Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-09
A New Diet for the Army-How TO Obtain
the Ruperhuulau Powers.

| the euperhuman Powers.
The Erythroxylon Coca has attracted tht
attention Of DR.. J. F. NIaisoh, who con
tributed an article in regard to it to tht
August number Of the Medical and Sargica
Reporter in which he recommends the sur
geons of our army and navy to test its power
Of preserving human life.
I This plant is indigenous to the mountain.
Gus regions of Bolivia and Peru, and is cul.
tivated in districts elevated from two thou.
sand to FIVE thousand feet above the sea. II
is valued chiefly for its narcotic properties,
which il possesses in greater degree than
any other vegetable production, not except
ing opium and tobacco.
The Peruvians gather the leaves, and
after drying them in the sun, chew them in
connection with lime, or the alkaline ashes
of some plants, which they affirm renders the
flavor of the plant sensible to the taste.
Prescott, in his Peru, says the Coca is Of
so invigorating nature, "that the Peruvian,
with small supply of it in his pouch, and
q handful of roasted maize, performs his
wearisome journeys, day after day, with
out fatigue"
DR.. Thomson says the Indians, under
his influence, work twenty and thirty
hours without sleep. They travel, on foot,
seventy leagues in three days, using very
little food but chewing constantly the Coca,
which they carry in pouch thrown over
the shoulder, together with bottle Of quick
lime.
Mr.. Maisch, in his article, relates the
fact that Tschudi employed an Indian for
excavations for five successive days and
nights during which time he ate no food,
and slept but two hours in every twenty
four, and Immediately afterward travelled
sixty-nine English miles on foot, willing to
repeat the same hardships on condition of
being supplied with Coca. During all this
time he merely chewed the leaves of this
plant, and did not complain of fatigue.
An Indian in the employ of Schuzen
travelled two hundred and fifty miles in four
days, and after resting one day, repeated
the journey in five days, over mountain
thirteen thousand feet in hight, partaking
of no food save Coca and some roasted
maize.
During the war of 1917, the Spauiards
subsisted almost entirely on Coca, retain
ing their vigor and preserving themselves
from starvation and annihiatiOn. The
guides of travellers, by the use of this plant
are enabled to progress many miles after
their horses have become exhausted.
The dose of Coca, according to Mr..
Maisch, is one drachm, increased, in great
hardships and fatigue, to half an ounce, re-
newed every two or three hours. DR.. Mon
tegazza in one day, chewed two ounces and o
! quarter of Coca, and after three hours sleep
required no food for forty hours, and dur.
ing this time experienced no loss of vigor.
The Coca has no injurious effect on healtI
or life, save when used in excess, and then
like all other excesses, it sooner or late
causes death.
If these statements be true, and the,
seem to be very we'll authenticated, the re
commentator of the Reporter would appea
to be worthy of attention. Such an in
crease in vigor and the power of endurin
and resisting fatigue would amply repa,
almost any cost.
The annual yield of Coca leaves is said t
be thirty millions of pounds. The cor
sumption amounts to one-third Of tha
amount.
Armed with so powerful an invigoratol
fifty thousand troops might march success
fully against five times their number Th
strength of armies conld not then consist i
their numbers, and the battalions tha
chewed Coca would be assured of the hel
of Providence.