628 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February 2, 18S5. 



sensitive [nerves ; but the anterior colamns of the cord and 

 the peripheral motor nerves are not paralyzed. 5. It does 

 not pro luce muscular paralysis. 6. It usually produces 

 contraction of the pupils. 7. It produces an increase in 

 the salivary secretion; 



These conclusions were arrived at after experiments 

 conducted on more than one hundred animals of .different 

 kinds. Dr. Ott finds similar physiological effects, except 

 that he noticed the pupil to ililate; this is in accordance 

 with our present experience. It is interesting to note that 

 the neutral principles contained in coffee, tea, and chocolate, 

 beverages so generally in use, are almost identical in chemical 

 composition, and similar in physiological action, to cocaine; 

 and this fact may lead us to find in either theine, caffeine, 

 or theobromine local anaesthetic properties similar to the 

 alkaloid of the coca plant; if so, it would he much cheaper 

 and more' readily obtained. Cocaine is a very deliquescent 

 substance and it is hard to obtain crystals, yet by patience 

 they may be. 



The experiments with the cocaine hydrochlorate, by apply- 

 ing it to mucous surfaces, as the conjunctive, has been 

 known of only about one mouth, and, as far as I know, 

 the American surgeons have been among the first to operate 

 with its use. Since then many more have been made, with 

 almost universal success. 



This mydriatic effect of cocaine is well marked and will 

 make it a valuable contribution to our list, as ophthalmoscopic 

 examinations cau be made, and the inconvenience of atropine 

 not be felt, the effect on the accommodation in the former 

 being of such short duration. The chemical formula of 

 atropia is almost identical with cocaine. The mydriatic 

 effect of the cocaine applied to the eye in man differs 

 from the effect noticed by Dr. Bennett in his experiments, 

 where the drug was given by the stomach in animals, he 

 finding a contracted pupil the rule. As to the action of 

 the drug in produciug anesthesia of the surface both of 

 mucous membranes and the skin, that is a point still to 

 be worked out. — Medical Record. 



OOOAINE* 



BY DR. SQUIBn. 



Cocaine and its salts have always been wry expensive 

 aud father rare in the market, — have always conic Erona 

 abroad, and, so far as the writer knows. Merck, of Darm- 

 stadt, has been the principal maker. A very few houses 

 in this neighbourhood had each a small quantity of, pro- 

 bably, not exceeding a few grams, and this small supply 

 was rapidly exhausted. Some buyers were shrewd enough 

 and quick enough to get a few grama and hold them for 

 the adviuiced prices which they foresaw, and such have 

 now, for some time past, been the only sources whence 

 any could be had. Orders to Merck, and perhaps to other 

 makers, were cabled as soon as the excitement commenced, 

 but up to this time, Nov. 11), only two or three small 

 parcels are known to have been received in the United 

 States, and it therefore seems quite probable that the 

 demand abroad has also been greater than the present 

 means of supply. The hydrochlorate of cocaine, which is 

 the salt so much in demand, is put up by Merck in vials 

 of 1 giMin each, and these before the excitement wen sokl 

 at Wholesale al -'50 dollars each, or about 16 cents a 

 grain. Hut flic price djd not remain long at this figure; 

 it rapidly advanced to about SOI) dollars per gram, or 



Bver 50 cents hen grain before the main supply was ex> 

 haiisted— and the latest prices heard of were 75 centspei 

 grain, or 1'2S dollar per fluid drachm for a I per cent 



Solution. The orders sen! not base been numerous, and 

 for quantities likely to be bvi rwnelmtng for mi article 

 hitherto -" little used A single Ni ;i Iforlt house ordered 

 2,000 grams, and hid one eusrottler ready to take tin' whole'; 

 Many of these orders aiV overdue but ool hoani l'ie;u, 

 except the two or three small lots atfbVe mentioned, and 

 these have come in at increased prices, with notice" of si ill 

 farther advances. Two large houses in the United Stales 

 are advertising a 4 per cent solutiou of their own make, 

 and are said to be selling the solution— the one at 7'00 dollars 

 per ounce, the other at 000. The sail of Merck's make, 

 which was sold in the United States at 2'50 per gram, 

 probably eosi the importers about 3 dollars, including (lie 



* J'row EshetMnti November W81 



40 per cent duty, so that Merck's prices must be some- 

 where about 1 -10 dollars per gram. 



It. is exceedingly rare that a novelty in the materia 

 medica is so easily and so quickly tried, and still more 

 rare that one is found that is so very definite and so very 

 important in its results, and the future utility of which is 

 so quickly and so easily established, and hence the im- 

 portance of a prompt supply of the substance if possible. 

 The great probability that only small quantities of so rare 

 and costly an alkaloid would be either on hand, or in pro- 

 cess of making in Europe, and that the demand there 

 Would exhaust that, and keep it exhausted for some lime 

 to come, leaving but little available for the United States. 

 while the demand would lie much greater in the United 

 States than in Europe— induced the writer to try to bridge 

 over the difficulty temporarily, by trying to learn how to 

 make it in small quantities for further investigation of its 

 uess. It was fully recognized that, like many other similar 

 articles, it cannot be made permanently in the United 

 States because of the enormous tax there on alcohol and 

 ether, these appearing to be the chief solvents used , 

 making it, unless some cheaper solvents can be found ba- 

 its extraction and purification. Another difficulty to be 

 met was that of getting good coca leaves to make it from. 

 In assaying coca leaves the best results the writer has ever 

 obtained were about '26 per cent of cocaine, and this is 

 in accordance with other published assays, while upon a 

 manufacturing scale the best results published 6eem to have 

 been about '2 per cent of the hydrochlorate, -or 2 grams 

 per kilogram, and this for the best leaves. Now as good 

 coca leaves are rarely to be had in the United States or 

 elsewhere', in quantity, at less than l'OO dollar per pound, 

 and often 12') dollar, anil as a pound yields at most not 

 over 14 grains of the salt of the alkaloid to those who 

 have learned how to make it, it follows that the salt when 

 still in the leaves is worth (roo-=-14 = ; 7 cents per grain 

 or I'M dollars per gram. As the learning how to get it 

 out is costly, and the solvents, apparatus labour, etc.. also 

 costly, there cannot be a large pre fit on it even in Germany 

 at 1-40 dollar per gram, and it is therefore much better for 

 the users of it iu the United States to buy it abroad 

 where it can be made so much cheaper. Nevertheless it 

 seems just now worth while to try to temporarily supply 



a email quantity, and as the solution would be much re 



easily made than the so'id salt, to aim only at that, and 

 at a strength of 4 per- cent. Two lots, only, of lair coca 

 Were found in the market at 100 dollar and 1-25 dollar 

 per pound, and only one of these at l'OO dollar was in 

 sufficient quantity. The leaves were green and fresh-look- 

 ing with fair odour and taste, but appeared to have been 

 gathered and dried when small and young. They were put 

 up in compact bales of about 100 pounds each, and looked 

 not only much better but much fresher than any seen in 

 the market for two years past. A preliminary qualitative 

 testing showed the presence of cocaine in them, and they 

 were ground to a fine powder, losing about 4 per cent iu 

 drying and powdering, bringing the net coal up to 1'14 

 dollar or more per pound, 



Upon this powder all the published processes accessible 

 to the writer were one after the other tried, and 

 sonic original processes, and some combinations of those 

 of the hooks, occupying about a month in time and I I 

 100 pounds of powder, with almost negative results 

 processes yielded no alkaloid at all, others only traces. 

 Others gllVe n few grains which had to be used up in the 

 tastings in ascertain their identity. By this time it was 

 suspected ihat the powder could, hardly contaiu much al- 

 kaloid, olthotfgh in appearance it bad I ecu of fair quality 

 —good enough to warrant its use in the hurry for alkaloid. 

 without taking the time for a quantitative assay. Such 

 an assay, which should, have been made at the beginning, 

 w.is then made a( the end of such a loss of time and 

 material, and showed, by the assay process previously given 

 (see 1'liur, Jiiur.i.. Aug. 2o. p. 140), that the powder eon 

 tame 1 about 18 per (Sent, or less than two'thirds of whar 

 it should contain, and this assay showed that the process 

 given is not well adapted to poor quality of cofca, so Hint 

 a better assay process had to be sought. FoilT oilier 

 samples of eoe.i were obtained from the Market, costing 

 5 e, Lis. .'in cents, 50 cents and fo cents per pound. One 

 thi malogy of tea and coffee it was supposed thai tin 

 lawtf gtmtH might possibly yield nearly as much all. 



