INTRODUCTION

EACH race has its fashions and fancies. The Indian munches the betel; the Chinaman woos with passion the brutalizing intoxication of opium; the European occupies his idle hours or employs his leisure ones in smoking, chewing or snuffing tobacco. Guided by a happier instinct, the native of South America has adopted Coca. When young, he robs his father of it; later on, he devotes his first savings to its purchase. Without it he would fear vertigo on the summit of the Andes, and weaken at his severe labor in the mines. It is with him everywhere; even in his sleep he keeps his precious quid in his mouth.

But should Coca be regarded merely as a masticatory? And must we accept as irrevocable the decision of certain therapeutists : "Cocaine, worthless ; Coca, superfluous drug " ? (1)

For several years laryngologists such as: Fauvel, of France; Morell Mackenzie and Lennox Browne, of England; and Ekberg, of America, had undertaken the defense of Coca.

Under such patronage Coca and its preparations were not slow in becoming popular.

Charles Pauvel was the first to make use of it as a general tonic, having a special action on the larynx ; and to make known its anaesthetic and analgesic qualities.

Coca was further recommended, as it were empirically, against stomatitis, gingivitis, gastric disturbances,'" and phthisis (Rabuteau), Elements de thirafieutique et de pharmacologie.

Although striking effects were obtained from this valuable medicine, its full worth was yet unknown and there was diversity of opinion as to its mode of action, until the communications of Killer, of Vienna, on Coca and Cocaine, appeared in 1884.

These interesting publications led to such general discussion among medical men, that nearly every one eagerly followed the work, and watched the splendid results obtained by the Viennese physician (now Professor of Ophthalmology in New York Polyclinic).

It is found that studies made of the active principles of Coca have. entirely corroborated our previsions, and probably no subject has received greater attention than have the virtues of this little Peruvian shrub, formerly looked upon in Europe with so much indifference.

The scientific study of the principles of Coca may be considered as completed ; and we believe that the time has arrived in which to summarize data regarding this therapeutic agent, so that the employment of our preparations may be based on positive clinical experience.

The aim of this modest work is to offer to the medical profession a short account of the history of Coca, and of the investigations which it has called forth up to the present day.

We propose to divide our subject into five parts.

1ST. We will describe the botanical character of Coca, and also speak of its culture and the mode of gathering it.

2D. Its history, its properties and uses.

3D. The physiological researches made in the domain of Coca, devoting a special chapter to Cocaine.

4TH. Its therapeutic application.

Finally we will quote some general conclusions and explanations regarding the method of using our different preparations, based on observations made by competent physicians in Europe and America.

(1) Nothnagel et Rossbach, Nouveaux Laments de Therapeutique.