Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
Dec.  1, 1874.  S 
Erythroxylon  Coca. 
567 
The  characteristics  and  properties  of  the  alkaloid  may  be  concisely 
given  as  stated  by  Watts  :  *  "  Cocaina  crystallizes  in  small,  colorless, 
inodorous  poisons  ;  it  has  a  slightly  bitter  taste,  and  produces  tem- 
porary insensibility  of  the  part  of  the  tongue  with  which  it  comes  in 
contact.  It  is  soluble  in  704  parts  of  water  at  12°C,  (53-6°F.) 
more  soluble  in  alcohol,  and  still  more  so  in  ether.  It  melts  at  98°C, 
(208-4°  F.)  and  solidifies  to  a  transparent  mass,  which  gradually  be- 
comes white  and  crystalline.  At  a  higher  temperature,  a  very  small 
portion  appears  to  volatilize  undecomposed,  but  the  greater  portion 
is  decomposed,  yielding  ammoniacal  products.  Cocaina  dissolves  with- 
out color  in  strong  nitric,  hydrochloric  and  sulphuric  acid ;  the  last 
solution  becoming  black  when  heated.  It  is  strongly  alkaline,  dis- 
solves in  dilute  acids,  and  neutralizes  them  completely."  In  most  of 
its  reactions  cocaina  resembles  atropia,  but  that  with  carbonate  of 
ammonia  is  different,  and  the  melting  points  of  the  two  alkaloids  are 
not  coincident.    The  formula  assigned  to  it  is  C16H19N04. 
Hygrina,  the  other  alkaloid  constituent  of  coca,  assumes,  at  ordin- 
ary temperatures,  the  form  of  a  thick  oil,  of  yellowish  color.  It  pos- 
sesses a  strong  alkaline  reaction,  a  burning  taste,  and  an  odor  of 
trimethylamin.  It  combines  with  hydrochloric  acid,  forming  a  de- 
liquescent salt.  It  is  to  some  extent  soluble  in  water,  and  dissolves 
readily  in  alcohol  and  ether.    It  does  not  appear  to  be  poisonous. 
Those  points  which  bear  directly  on  the  subject  of  this  paper,  and 
which  are  embodied  in  the  above  particulars,  are,  that  coca  contains 
two  active  principles  on  which  its  medicinal  virtues  depend  ;  that  one 
of  these  is  mutable  in  the  presence  of  acids,  the  other  volatile,  and, 
therefore,  liable  to  be  dissipated  by  heat ;  and  that  both  are  soluble 
in  water  and  alcohol.  We  are  not,  however,  informed  in  regard  to 
the  peculiar  state  of  combination  in  which  these  alkaloids  exist  in  the 
plant.  That  they  are  combined  with  some  acids  appears  probable 
from  the  fact  that  the  addition  of  a  little  lime,  or  other  alkali,  de- 
velops, to  a  much  greater  extent,  the  characteristic  taste,  and  also 
the  activity  of  the  drug.  This  has  been  recognized,  for  ages,  by 
the  millions  of  persons  addicted  to  the  use  of  coca.  Von  Tschudi, 
Poppig,  Herndon,  Weddell  and  other  travellers  affirm  that,  in  pre- 
pearing  the  leaves  for  chewing,  the  addition  of  lime,  Uipta,  the  ashes 
of  plants,  as  Chenopodium  Quinoa  or  other  alkaline  substance,  is 
generally  made.  A  simple  infusion  is,  however,  often  employed,  and 
"Dictionary  of  Chemistry,  i,  p.  1059. 
