COCA AND COCAINE 185 



are also capable of producing numbness or anesthesia of the skin or 

 mucous membranes when taken internally in sufficiently large doses 

 (aconite). Local anesthetics are applied locally to relieve pain and 

 allay itching. The following are most important : 



Cocaine Tropococaine Eucaine Orthoform 



Anesthesin Stovain Novocaine Holocaine 



Alypine Chloretone Urea and quinine 



hydrochloride 

 and less important : 



Menthol Ether Ethyl chloride 



Phenol Aconite Veratrin 



Atropine 



Besides these many of the aromatic oils, like cloves and pepper- 

 mint, also possess anodyne properties. 



*COCA 



Synonym. Cuca. 



Parts Used. The leaves of Coca erythroxylon or Erythroxylon 

 truxillense yielding when assayed not less than 0.5 per cent, of its 

 ether soluble alkaloids, cultivated extensively in the high altitudes of 

 Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador and to some extent in Mexico and East 

 and West Indies. The leaves also contain ergonine, and arygarine, 

 but cocaine is the only important constituent. 



Preparations and Doses. 



*Coca or Fluidextractum coca. H. 3ij — iv; 8. — 15. D. 

 grs. or ni XX — Ix; 1.3 — 3. 



Cocainse hydrochloridum (Hydrochloride of cocaine) is soluble 

 in 0.4 parts of water and 2.6 of alcohol. It is insoluble in oils, there- 

 fore for oily solutions the pure alkaloid should be used. Cocaine and 

 its salts decompose at a temperature of about 98 C, so its aqueous 

 solutions cannot be sterilized by boiling. Eurthermore the solutions 

 are not antiseptic and frequently show a growth of mold, but this may 

 be prevented by the addition of boric acid. 



Doses. 



Cocaince hydrochloridum. H. grs. v — x. 



*Oleatum Cocaince, used externally only. D. grs. V^ — %. 



According to Wooldridge the maximum dose for the horse is 10 

 grains. Eor dogs, Mo grain for each pound but not to exceed 2 

 grains, for the cat the same ratio per pound but not to exceed /4 

 grain. 



Coca leaves and their preparations are employed only to a very 



* Unofficial. 



