252 ON COCA LEAVES. 



to spend his newly-acquired strength in active labour. After some time 

 the intellectual sphere participates in this general exaltation, while the 

 sensibility seems hardly influenced ; the effect is thus quite different 

 from that produced by coffee, and resembles in some degree that of 

 opium. 



Dr. Mantegazza could in this excited condition write with ease and 

 regularity. After he had taken 3iv, he was seized with the peculiar 

 feeling of being isolated from the external world, and with an irresistible 

 inclination to gymnastic exercise, so that he who in his normal condition 

 carefully avoided the latter, jumped upon the writing table easily with- 

 out breaking the lamp on it. After this a state of torpidity came on, 

 accompanied by a feeling of intense comfort, consciousness being all the 

 time perfectly clear, and by an instinctive wish not to move a limb the 

 whole day — not even a finger. During this se nsation sleep sets in accom- 

 panied by odd and rapidly changing dreams ; it may last an entire day 

 without leaving a feeling of debility or of indisposition of any kind. 

 The Doctor finally increased the dose to 3 x viij. in one day ; his pulse rose 

 in consequence to 134 beats, and in the moment when his exaltation was 

 most intense, he described his feelings to several of his colleagues. 



After three hours' sleep, he recovered completely from this intoxica- 

 tion, and could immediately follow his daily occupation without any 

 indisposition ; on the contrary, even with unusual facility. He had ab- 

 stained forty hours from food of any kind, and the meals then taken 

 were well digested. From this fact the author finds it explainable that 

 the Indians employed as carriers of the mail are able to do without food 

 for three or four days, provided they are supplied with coca. 



From these experiments made repeatedly on himself and others, Dr. 

 Mantegazza draws the following conclusions : — 



The leaves of coca, chewed or taken in weak infusion, have a stimu- 

 lating effect on the nerves of the stomach, and thereby greatly facilitate 

 digestion. In a large dose coca increases the animal heat, and augments 

 the frequency of the pulse, and consequently of respiration. In a medium 

 dose three or four drachms excited the nervous system in such a manner 

 that muscular exertion is made with great ease, then it produces a calm- 

 ing effect. Used in larger doses it causes delirium, hallucination, and 

 finally congestion of the brain. 



Since this paper was written, announcement has been made of the 

 discovery and isolation of a proximate principle from coca by a German 

 chemist, said to possess all the pecidiar properties that characterise the 

 plant itself. For a very minute and interesting detail of the use of coca 

 among the Indians, reference may be made to a small but attractive work 

 by Captain Mayne Reid, entitled The Forest Exiles. 



