The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-07-01
IT LOOKS LIKE A. DANGEROUS DRINK.
Read and Be Your Own Judgo...A
Damaging Admission."A Contra
llnofnrN GfafnInanf

| Last week the statement was made that
Messrs. Lowry & Starr had discontinued the
sale of"coca.cola" until they could investi-
gate the truth Of an imputa tion that the hev-
erage contained cocaine In such quantities as
to insiduousy bring on the dread ful cocaine
habit. They have written to the mannfac-
turer, Mr.. Asa D. Gambler, Of Atlanta, and he
replies as follows:
Editor Constitution. There appears in the
columns Of your paper this morning notice
OF "coca.cola," ;" preparation which I have
been manufacturing and selling largely In
this and other communities for the past three
years. as soda fountain beverage, to the
| the very best people in the community which
they serve. For nearly twenty years nave
! lived In Atlanta and been known prominent
| ly as a druggist Among the citizens OF this
place think have a great many friends TO
whom I can refer for endorsement: that
have endeavored to live above reproach, neY-
er manifesting desire to build mp my own
| interests at the expense of theirs.
As to coca-cola, II your "thougthful citizen
will find one person In all this country. who
is a cocaine user by reason of having drank
| coca COLA then plead guilty to their charges.
In n pa NJ ph let which ! issue and distribute
at much expense, plainly state that among
great many other things which enter into
Its composition we use cocaine leaves. have
no objection to stating just here that one gal
Ion of coca.cola syrup. which makes l8 glass
es. as dispensed from the soda fountains, con-
tains one.half ounce of green coca leaves,
whicl, are treated with hot water
If your thoughtful citizen and prominent
physician have got as much sense ns tney
lack regard for correct speaking, they can
readily see that gallon OF this syrup Wouio
not produce any decided effects attributable
TO coca inc.
Without any Investigation rs to who is u.s.
Ing coca.cola. I feel confident that can truth
fnly say thnt every prominent minister,
number OF our most skilled physicians. to.
gether with nineteenth OF the business men,
including all professions. are and have been
for Mt least three years constant patrons OF
a L
finds II to be prompt restorer OF his ener.
gies and goes back and gets 1T again and
again, should not be an argument against lis
use any more than against the recall Of our
family physician who restores to life and
health the members of our family. That
some people use too much of 1t Is not Its fault
or mine, but have yet to hear Of single
case having been injured thereby. The pop
ularity of the beverage Is caused as much by
iudicious advertising that has been done for
II: ms by It's own genuine merits.
We trust that MS you have doubtless care.
will as carefully insert this plain statement
Asa D. Gambler.
Mr.. Gambler, in printed circular which he
sent to the Press and Banner says:
"The sales OF the leading fountains In At
lanta during the year 1880, amounted to to
$22, 10000 for Coca Cola alone-equal 70 34s,ooO
drinks. This trade was almost wholly due to
the continual growth OF popularity, and was
helped Gy ue,y little advertising of any kind"
How do you think that statement tallies
with this:
"The popllortty of the beverage Is caused as
much on jatiicio,ls advertising that has been
done for It, as by its own genuine merits
What Is Coca.Cola?
In the Eighth Edition Of the British En-.
cyciopaedia. Volt page 40, We find the fol-
lowing statement In regard TO Coca, one In
stimulant narcotic largely used as q mastica.
tory by the Peruvains, Is the dried leaf OF
Erythroxylan Coca, In combination with
certain alkaline substance called l!ipta: Inc
with remarkable effects Oh the human sys-
tenn, which are said TO be not very dissiinilar
TO those produced by the excessive use OF
opium"
"The Coca plant (Ery hoxylan Coca) Is from
q to feet in length, and somewhat resembles
black thorn in It's numerous small white
blossoms and the lively green color OF It's
fully dried and then finely packed In woolen
sacks and covered with sand. The coca leaf
IL TO the Indian of the Interior necessary OF
life. Each individual carries leathern
pouch containing a supply OF coca leaves,
and small flask eourd filled with pulverized
unslaked lime. Three or four times day, or
oftener, he suspends his labor to chaccha or
mastlcate his coca, TO which slight admix,
ture Of the powered lime gives relish, and
is said TO counteract the natural tendency OF
the coca to give use to visceral distractions.
Deleterious and dire results are commonly
attributed to the use OF this narcotic; and Dr.
Poeppig in his travels In Chill and Peru, &C.:
draws q melanchly picture OF the dreadful ef-
fects of this insinuating drug, and OF the dis-
ease TO which It gives rise; II is Sass asserted, Ss,
these effects are vastly overrated. and some
even maintain that, when used In modera-
tion, it may be even conducive to health"