Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1889. 
Coca  Grown  in  India. 
359 
platinum  salts  yielded  bases  producing  marked  anaesthetic  effects  on 
the  tongue  ;  Howard  has  observed  that  the  insoluble  platinochloride 
obtained  from  other  leaves  was  devoid  of  this  property  (Phar.  Jour, 
and  Trans.,  July  23,  1887).  In  one  instance  stellate  crystals  of  the 
base  from  the  soluble  platinum  salt  were  obtained.  Applying  Wil- 
liams' method,  the  crude  alkaloid  showed  2*89  per  cent,  of  impurity, 
but  the  precipitates  were  not  crystalline.  It  is  noted  that  after  the 
addition  of  ether  to  the  acidified  alcoholic  solution,  larger  deposits 
of  the  sulphur-yelloAV  cocatannic  acid  were  obtained  from  those 
samples  containing  the  highest  percentages  of  alkaloids,  it  is 
hence  suggested  that  possibly  cocaine  exists  in  the  leaves  as  cocatan- 
nate. 
Methods  of  cultivating  the  plants  are  described  :  the  leaves  are  first 
gathered  1 J  years  after  transplanting,  subsequently,  whenever  they 
are  sufficiently  mature;  and,  although  the  method  of  curing  does  not 
appear  to  affect  the  quality  or  quantity  of  the  alkaloid  obtained,  never- 
theless it  is  best,  taking  into  consideration  Paul's  experience,  to  dry 
them,  soon  after  gathering,  at  as  low  a  temperature  as  possible,  and 
when  dry  and  cold  to  pack  them  closely  in  air-tight  chests,  as  they 
are  very  hygroscopic.  The  quantity  of  alkaloid  produced  increases 
with  the  age  of  the  plants  (which  attain  a  height  of  from  2  to  6  feet) 
up  to  10  years,  and  after  20  years  a  slight  falling  off  is  observed,  al- 
though they  are  in  their  prime  even  when  35  or  40  years  old. 
From  the  above  results,  obtained  from  plants  and  leaves  of  various 
ages,  it  would  seem  that,  in  India,  neither  altitude  nor  rainfall  have 
much  influence  on  the  proportion  of  alkaloid  in  the  leaves.  The  ash, 
in  all  cases  except  one,  was  white,  the  exception  being  an  ash  of  a 
reddish  hue  from  mature  Ranchi  leaves.  A  partial  examination  of 
some  of  the  ash  showed  that  they  contained  the  following  percent- 
ages : — 
Samples  from 
Soluble  constituents. 
K  cal.  asKHO. 
Matelli  
44-42 
34.60 
59-02 
64-17 
29  26 
19-13 
29-84 
31-36 
So  that  both  nitrogenous  and  potash  manures  will  probably  be  re- 
quired in  the  future  to  keep  up  the  yield  from  the  same  plantation. 
