete their en- 

 gagements. 



" In Bolivia they make a most delicious liqueur of Coca, 

 I was fortunate enough to obtain a few bottles some years 

 back with some seed. These seeds produced plants which 

 are now growing in my hothouses. There is however, 

 some difficulty in preserving the leaves, as (hey are some- 

 what like tea, apt to damage easily, Jand lose their act- 

 ive principle." 



So that the leaves of coca are, like the fruit of card- 

 amoms, not only valuable as a medicine, but as an in- 

 gredient in "a delicious liqueur." Who would not grow 

 such a plant 1 The American Grocer brings us the 

 following sensational paragraph on the subject of the 

 new ar aesthetic : — 



The new anaesthetic, hydro-chlorate of cocaine, mention 

 of which was made in our last issue, is a very costly pre- 

 paration, which thus far has been prepared at Darmstadt. 



