Coca and Cocaine

The work surveys early and later accounts of the plant and its traditional leaf use, outlines botanical characteristics and methods of cultivation and drying, and collects traveler observations on its stimulant and appetite-suppressing effects. It summarizes pharmaceutical preparations and recipes, presents chemical analysis of the chief alkaloid and its salts with tests for purity, and reviews reported medical applications including topical anesthetic uses, modes of dispensing, and economic considerations, while noting potential misuse and offering practical guidance for selection and storage of material.