This very interesting article from 1874 describes the experiments and observations by a British MD into the properties of alkaloid extracts of Coca, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Guarana, and other “common stimulants”.
At first I thought that the article was going to examine the therapeutic properties of Coca Leaves, but it soon became clear that the Doctor had little luck in finding fresh Coca leaf, and so he decided to experiment instead on the extract of Coca Leaf, Cocaine, along with the alkaloids of other popular drinks and snacks that had been arriving in Europe since the discovery of the “New World”.
What I find so interesting about this article is the author’s conclusion that cocaine, theine, caffeine, guaranine, and theobromine are “all powerful poisons” and are all “almost identical” in chemical composition.
Yet we happily sell and celebrate our coffee beans, tea leaves, and chocolate beans which have pleasant but not remarkably therapeutic effects, and whose primary alkaloids are “powerful poisons”, while we allow our government and scientific/medical establishment and their owners, Pig Pharma, to demonize and punish anyone who wants to have a cup of Coca Leaf tea a couple of times a day to save their health and perhaps their life. Go figure.
Here is the full article from 1874:
THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, April 18, 1874.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF COCA, By ALEXANDER BENNETT, M.D.
IN the recent numbers of the BRITISII MEDICAL JOURNAL, there have appeared several interesting notices on the therapeutical effects of “erythroxyloni coca”. This substance has been for some years pretty extensively employed at home, but particularly on the continent, as a stimulant and tonic in a variety of diseases, and, it is said, with considerable success. Still, comparatively little is yet known about the action of the plant. The following observations may not be uninteresting to those who are clinically investigating the properties of the drug, which, as our knowledge of it advances, will doubtless prove a valuable addition to the Pharmacopaia.
My attention was directed to the action of the coca leaves several years ago; and at different times, and from various sources, I have obtained quantities sufficient for experimental purposes. My object was first to ascertain the effects of the drug upon the healthy human subject, with special reference to its stated stimulant and anti-triptic properties; and, with this object, I administered to myself and to others the leaves in doses varying from one to eight drachms in the form of infusion and of extract, and also by chewing them along with different alkalis, after the manner described by travelers as adopted by the natives of Bolivia and Peru.
After a series of experiments carefully conducted, I was not able to convince myself that the drug thus administered had any special effects, with the exception of a sensation of slight local tingling of the tongue and mouth when the leaves were masticated for any length of time. Whether this inert action is due to the leaves having lost their active properties by exportation, to their being improperly selected or prepared, to an insufficient quantity having been administered, or to a defective method of application, I am not in a position to decide. After every precaution and variety of treatment with different samples of the leaves, and in as large quantities as could be conveniently administered, I have failed to satisfy myself that there was even any approach to the powerful and somewhat startling results graphically described by many authors as occurring when the leaves are chewed by the inhabitants of the countries where the plant abounds.
So I next directed my attention to the neutral principle of the coca leaves, and after great difficulty, with the aid of Messrs. Macfarlane and Co., chemists, Edinburgh, I succeeded in obtaining a small quantity of the crystalline substance cocaine (C17H21NO4).
With this I conducted a series of experiments and observations on the lower animals, as far as I am aware, for the first time in this country, and arrived at results which appeared to me of considerable importance, ascertaining that cocaine was a powerful poison with special actions on the nervous system. As coca is extensively employed in South America as a beverage, and as cocaine bears close chemical relations to the neutral principles of tea, coffee, guarana, chocolate, and other well-known stimulants, I proceeded to make a series of experiments also with theine, caffeine, guaranine, and theobromine, with the view of determining the actions of each, and the relations, if any, which existed among them.
In the Edinburgh Medical Journal for October I873 will be found a description in detail of these observations. The general results at which I arrived may be given shortly as follows.
The physiological actions of coca, tea, coffee, guarana, and cocoa, are mainly, if not entirely, due to their neutral principles. (ed. note: the author refers to the dominant alkaloids as “neutral principles.)
Cocaine, theine, caffeine, guaranine, and theobromine are powerful poisons, inducing a series of symptoms affecting the nervous, respiratory, circulatory, vaso-motor, and glandular systems, which terminate, if the dose be large enough, in death.
These five principles are, to all appearances, identical in physiological action.
In small doses not ending fatally, these five substances produce a Cerebral excitement not succeeded by coma, and b. Partial loss of sensibility.
In large doses they produce a. Cerebral excitement, b. Complete paralysis of sensibility, c. Tetanic spasms and convulsions, and d. Death.
They paralyze the entire posterior columns of the spinal cord also the entire system of peripheral sensory nerves; but the anterior columns of the cord and the peripheral motor nerves are not paralysed.
They frequently produce convulsions of a clonic character, but occasionally they cause tetanic spasms, which latter are sometimes so severe as to induce opisthodomos.
They do not produce muscular paralysis.
They at first increase, then impede, and lastly stop, the respirations.
They at first increase, and finally diminish, both the force and frequency of the heart’s contractions.
They produce at first contraction, and afterwards dilatation, of the capillaries and small blood-vessels, with stasis of the blood, indicating first irritation, and subsequent paralysis, of the vaso-motor nerves.
They affect the temperature by first slightly lowering, and secondly increasing, it.
They usually produce contraction of the pupil.
They produce an increase of the salivary secretion.
They induce a peculiar form of tenesmus, accompanied by a copious discharge of clear mucus from the bowels.
These conclusions have been arrived at after a careful series of experiments conducted on more than one hundred animals of different kinds; and it is extremely interesting to learn that those agents, which the different nations of the world have found by experience to produce refreshing and stimulating beverages, although unlike one another and procured from totally different sources, possess in common proximate principles, which not only are almost identical in chemical composition, but also appear similar in physiological action.
According to the above observations, cocaine has the same actions as theine, etc.; so, for clinical purposes, the latter is at present preferable on account of the enormous expense of the former. That the effects of the beverages themselves are mainly, if not entirely, due to the neutral principles they contain, is highly probable; but of their beneficial action in medical practice I am not yet in a position to give an opinion.
However, from their stimulant action and effect on the nervous, system generally, there is every reason to hope that the concentrated forms of these drugs, or the neutral principles themselves, will prove powerful and useful agents in the hands of the physician for the treatment of disease. Before the medical man can practice his profession scientifically, he should be acquainted, not only with the natural course of the malady he proposes to alleviate, but also with the physiological effects of the drug by which he hopes to reach this end.
By observations upon the lower animals, he may also obtain suggestions and information which will materially assist him in relieving and benefiting the human being. With this object, the above investigation was undertaken; and, although the research is yet in its infancy, I venture to hope that my conclusions will not be found deficient in interest and importance to those who desire to establish a sound system of therapeutics upon careful physiological experiment.
(End of BMJ article)
(Further commentary)
Although the early research into Coca Leaf has been largely ignored by modern scientists and physicians, writing just about 100 years after Alexander Bennett, the brilliant MD Andy Weil wrote in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 1981 Mar-May;3(2-3):367-76.
“The therapeutic value of coca in contemporary medicine.”
“Coca appears to be a useful treatment for various gastrointestinal ailments, motion sickness, and laryngeal fatigue. It can be an adjunct in programs of weight reduction and physical fitness and may be a fast-acting antidepressant. It is of value in treating dependence on stronger stimulants. Coca regulates carbohydrate metabolism in a unique way and may provide a new therapeutic approach to hypoglycemia and diabetes mellitus. With low-dose, chronic administration it appears to normalize body functions. In leaf form coca does not produce toxicity or dependence. Coca can be administered as a chewing gum or lozenge containing a whole extract of the leaf, including alkaloids, natural flavors, and nutrients.”
Truth & Liberty Lie Dead; The Sword Of Justice Is Broken
Power already knows the truth and doesn’t give a shit.
Power has successfully chosen self-interest over truth so often that it has nothing but contempt for those who speak truth.
Power no longer fears the truth.
No amount of truth, however articulately and passionately spoken, will reach the predatory mind of Power.
Power feeds without remorse on the mortal remains of truth and justice.
Power is the US Congress, and they are beyond the reach of truth or justice.
The truth is that Alzheimer’s is being caused by something done by those in power. It is not just an accidental emergence of something inexplicable. Justice would be for truth to be told so that all would hear and understand.
What if people with Alzheimer’s are not so much victims of a disease as they are victims of, at a minimum, criminal negligence? I believe that is the truth. I also believe that the truth may be even worse than that.
The reason that this is truth is that there are many, many places in the world where nobody is getting sick and dying from Alzheimer’s. In fact America is one of the few countries where Alzheimer’s is a raging epidemic. Alzheimer’s is not a human condition – it is an affliction, and corrupted power is its cause, because it only exists in countries where corrupted power rules.
Is that a clue?
It’s not that, to use that famous line “The truth? You can’t handle the truth!” Congress can handle the truth just fine. It doesn’t faze them at all. They are not moved one inch. Truth has no meaning.
Nevertheless, I will keep on asking:
What if there is a simple tea, brewed from the leaves of a sacred plant, that extensive and credible evidence suggests could arrest and perhaps even reverse Dementia and Alzheimer’s?
What if that simple tea is so safe and beneficial that it is already in use daily by millions of people – but not in America?
And what if in those countries where this tea is available, according to the World Health Organization, Dementia and Alzheimer’s are not anywhere in the top 50 causes of death? For example, the 2013 World Alzheimer’s Report mentions Bolivia exactly ZERO times, and Peru gets 5 mentions. The US is cited 756 times.
Maybe this points to some kind of truth. Ya think?
So if it might be true that a simple tea could not only prevent but also possibly reverse Dementia and Alzheimer’s, and if it could also prevent or reverse a whole list of other killer diseases in the US – why would the US Congress refuse to act to make this inexpensive, natural medicine legally available?
Any guesses?
The truth is in plain sight.
I have reviewed the effects of Coca Leaf ingested as a Tea on metabolic dysfunction, whole body inflammation, heart failure, muscular and neurological wasting, and decaying brain function based on the large body of 19th century medical literature available on the topic. Many of my blog posts here on panaceachronicles.com have quoted and referenced these physicians and their writings, so I’m not going to make this an academic-style summary.
If you would like to browse the source materials, my ebook “Coca Leaf Papers” contains most of the original information for the following conclusions. The most valuable part of “Coca Leaf Papers” is the bibliographic section of original 17th-19th century citations – whenever possible I have hyperlinked those references to the original texts located in historical databases.
Specifically Why Coca Leaf Tea May Be A Powerful Natural Medicine For Dementia/Alzheimer’s
Coca Leaf Tea appears to affect performance in all kinds learning and memory tasks, although few physicians in the 1800’s went beyond simple direct observations. Several of the physician reports include self-testing under conditions calling for endurance, resistance to fatigue, ability to function under stress, and recovery from illness.
Less demand for pills and “energy drinks”? Refer this to the Un-American Activities committee!
Coca Leaf Tea does appear to facilitate learning in tasks in which information is presented passively; such as listening and reading, but not in situations where new information is presented systematically such as in studying or memorizing.
Coca Leaf tea was widely seen to reduce cognitive decline, but then making sure that informed older people can’t vote is in the best interests of the US Congress, so why would they want to upset their apple cart?
19th Century physicians also noted that Coca Leaf Tea facilitates performance in tasks involving alertness to some degree, and many physicians wrote of improved overall reaction to stimulation.
Alert older people! Yikes! Horrors!
Coca Leaf Tea was frequently noted to improve mood and reduce anxiety.
Keeping the people anxious and surly is part of the program.
Coca Leaf Tea was frequently noted to help patients with addiction issues involving everything from Opium to Chloral Hydrate to Cocaine.
My guess is that it would also help reduce the Meth and Opiates epidemics but hey, who gives a shit? Not the US Congress, for sure. Felons can’t vote, and although dead people can and do vote, fresh ones are harder to manipulate.
A large improvement in physical performance in fatigued subjects under stressful conditions was noted frequently.
Fewer bone fractures from falling? That’s not gonna happen. It’s almost impossible to get out of bed in a nursing home and go vote, so Congress likes things just the way they are.
It appears that Coca Leaf Tea’s action on energy levels, mood, digestion, muscle and nerve resiliency, and mental concentration strongly suggest that it would be helpful in reducing and possibly reversing the rate of decline in these functions, and the millions of deaths associated with Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
But the truth? The US Congress doesn’t care. That part is up to you – you know, the caring part.
And by the way, if you don’t want to pay my $3.99 asking price to read the evidence in my 600+ page ebook “Coca Leaf Papers”, then just email me and ask for a free copy. I want to share this information, and I’m not going to get rich off of ebook sales anytime soon anyway, so I’ll be happy to shoot you a copy.
What I want is for you to care enough to look at the evidence.
The range of diseases and conditions that were successfully treated and cured by European and US physicians using Coca Leaf over the course of hundreds of years should be truly amazing to us in the 21st Century, even those of us who have been propagandized into believing that allopathic medicine and modern science have “made great strides”, “revolutionized the treatment of disease”, yada yada.
As you look over the table below you might reflect on how little actual progress has been made in the treatment and cure of so many diseases, although we have certainly developed a lot of impressive technology and there have been some dramatic, if somewhat mixed-blessing advances such as antibiotics.
However, let me point to just one example; with all of our vaunted antibiotic technology huge numbers of people still die of Pneumonia – a deadly condition that doctors of the 18th and 19th centuries who were familiar with Coca leaf (and who didn’t resort to poisonous ‘remedies’ like Mercury, Arsenic and Bleeding) were quite often able to treat and reverse successfully with a few cups a day of Coca Leaf tea.
Also, since many of today’s most destructive diseases did not exist, or didn’t have a name during those earlier centuries, this post is intended to point to the historical record that strongly suggests that if pure, natural Coca Leaf were freely available today as a natural medicine it could lift the immense burden of these modern conditions and diseases from tens of millions of people virtually overnight, with no “side effects”, no risk, and for literally pennies a day.
Freely available Coca Leaf would literally destroy the market for useless, often even dangerous pharmaceuticals as well as the incredibly lucrative market for America’s beloved over-the-counter “remedies” – which, of course, would guarantee strident howls of objection and opposition. Americans spend $625 Billion a year on the over 300,000 “Over The Counter” medicines that promise relief from pain and suffering of all kinds.
Here is a table taken largely from the work of Dr. Golden, whose “History of Coca” (1901) outlines the conditions and diseases that were known in the 1800’s to be treatable and curable by Coca Leaf, along with number of diseases and conditions that have been largely ‘discovered’ in the century since Dr. Golden wrote. I believe that the evidence that he and other physicians and scientists recorded in their times shows that simple natural Coca Leaf infusions and extracts could prevent, treat and perhaps cure these modern diseases and conditions where the products of “Pig Pharma” so often fail.
Please consider the physical, emotional, spiritual and financial impact on the lives of millions of individuals and their families if even one or two of the conditions/diseases in the following table were proven beyond all doubt, using all of our contemporary research powers, to be either effectively treated or actually cured by drinking Coca Leaf Tea alone – no other treatments or medications needed.
And once you have reflected on this, if you are a strong advocate of legal Cannabis perhaps you’ll consider adding Coca Leaf to your demands that the US government and Pig Pharma back off and go away.
If you would like to read Dr. Golden’s extraordinary “History of Coca” I have digitized his book and it is available here. ($1.99 for the full 251 page book plus bibliography).
I have kept all of the original illustrations intact and – most importantly – I have hyperlinked as many of Dr. Golden’s bibliographic references to the original source materials as I could track down, almost all of them freely available in internet historical book archives.
Have fun – I certainly did while tracking down and studying these obscure but critically important resources for treating and healing disease using one of the most amazing natural medicines ever.
This very interesting article from 1874 describes the experiments and observations by a British MD into the properties of alkaloid extracts of Coca, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Guarana, and other “common stimulants”.
