418  PROPERTIES  OF  ERYTHROXYLON  COCA. 
upon  this  plant  as  an  ambrosia  capable  of  imparting  new  life, 
and  of  stimulating  to  new  exertions.  It  is  not  surprising,  under 
such  circumstances,  that  this  article  should  be  very  much  abused, 
and  that  the  evil  of  intemperance  in  the  use  of  coca,  known  as 
coquear,  should  be  quite  as  prevailing  among  the  natives  of 
those  districts,  as  intemperance  in  the  use  of  tobacco,,  alcoholic 
liquors,  and  opium  is  among  other  nations.  They  often  intoxi- 
cate themselves  for  several  weeks,  hide  in  the  deepest  forests  in 
order  not  to  be  disturbed  in  their  enjoyment,  and  not  rarely 
return  home  to  their  family  suffering  from  delirium  or  decided 
idiocy. 
The  child  and  the  feeble  old  man  seize  with  equal  eagerness 
the  leaves  of  the  wonderful  herb,  and  find  in  it  indemnification 
for  all  suffering  and  misery.  Be  it  that  the  praised  efficacy  of 
the  plant  is  merely  the  effect  of  fancy  or  tradition,  or  that  the 
plant  really  contains  a  powerful  principle  unknown  to  science, 
the  solution  of  this  mystery  is  certainly  a  worthy  theme  for 
scientific  inquiry,  and  the  investigations  of  Dr.  Mantegazza  de- 
serve, therefore,  our  full  attention. 
Dr.  Mantegazza  observed  that  the  chewing  of  a  drachm  of  the 
leaves  of  the  coca  increased  salivation,  giving  at  first  a  some- 
what bitter,  and  afterwards  an  aromatic  taste  in  the  mouth,  and 
a  feeling  of  comfort  in  the  stomach,  as  after  a  frugal  meal  eaten 
with  a  good  appetite.    After  a  second  and  third  dose,  a  slight 
burning  sensation  in  the  mouth  and  pharynx,  and  an  increase 
of  thirst,  were  noticed ;  digestion  seemed  to  be  more  rapidly 
performed,  and  the  faeces  lost  their  stercoraceous  smell,  the 
peculiar  odor  of  the  juice  of  the  coca  becoming  perceptible  in 
them.    On  using  the  coca  for  several  days,  the  author  observed 
on  himself  as  well  as  on  other  individuals  a  circumscribed 
erythema,  an  eruption  around  the  eyelids  resembling  pityriasis ; 
from  time  to  time  a  not  unpleasont  pricking  and  itching  of  the 
skin  was  felt.    An  infusion  of  the  leaves,  taken  internally,  was 
found  to  increase  the  frequency  of  the  pulse  in  a  considerable 
degree.    In  making  observations  on  the  frequency  of  the  pulse, 
the  author  was  very  careful  to  consider  all  the  conditions  which 
might  influence  it;  he  found  that  the  temperature  of  the  air 
being  the  same,  and  the  liquids  being  heated  to  an  equal  degree, 
an  infusion  of  coca  will  increase  the  action  of  the  heart  four 
