622 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February 2, 1885. 



We find in one of our dailies the following information 

 bearing upon its uses and cost : — , 



To say that an object ia worth its weight in gold is 

 ordiuarily considered an exaggeration sanctioned by usage. 

 A far more valuable standard of comparison might he 

 found in the drug cocaine. Eighteen carat gold is worth 

 about $16 an ounce. A recent importation of cocaine 

 cost $8 a gramme or $224 an ounce. An apothecary's 

 pound of this substance would therefore cost over $3,5011. 

 It is obtained from the coca-leaf to which the nations_ of 

 South America ascribe the most wonderful strengthening 

 powers. It is said that by chewing this leaf and swallow- 

 ing the saliva which is mixed with its juices they ran travel 

 an incredible length of time without other food. Cocaine, 

 which is manufactured from this leaf, is a coarse 

 crystaline powder, although the crystals have no 

 distinctive and definite shape. In color it is a pale 

 yellow, and much resembles a high quality of brown sugar. 

 It is used principally in operation upon the eye. It deadens 

 the nerves temporarily and thus supersedes the use of 

 chloroform. For an operation a four per cent, solution of 

 cocaine is used. Such a solution costs $10 an ounce, and 

 only a few drops are necessary. Cocaine has, however, 

 the same effect upon all parts of the mucous membrane, 

 and its use is extending. If, for instance, a small grain be 

 placed upon the tongue it will soon produce a peculiar 

 numbness, and deaden any sensation of pain. Large chem- 

 ical houses in this country have recently attempted to 

 manufacture the drug, and although they have not been 

 successful in placing it in the market, they hope soon to 

 do so. The price will then probably be considerably lower. 



Another American periodical, the Independent Journal, 

 also notices the new drug, though the notice is of 

 a more sober character, the leaves being represented 

 as selling in the New York market at $54 per lb., 

 or say about R120 or K130. The notice ia as fol- 

 lows : — 



The price of coca leaves in this market has remained 

 quite steady since their importation has been engaged 

 in by several houses. Formerly the supply was irregular 

 and the price made to suit the whim or avaric« of the 

 importer, who knew that he could realize any price he 

 chose to ask, imports being made only as sales were 

 effected, the article having no steady demand. As the 

 merits of the leaves became better known the demand 

 for them increased, and they became a regular article of 

 trade, and supplies wore kept constantly on hand with 

 the price averaging about fifty cents per pound. Al- 

 though the active principle of the coca leaves was dis- 

 covered in 1855 it was not manufactured or used, it 

 being simply looked upon as an interesting chemical dis- 

 covery. During the earlier months of the present year 

 experiments were made with the leaves, their active 

 principle extracted, and this iu turn has been experi- 

 mented with and found to possess anresthetic properties, 

 which makes it valuable in ophthalmic surgery. Indeed, 

 wherever it is desirable to employ local anaesthesia coca- 

 ine is found to answer the requirements better than 

 any of the drugs or chemicals heretofore employed for 

 the purpose. Although it is now not more than two 

 months since this property of the coca alkaloid was 

 made public, the demand for the leaves has increased 

 to such an extent that the price has been advanced 

 fully one hundred per cent. The best quality of leaves 

 are most in demand as the percentage of alkaloid ob- 

 tained from the inferior grades has been found unsatis- 

 factory. As the price of the leaves in Peru has also 

 advanced fully thirty per cent, since the increase iu the 

 demand it is possible that prices will go still higher, 

 until such time as more attention is given to the col- 

 lection of the leaves by the natives. The higher prices 

 will doubtless stimulate the gathering of the leaves, and 

 we have no doubt the supply will be found ample to 

 meet the increased requirements. 



Of course, the demand for the leaves has excited 

 the attention of planters in Ceylon, who are ever 

 on the qui vivr for profitable " new products," and 

 Dr. Trimen has received so many letters on the sub- 

 ject that he has suggested to us the republication of 

 his article from " Medicinal Plants, by Drs. Bentley 

 and Trimen,"— a very beautifully illustrated and most 



valuable book, we may state. The article was 



written in 1876, and now Dr. Trimen writes : 



" When I came here iu 1880, I found this shrub abuud- 

 ant in Peradeuiya Gardens, having been introduced from 

 Kew in 1870. It thrives well here, flowering irregularly, 

 but several times a year, the pretty pale yellow flowers 

 being followed on some trees, but by no means all, by the 

 small scarlet fleshy fruit each containing a single seed. It 

 I also grows and fruits well at Heuaratgoda Garden. The 

 seeds have been frequently advertized for sale at the Gardens. 

 In our climate the plant grows to a greater height thou 

 that given in my description, to quite eight feet high, and 

 the flowers have a sweet, faint, honey-like scent. I should 

 expect it to grow well at any elevation up to 5,1X10 feet here." 

 So that the plant is well established in Ceylon, and 

 its zone, according io Dr. Trimen, is only less cir- 

 cumscribed than that of tea — extending from sea level 

 to 5,000 feet. As in the case of other plants yield- 

 ing alkaloids, the richness of the leaves in the active 

 principle will probably be in proportion to elevation 

 of site of growth. We should think the mode of 

 cultivation would closely resemble that of tea and 

 coffee, except that the coca plants should be wider 

 apart, while it remains to be proved if prun- 

 ing would be beneficial. The process does not 

 seem to be adopted in South America, but the fact 

 is not conclusive. Dr. Trimeu's article is preceded 

 by a carefully coloured drawing, showing the pretty 

 China-tea-like plant as a whole and its botanical 

 parts separately. The botanical name Erythroxylon 

 Coca (Dr. Moore makes the distinctive name Peru- 

 viana), is, it appears, derived from the Greek for 

 redwood, while coca means " the plant," par excel- 

 lence. Other South American names are Cochuco 

 (which might well be adopted, so as to save con- 

 fusion), Hayo and Ipadu. For the full botanical 

 description, we must refer to the article, as it will be 

 found repriuted on page 625, merely saying here 

 that whit somewiiat remiuded us of a small-leaved 

 China tea bush Dr. Trimen compares to a black 

 thorn, the very plant the leaves of which are 

 Buid to be used to adulterate China tea. The 

 bark is wrinkled afid purplish browu in colour. 

 On the Andes its habitat is from 2,000 to 5,000 ft. 

 elevation, and it is found in Brazil and South 

 America generally, but scarcely ever as a wild plant. 

 The plantations, called " cocals," are formed on the 

 steep warm declivities of mountains, the forest being 

 cleared for the purpose. The plant was not introduced 

 into England much before 1670. When Dr. Trimen 

 wrote in 1876, this plant had not been included in 

 the British, American, or Indian Pharmacopiceias, but 

 if its claims as now asserted can be sustained, it 

 will uo doubt soon find a place of honour in the list 

 of officinal plants. At the period of the conquest of 

 Peru the leaves were used as they now are. The 

 leaves are gathered at maturity and dried slowly 

 in the sun. (Query, if the hot-air tea driers may 

 not improve the quality ?) 



The leaves must be thoroughly dried, but not too 

 rapidly. They are packed in bags, and no doubt 

 this accounts for much deterioration ; we would suggest 

 their being hermetically packed as tea leaves are, or 

 in tin ca*es as Dr. Trimen recommended. The pro- 

 duce is said to be 9')0 lb. of leaves par acre, spread, 

 we suppose, over the two or threa harvests which 

 occur in the year ? The value when Dr. Trimen wrote 

 was calculated at Is to 5a per lb , the total produc- 

 tion I eiug estimated at 40 millions of pounds. The 

 prepared leaves are perfectly flat, not curled like tea, 

 and they give out the combined odours of bay and 

 chocolate. They vary iu quality from somewhat arom- 

 atic an I bitter, to disagreeably bitter. The chief 

 ingredient is the alkaloid called encaine, and like 

 our own betel the active principle is improved by the 

 addition of lime. The leaf is stimu'aul and narcotic, 

 and the Indians exist for long periods by merely 



