LINAGES. 61 



de Vmiri lias an agreeable odour of benzine. It is used for the same 

 purpose as tbe resinous oil of Copabu. In Brazil tbe seeds of H. 

 olovata ^ are eaten, and in Gabon tbe fruits of Bjouga or H. gahon- 

 ensis? Notbing is more open to controversy tban tbe mode of 

 action of tbe Erythroxylons, of wbicb tbe most celebrated is E. coca^ 

 (fig. 80-87), a Peruvian species, cultivated in a great part of Soutb 

 America, especially in Columbia, Bolivia, and Brazil,, for its leaves, 

 of wbicb tbe consumption is sucb tbat tbe production in Bolivia and 

 Peru is valued at 15 millions of francs yearly, Tbese leaves are 

 oval or oval-acute, entire, membranous, penninerved, about 4 

 centim. (1 incb) long, and remarkable as baving a middle zone of a 

 darker colour tban tbe rest of tbe limb seen on tbe inferior face 

 and limited by two curved lines parallel to tbe edges. Tbeir active 

 principle is said to be cocaine, a crystallizable alcaloid, soluble in 

 alcobol and etber. Tbe leaves are used in preparing infusions, 

 decoctions, syrups, and bave been reckoned, like tea, coffee, etc., 

 among tbose substances wbicb preserve, or prevent waste in, tbe 

 tissues of tbe body. Tbeir action upon tbe nervous system bas been 

 compared to tbat of wine. Tbe natives use tbem alone, or mixed 

 witb lime or tobacco, as a masticatory to sustain strengtb during 

 journeys, works of transport, agricultural labour, or wben working 

 in mines, and can tben support fatigue even wben forced for 

 a long time to go witbout food or drink. Tbe plant is, moreover, 

 among certain Indians tbe object of a kind of superstitious worsbip, 

 and wben cbewed witb tobacco produces a kind of intoxication 

 similar to tbat produced by bascbiscb. In Europe, tbe Coca bas 

 been considered as assisting nutrition, as aneestbetic to tbe buccal 

 and stomacbic mucous, as accelerating salivary, intestinal, and even 

 renal secretions ; as useful in cases of stomatite, cbronic quinsy, 

 and uric and scrofulous diatbesis; it bas also been mucb valued 

 as a remedy for extreme embonpoint, etc. From two years of age 

 tbe young stems of Coca yield a first barvest in tbe Andes, and eacb 



1 Sumirium ohovatwm Mabt. (ex Eosenth. Diet. Mat. M4d. iii. 148. — Guie. Drogi. 8im.pl. 

 loo. cit.). ^<i- 6, iii. 596.— Duoh. Rep. 197.— Endl. En- 



2 H. Bn. m Adansonia,s..-368. — Auhryagabo- chirid. 559. — Hook. Comp. to Bot. Mag. i. 161; 

 mnsis H. Bn. ia Adansonia, ii. 266.— Oliv. Fl. ii. 25, t. 21.— Gosse, Mon. E. Coca (Brux. 1832). 

 Trop. Afr. i. 275. — Tb. et Pl. in Ann. So. Nat., ser. 4, xviii. 338. 



3 Lamk, Diet. ii. 393.— Cav. Diss. viii. 402, t. — Eobenth. Stjn. Fl. Diaphor. 775.— Rev. in 

 229.— DC, Prodr. i. 675, n. 23.— Lindl. Fl. Fl. Mid. du XIX* Sihle, i. 356 (yulg. Hayo, 

 Med. 199; Veg. Kingd. 391.— Mbr. et Del. Ipadu). 



