126 THE NEW ZEALAND FAMILY HERB DOCTOR, 
complaints, perseverance with it will prove its true value, 
Preparation and dose as usual. 
We will close our list of tonics as well as the other classes 
with a recent introduction into the Materia Medica, 
COCA LEAVES (Eryruoxyron Coca) 
Used by West Indians as a kind of stimulant, which enables 
them to do long journeys without food, and to bear severe 
fatigue by simply chewing the leaves. The plant is cultivated 
in large plantations in Bolivia, South America. It grows in 
the form of a bush from four to six feet high, and about 
three feet in diameter. Its foliage is a bright green; its 
flowers white; its fruit small and red. The young plants are 
raised from seed sown in beds and transplanted. When about 
18 months old, they commence plucking the leaves, which 
are very carefully dried in the sun, packed in bales, and 
exported. Dr. Albert Hamann of Goslar was the first to 
separate the active principle, called Cocoaine, which is a most 
remarkable and powerful local anesthetic, (that is, when 
applied to the mucous membrane or injected into the skin it 
takes away all feeling). We have seen a few drops put into 
the eye, and in five moments’ time the oculist was able to 
cut open the ball, take out the dim lens, close up the wound, 
and the patient not feel it, thus doing away with the pre- 
viously existing necessity of chloforming the patient, which 
usually took an hour to recover from, and sometimes causing 
death. 
The leaves may be chewed as a stimulant, but the 
decoction is preferable where the tonic effect is desired. The 
fluid extract is also a convenient form to take it in. As a 
substitute for the common tea it could be used in the infusion 
of half an ounce to the pint, sweetened and with milk. In 
this form it will act as a nerve tonic, but we would not 
recommend it to be used continually, as it might in that case 
undo all the good which an occasional use might do. When 
the end is accomplished for which any medicine is taken, 
